198 Chapter 198

'.',

[Warning: Trauma content.]

Vernon said nothing, but he gently tightened his hug, afraid that Chloe would disappear had he released his embrace.

"Why don't you tell me about your worries? Am I not good enough for you?" Vernon said with an unusually soft voice, something that was almost impossible coming from Vernon's mouth.

He was exceptionally tender for an unknown reason, and that scared Chloe. Because the warmth emanating from his body started seeping inside her cold, bony body.

She was scared she would get addicted to his embrace, so he struggled a bit, "V--Vernon, release me first...."

"I don't want to," Vernon refused. "I know you will run away again if I release my hug."

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The way Vernon became so warm towards her actually terrified her. She was used to being treated harshly. Thus, when a man treated her this tenderly, she couldn't help but think that he secretly had malicious intent toward her.

Chloe started struggling to no avail. She was too weak compared to Vernon. No matter how hard she tried to break free, she was still at his mercy.

Vernon's heart was hurting when he saw Chloe trembling in his embrace, 'Did I scare her? But I'm being as gentle as possible....'

Vernon had never been this gentle to anyone, and he would never think about doing so if the woman he embraced wasn't Chloe.

She was just special. She was the source that fueled Vernon's rage for ten years. Yet, as much as Vernon hated admitting it, she was also the woman that filled his heart and his head.

Chloe started to get desperate to break free. She was scared of getting hurt, especially by a man who was related to Vincent.

"V--Vernon, please release me! I did nothing wrong!" Chloe started yelling excessively, even though Vernon didn't hurt her.

It was her terrible fear that ate her up. No matter how much she tried to claim herself to be a strong woman, she couldn't erase ten years of abuse from Vincent imprinted in her mind.

"Relax, I will not hurt you, Chloe...." Vernon said, but he tightened his hug on her bony body. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He wasn't well-equipped to deal with a woman with trauma.

Chloe got even more terrified once Vernon hugged her tighter than before. She started to get flashes of memories from the past.

The way Vincent hugged her so tight from behind and whispered;

--

'Relax, I will not hurt you, Chloe. I'm just exploring my wife's body.'

'You should be happy that I'm willing to touch a fat whale like you, I could've throw you to get fucked by a few homeless man if I want to.'

'So stay still or I will snap your neck,' Vincent said as his hand crawled up to her neck, choking her until her eyes rolled up and she could hardly breathe.

--

It was one of the core memories of the abuse she experienced from Vincent. She buried it deep in her mind, hoping she would never remember.

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But being embraced by Vernon triggered her old memories, and she couldn't think straight.

"RELEASE ME!" Chloe yelled as she struggled wildly. She even tried to bite Vernon's arm.

"C--Chloe-- Calm down--" Vernon was surprised by Chloe's sudden outburst. She was like a wild animal that was scared out of her life.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE DON'T TOUCH ME, VINCENT!!"

"Vincent?" Vernon was even more shocked when Chloe suddenly called him by his Big brother's name. He was dazed for a few seconds, as he didn't understand why Chloe referred to him as his Big brother.

'Did I do something that my Big brother did to her? But I'm being very careful right now....'

However, Vernon snapped out of his daze when he felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

"ARGH!"

Chloe bit Vernon's wrist, and Vernon finally released her.

Chloe dashed away from Vernon and accidentally tripped until her face hit the floor.

"Ah!"

"CHLOE!"

Vernon tried to reach Chloe and check on her, but when Chloe turned around to face him, Vernon halted his step.

Because Chloe was crying, but it was a silent cry.

She didn't sob or wail out loud. But the tears streamed freely from her eyes down to her cheeks, and her forehead was bruised because of the fall.

She looked so terrified, and it worried Vernon so much.

He tried to approach her carefully, but in Chloe's eyes-- she saw Vincent with a bigger body and more intimidating eyes. She was utterly terrified that she started to get hysterical.

"GET AWAY! I SAID GET AWAY, VINCENT!"

Again, Vernon stopped on his track. He could only stare at Chloe helplessly. He didn't know what to do or even what to say.

He felt that everything he did only scared her.

Thus, he stood still and watched Chloe get up from the floor and run downstairs. Then he heard the sound of a door being slammed shut. He assumed that Chloe was hiding in her room right now.

...

...

This was the first time Vernon felt so helpless in his life. He always thought that he had full control over everything;

This wasn't the method that he intended when he wanted to extract information from Chloe. He wanted her to be comfortable with him, so she could open up.

"Yet, I can't even soothe a terrified woman. Everything I do will only scare her...."

Vernon clenched his fist. There was growing frustration in his heart, mostly because he still hadn't gotten clear information about what his Big brother did to Chloe for the past ten years.

Though Chloe didn't say a thing about the abuse, Vernon already got a rough picture of the pain that she had experienced. He was 100% sure that Vincent had abused her so severely that she mistook him as his Big brother.

He also blamed himself. Had he been more gentle since the first time they reunited, Chloe might be more open to telling everything.

"But you're so blinded with your hatred, Vernon. The only thing you did was triggering her trauma...."

"Vernon Phoenix Gray, you're a fucking idiot."