"Why are you showing me this?" she asks.

"I want to show you how much I love you," he says seriously.

Avery feels the tears coming to her eye. She desperately wants to tell him that she loves him too, but she knows she can't. She digs her nails into her palm and tries to take deep breaths.

"I have to remember what's important," she thinks, "I can't let my emotions carry me away."

"Are you touched?" Evan asks, trying to read her expression, "Did you think I disliked your presents?"

Evan closes the safe and regards Avery. She's terrified that something in her face will give her away, and she tries to turn away from him. He caught her and pulled her close. Then he kissed her deeply and soulfully. He's a talented kisser, and she is naturally and gradually immersed in the kiss.

He pushes her back into the door of the safe and presses his body against hers. She feels that his dick gradually becomes harder and harder. Suddenly she turns away from the kiss and pushes against his chest.

"What are you doing?" Evan whispers, "Are you pregnant?"

His hot breath brushes against her ear, and she freezes. She assumes Evan is joking, but his words make her body feels numb. She wants to see his expression, but he buries his face in her neck.

"Do you want me to fuck you?" Evan whispers in a low voice.

At the same time, Evan slides his hands under her dress. When he touches her belly, she inhales sharply, but before she can stop him, he kisses her deeply. The kiss is just like a hurricane—it takes her breath away. His hands slowly explore her body; every time he stops, she wants to beg him to continue. Slowly his hands return to her lower abdomen. Avery opens her eyes and pushes him away.

"No," she gasps, "You have to stop!"

"No? I thought you were enjoying this," he says, his voice hoarse with desire.

His voice raises goosebumps on her skin. She knows if he continues to touch her, she'll lose control entirely.

"I don't want to," she insists without hesitation.

She feels surprised by her own words.

"I thought I wanted to lose the child, and if we make love, the child may be lost," she thinks, "So why am I pushing him away? Is it my maternal instinct? In my heart of hearts, do I actually want to have this baby?"

Evan's pupils narrow a little as he tries to control himself and suppress his desire. Avery knows how strong his sex drive is, and she wants to explain her refusal.

"I'm just exhausted," she says, "And I still feel a bit unwell."

"What do you want to do?" Evan asks.

She subconsciously backs away as his voice tickles her ear.

"Are you afraid that I will touch you?" Evan asks a note of sadness in his voice.

"I'm just exhausted," she repeats, "I don't want to make love right now."

"Did I say that we have to make love?" Evan asks, approaching her slowly, "I just want to carry you back to the bedroom and make sure you can have a rest."

Avery blushed with embarrassment.

"You don't have to be shy in front of me," he whispers.

"Who's shy?" Avery snaps, pushing him slightly, "I can walk by myself; thank you very much."

Evan Howel watches her back as she walks away and wonders why she's behaving so strangely. Avery pretends he's not there as she walks to the bedroom. Though she hasn't eaten anything in the last day, she doesn't feel the slightest bit hungry. She is sleepy and just wants to lie on the bed. Her eyelids feel heavy, and her head feels fuzzy.

The wind blows through the cherry trees, and the blossoms drift to the ground. Avery calls Evan and turns and walks toward her; the petals crushed underfoot release a sweet smell into the air. Suddenly, a tall and handsome man appears. He carries a short knife and stabs it into Evan's heart.

Evan's face pales with pain and shock. He clutches one hand over the wound and reaches for her with the other. He takes a large petal and presses it over the wound like a bandage. Suddenly, the petal turns to blood in his hands and drips onto the ground.

"Avery—" he gasps, "Avery— You mustn't leave me alone. You belong to me forever."

His blood soaks the petals on the ground. When Avery looks down, vines have started to grow. They snake their way around her legs and slowly climb her body. Gradually, they constrict around her, suffocating her. Then the vine suddenly grows a thorn over her heart, as the vine tightens its grip the thorn slowly pierces her chest.

The man holding the knife comes closer, and Avery recognizes him as Charles Peters. He is abnormally grim. In his hand, the blade drips Evan's blood. There's a large black hole in his chest.

"Avery, I will take you away from here," Charles says, "You belong to me now."

"No, I don't want to go," Avery screams.

Suddenly she opens her eyes. She looks at the sunlight pouring in to her bedroom, but the dream still feels more vivid than real life. She realizes she's panting and clutching her chest. When Charles stabbed Evan in the heart, she felt the pain in her own chest. Avery sits up and smooths the wet pillowcase. She wonders if the water is sweat or tears.

"What a strange dream!" she thinks, "What can I mean? Do I miss Charles so much I've started seeing him in my dreams?"

"Mrs. Howel?" a maid gasps as she comes into the room, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine. I just had a dream," Avery replies.

She looks at the gauze screen on the window. The sun is burning fiercely, and it's already high in the sky.

"What time is it now?" Avery asks.

"It's already noon," the maid answers with a worried expression, "Do you feel unwell? I called you for breakfast several times, but you never responded. I thought you were ill, but then I came in and found you sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you."

"I'm fine," Avery says with a barely suppressed yawn, "I just wanted to sleep in a little."

"Mr. Howel called," the maid says, "When we told him you were still sleeping, he asked us to have his lunch sent to him."

Avery nods, then stretches her arms above her head and sighs. Though she's slept for many hours, she stills exhausted.

"Miss Summers," a voice calls from beyond the bedroom door.

"Why is Miss Summers here?" Avery asks.

"She said she left something here," the maid responds.

"What did she leave?"

"I don't know. She said that it was essential, but she wouldn't tell us what it was," the maid says worriedly, "Should I ask them to be quick? Or maybe ask them to be quieter?"

"No, it doesn't matter," Avery says.

She lazily covers her mouth and yawns deeply. Since learning about the pregnancy, she has continuously been sleepy.

"Do you want to get up and eat something, Mrs. Howel?" the maid asks, You didn't have breakfast."

Avery shakes her head and asks the maid to leave. She feels like she can barely keep her eyes open, and she wants to sleep again.