Ch. 313: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 313

Chapter 313Jace instinctively pulled his hand away, avoiding Norah’s touch.

His reluctance only made her more suspicious. “Why are you still bleeding?” she pressed.

The wound had been there for some time, and even if his body hadn’t fully healed, constant bleeding was unusual—unless it was a fresh injury.

Jace clenched his cuffs tighter, his forced smile barely masking his discomfort. “I accidentally cut myself while cooking earlier. It’s nothing serious.”

Norah wasn’t buying it.

“You handle a scalpel daily—you’re too precise to make such a careless mistake. Don’t try to fool me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “That wound doesn’t look like something you’d get while cooking. What really happened?”

Jace fell silent, unwilling to answer. But Norah wasn’t letting this go. She grabbed his wrist and uncovered the bandage, revealing a poorly wrapped injury.

“You did this to yourself, didn’t you?” Norah asked, her voice firm, her suspicion growing.

Jace hesitated, then spoke softly, “Why do you think that?”

Norah pointed at the bandage. “Look at this. The cut is too clean—it’s clearly self-inflicted. And the bandaging… it’s sloppy, like you did it one-handed and in a rush. Plus, there’s still fresh blood. Jace, this isn’t normal.”

Jace’s silence was all the confirmation Norah needed.

His hesitation was his downfall. He’d underestimated her sharp intuition.

Earlier, when he’d arrived to find Norah unconscious, he hadn’t hesitated. He’d cut his wrist, knowing his blood could restore her strength. In the rush to tend to her, he’d quickly bandaged the wound and hadn’t taken the time to do it properly.

But now, faced with her questioning, Jace felt cornered.

“Why would you do this to yourself?” Norah demanded, her tone filled with both confusion and concern.

Jace sighed. “My blood isn’t… ordinary. It has medicinal properties. It helps people heal faster.”

Norah stared at him, stunned. “What?”

Jace met her eyes, his expression calm but serious. “I’m what they call a ‘medicine man.’ My blood contains healing properties.”

The concept was so surreal that Norah couldn’t process it. “A medicine man? That’s… that’s not real. It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel.”

But the look in Jace’s eyes told her it was no joke.

Desperate for answers, Norah pulled out her phone and searched the term. What she found left her horrified.

Medicine men were subjected to inhumane treatment from childhood, forced to consume herbs, poisons, and toxins. Many didn’t survive the brutal process of conditioning. Those who did were seen as commodities, their blood sold at exorbitant prices.

The more she read, the more disgusted she became. The process was cruel and dehumanizing—treating humans as tools rather than people.

Norah looked up from her phone, her heart aching for Jace. “Why would anyone do this? It’s monstrous.”

Jace gave her a faint smile. “It’s just the life I was born into.”

Norah’s voice shook with anger. “You’re not an object. You’re a person. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself for anyone—not for me, not for anyone.”

“It’s just a little blood,” Jace replied softly, brushing off her concern. “I’d rather lose a bit of blood than lose you.”

“No,” Norah said firmly. “You can’t do this again. You’re not some machine to be used up. You’re free now, Jace. You don’t owe anyone anything.”

Jace nodded, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I hear you, Norah. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Promise me,” she insisted. “Promise you won’t do this again.”

“I promise,” Jace said, his voice gentle but noncommittal.

Norah wasn’t entirely convinced, but she chose not to push further. Instead, she shifted the conversation. “By the way, how’s Karina? I haven’t seen her since that day.”

Jace’s expression darkened slightly. “Why do you ask?”

“She’s been through a lot,” Norah said simply. “I hope she’s doing okay.”

Jace didn’t respond, but his silence spoke volumes.

Later, Norah decided to spend some time in the garden. She’d dismissed the household staff to save money—her new life didn’t require such extravagance. Instead, she threw herself into maintaining the villa herself, planting roses of every color to brighten the once-lifeless garden.

Days passed, and the villa finally began to feel like home. With her free time, Norah caught up on news and checked her phone, noticing missed calls from Gloria, Emani, and some former colleagues.

Before she could decide who to call back, her phone buzzed again. It was Gloria.

As soon as Norah picked up, Gloria’s angry voice burst through the line. “What’s going on with you and Kevin? I thought you two were back together! Now I hear you’re divorced? And Kevin—he’s still involved with that shameless vixen? Are you kidding me? After everything you went through? Norah, what happened?”

Norah closed her eyes, a bitter smile on her lips. “It’s true,” she said quietly. “We’re divorced.”