Chapter 173: Hadn’t she dug her own grave?
"Stealing chickens from his farm?"
That instantly changed Nigel’s expression.
The furrow between his brows deepened as he stared at her in confusion.
When did he have a farm?
And when had he started raising chickens there?
"What are you even saying?" he asked. "I’ve never had any farm, and there haven’t been any chickens."
Adelyn stared at him for a moment, then raised her brows as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, so you never had one —neither the farm nor the chickens."
Nigel nodded.
And just like that, her expression sharpened.
"Then why are you looking at me as if I stole your entire house full of treasure?"
"You—"
"What?" she shot back before he could even continue. "Do you want me to click your picture and show it to you? Then will you finally believe what kind of expression you’re making?"
Nigel didn’t dare challenge her on that.
He knew himself well enough. Even though he had tried to hide it, his displeasure must have shown.
If she had seen it —then she had seen it clearly.
And nothing he said now would make her believe otherwise.
After all, she had always been like this—
Stubborn to her core.
So, knowing her better than anyone, he chose the only option that could work in this situation.
Pressing his lips into a thin line, he tried to push her off again. But just as expected, he couldn’t move.
Looking straight at her, he said, "How dare you ask me that? Don’t you already know?"
Confusion flickered across her face as she stared back at him.
"I know nothing," she said, shaking her head slightly. "What are you even talking about?"
Nigel narrowed his eyes.
"You ... you really know how to get on my nerves, don’t you?"
"...?"
"I’m your friend," he said, glancing around the apartment. "I helped you find this place. You gave me a spare key. Can’t I even visit you?"
Adelyn parted her lips to respond—
But no words came out.
Was this man even in his right mind?
What exactly was he trying to say?
When she felt him struggle again, she finally let go and straightened, staring down at him.
When their eyes met again, she asked in complete disbelief,
"Really? That’s your reason, Nigel Smith? Or can you come up with something even more ridiculous?"
"What ridiculous? I’m stating facts. Admit it —you just can’t accept them," he said, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position.
Adelyn pursed her lips.
"Accept, my foot!" she snapped, stomping hard on his foot.
Nigel winced, glaring up at her.
But she met his gaze without a trace of guilt.
"You’re my friend —I accept that," she said. "My closest one, at that —I accept that too. You helped me find this place and rent it —I agree to that. I gave you the key and permission to visit whenever you want —I accept everything."
She paused, then narrowed her eyes further.
"But when did I ever say you could come in and scare me like that?"
Nigel stood up, pointing at himself in disbelief.
"I? I scared you?"
Adelyn didn’t bother repeating herself. Instead, she continued,
"What were you even thinking, sitting here like a ghost?" she demanded. "And what about the attack? If I—"
"You attacked me," Nigel cut in. "I was merely defending myself."
The rest of her words got stuck in her throat as she stared at him in pure disbelief.
"Oh ... you were?"
"Of course," he said, as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.
Adelyn’s fingers clenched tightly.
"Nigel Smith, you really test my patience to the limit. You—"
"You too," Nigel shot back, leaving her momentarily speechless.
She truly couldn’t understand what he was getting at.
But she could tell—
There was something.
Something that genuinely bothered him.
So this time, she asked more seriously,
"What did I do? How did I test your patience?"
Nigel looked at her, his gaze steady.
"You don’t know?"
She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, staring at him for a long moment.
Then she exhaled deeply and shook her head.
"If you want to keep going in circles," she said, turning to walk away, "go ahead. I won’t stop you."
"Adelyn Grace, stop right there!" Nigel called from behind. "Don’t try to run away from the topic."
She turned back, blinking at him.
"I’m not running. I just don’t know what you’re—"
"Talk about the man you recently started dating," he said.
And the moment those words left his mouth—
It clicked.
The one thing she had almost forgotten.
Of course.
This was what he had been circling around the whole time.
After all, she herself had promised to explain it to him when he returned.
She turned her face away, keeping her back to him as she closed her eyes, silently cursing herself.
Hadn’t she dug her own grave?
He was clearly willing to keep going in circles if she let him—
And yet she had pushed him to get straight to the point.
Perfect.
Just ... perfect.
"What now?" Nigel asked from behind. "Cat got your tongue?"
Adelyn bit the inside of her cheek.
Then, shaking her head, she turned back to face him.
"Of course not," she said. "My tongue is very much intact."
She tried to laugh, but under Nigel’s steady gaze, she couldn’t.
"Fine," she finally gave in. "What do you want to know? Ask me, and I’ll tell you."
Nigel frowned and crossed his arms.
"Then tell me everything."
Adelyn almost snapped back —but stopped herself.
That wouldn’t help.
So instead, she said,
"I got into the relationship recently. Yes, I have a boyfriend now. That’s it. Haven’t I already told you that?"
Nigel’s frown deepened.
"You have," he said, his gaze sharpening. "But you know very well that’s not what I’m asking."
Adelyn pressed her lips into a thin line.
Of course, she knew.
That wasn’t what he wanted to know at all.
He was asking about the things she herself didn’t know how to explain.
Just when she was thinking how to start and what to say, she heard him speak ...
"Lynie," Nigel said, his voice layered with unmistakable displeasure, "you sure have guts, don’t you? After suffering the worst, you still have the strength to go through it all over again?"
