No More Waiting, She Chooses Love
Chapter 729

It was Dustin's fault that he was in pain, and I made a mental note of that.

I paused, panting beside Ernest, relishing in the playful tussle we'd just had.

Thinking about how he was still pretending to be a patient in critical condition made me ask, "How much longer are you going to keep up this comatose act?"

"I'm not pretending anymore," Ernest replied, his words making me chuckle. "See, I'm awake now, aren't I?"

"You're just toying with them at this point!"

Ernest's gaze darkened slightly, "If I didn't have more important things to deal with, I'd really give them a run for their money."

His tone was calm, yet his words carried a dangerous edge.

He spoke of 'playing,' but in reality, it was a high-stakes gamble, not unlike what Deborah was involved in.

"I saw Deborah..." I shared Deborah's situation with him, noticing the heaviness of his silence.

"Fanny mentioned she once treated a girl with injuries similar to Deborah's. She suspects their experiences might be linked and offered to help gather more evidence by reaching out to those girls," I concluded, but Ernest still said nothing. "What's on your mind?" I waved my hand in front of his face to catch his attention.

"This is part of a much larger, darker operation, far beyond just adult entertainment. Many of their dealings are international," Ernest finally explained, and I understood.

If the Sapphire Lounge only provided adult services, Ernest wouldn't have needed to fake his death to infiltrate it.

"I don't fully understand all of that, nor do I want to pry, but you have to promise to keep yourself safe," I insisted. Everyone around me had already suffered enough; I had no right to stop him.

He caressed my face, "I was afraid of dragging you into this, but it seems you're already involved. Just be careful, especially around Dustin."

Yeah, Dustin had already shown his true colors.

He loved me and could treat me like a queen, but if his love turned sour, it could lead to destruction.

I kept these thoughts from Ernest, knowing it would only worry him more.

Ever since meeting him, he had always been my protector. But this time, I was determined to help him with my own efforts.

"Haley has probably been pulled into the Sapphire Lounge mess too," I shared my plan involving Haley.

Ernest nodded, "You might get further entangled by doing that."

I chuckled lightly, "Do you think I'm that careless? I've already legally transferred the bar's ownership to Haley."

"Ms. Hudson isn't just wealthy; she's also developed quite a bit of cunning," Ernest teased, acknowledging my strategy.

"I'm not naturally devious; others might lead me astray. But I don't want you to worry about me," I said, still wanting to ease his concerns.

Ernest's thumb gently brushed my cheek, "My Licia's all grown up."

I've grown up to protect you!

That was a silent promise, but thinking about him stepping into such dangerous places, possibly attracting wealthy women's

attention, made me uneasy.

Not that I feared Ernest would be swayed by such attention. My concern was that Dustin, suspecting Ernest's disguise, wouldn't stop at just having him beaten up.

Dustin would likely try other methods to test Ernest, probably using women to create a rift between us.

"Are you worried Dustin might use a woman to test me?" Ernest could read me like an open book.

"Yeah, what if Dustin sets you up to entertain some rich lady overnight? Would you keep up the act?" I was both warning and testing him.

Ernest smiled, countering my question with, "Are you jealous?"

"I'm not jealous. If I want something, I'll just take it," I declared boldly.

Ernest's eyes sparkled with deep affection, as if he had been waiting for me to say just that, "Then, my dear benefactor, please be lenient with me in the future."