Hidden Flame of Love

Chapter 1

Just because his lover was in a bad mood, Leonore’s boyfriend, threw her necklace into a dog cage and left her to fight the dogs in the cage for his lover's amusement.

He laughed at her miserable appearance, but stopped at the moment before she was about to be bitten.

"Leonore, have you ever looked yourself at the mirror? Your lowly appearance is not worthy of me at all!"

He walked away with his lover in his arms amidst laughter, leaving Leonore alone to endure the ridicule of everyone.

Everyone knew that Leonore was Hamish Schmidt's bootlicker. She loved him so much that she was willing to give up her own dignity.

Looking at the bleeding scratch on her palm, she silently calculated the date in her mind.

In another month, the dangerous period of Hamish's rejection reaction would be completely over.

The one in his body, the heart from her beloved, would no longer have any more changes.

At that time, she could leave completely.

——

"Leonore, aren't you the one who loves Hamish the most? Why are you here?"

When Leonore hurried over, she saw Hamish surrounded by a group of people, with a familiar look of indifference on his face.

In the cage in front of him, there was a fierce and ferocious big dog lying on its stomach, with a shiny circle around its neck, as if it was wearing something.

The moment she saw the silver-white chain around the big dog's neck, her blood seemed to freeze in an instant. She was about to rush forward regardless of anything, but she was grabbed by someone next to her, her arm twisted and she was forced to half-kneel on the ground.

A mocking voice sounded. "Yo, in such a hurry, is it because you can't hold back your excitement when you see your kind?"

He insulted Leonore if she was the same kind as the dog, then she received a sneer from the other.

"Everyone knows that Leonore is Hamish's bootlicker. Isn't she the same kind as the big dog in this cage? Haha ...."

"If you ask me, she's not even as good as this big dog. At least it can really get the love and care of Hamish!"

The sound of laughter rang out, but she pretended not to hear it. She just stared at Hamish, trying to find some clues on his face.

"Hamish, you know how important this necklace is to me, why did you do this!"

She let out a painful roar.

This necklace was not expensive, but it was the last thing her mother gave her before she passed away.

When the man asked her for it, she actually did not want to hand it over. But she could not stand his insulting, and looking at those dark eyes, she softened her heart.

He had promised to take good care of it, but now he had put it around the dog's neck.

How could she not see even the phone call that tricked her into coming over here under the pretext that Hamish was in trouble was made at Hamish's instruction?

Just to humiliate her and let her see this heart-wrenching scene.

Before he could give Leonore an answer, Sarah Lewis beside her spoke softly, tears streaming down her face.

"Leonore, don't blame Hamish. It's all because my skin is too delicate and got rubbed red by the chain by accident."

Sarah spoke as she rolled up her sleeves, revealing a white and tender arm.

She was afraid the red marks on it would be invisible if it was any later.

"Hamish did this to vent his anger on me. This cheap stuff is not expensive, so don't worry about it."

Sarah waved her hand in disgust, as if she had touched something dirty.

Hamish pursed his lips and looked at Leonore coldly. "It's just a chain, don't be so petty."

But then, he immediately looked away as if he was uncomfortable with my gaze.

Chapter 2

"If you want it, go get it yourself. But don't blame me for not reminding you, I definitely don't want a woman who snatches things from a dog."

Hamish raised his chin and gestured the person next to him to open the dog cage, then took a step back, as if leaving a stage for Leonore to perform, or as if drawing a line for Leonore.

Leonore trembled all over. For the first time, she felt that the man in front of her was so unfamiliar.

Hamish knew, when Leonore was child, she was chased by a dog and had a deep psychological trauma towards canine animals. She would even take a detour when she saw them on the street.

But now, he even let her go into the dog cage and fight with the dog in front of everyone's eyes?

She was half-kneeled on the ground and someone next to her pressed her shoulder. Her legs had long been numb. At this moment, he loosened his grip and she fell to the ground, causing another burst of laughter.

The malicious gaze swept back and forth over Leonore’s body. She felt a little dizzy, but still gritted her teeth to prevent the tears from flowing out.

All the sounds around her became blurred. She suppressed her fear, trembling as she almost crawled to the dog cage step by step.

It was the last thing her mother left her. She absolutely could not just throw it away.

It was her mother’s last trace in the world and her last thought.

Then, the laughing crowd fell silent, as if waiting to see Leonore’s good show.

The big black dog stared at her fiercely, and the hot, smelly breath it exhaled hit her face with a "whoosh" sound.

Leonore was sure that as soon as she entered the cage, the dog would immediately pounce on her and bite her.

Unfortunately, she had no room or chance for retreat.

Just as her slender hand was about to touch the cage, the big dog had already crouched down, letting out a low growl.

"Enough!"

She was startled, thinking she was hallucinating, and her hands stopped moving unconsciously.

But Hamish impatiently pinching his forehead, hiding the darkness and ambiguity in his eyes.

"Aaron, go take off the chain on Black Jack's neck and throw it to Leonore! This dirty thing makes me feel annoyed."

The boy called Aaron Gilmore was taken aback, but he still obediently walked over the cage and took off the chain on Black Jack's neck, which was wagging its tail happily.

Then he threw it on the ground in front of Leonore with disgust.

Sarah frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced by a glance from Hamish.

Leonore ignored the dirt on her body and held the necklace tightly in her hand, fearing that it would be snatched away in the next second.

Her gaze towards Hamish was filled with sorrow.

"Hamish, why do you treat me like this?"

Her face was full of injuries, like a puppy that had been abandoned multiple times.

All Leonore got was unrequited love from him.

"Didn't you say you love me? Why can't you handle such a small matter?"

He reached out and took Sarah into his arms, stroking her waist with his hand.

"Leonore, let me see how much you love me ...."

Everyone followed Hamish like a pack of wolves following their leader. In the corner where no one was paying attention, no one noticed that Leonore eyes suddenly turned cold.

The pain and grievances just now seemed to be illusions, replaced by emotionless indifference.

Leonore slowly stood up and gently put the necklace into her pocket.

She silently calculated the date in her mind.

There was still one month left.

If nothing unexpected happened, Hamish's rejection reaction would completely disappear in just one month.

Chapter 3

Inside his chest, the heart that belonged to Leonore’s beloved, would once and for all, vividly beat.

Then her mission would also be accomplished here.

Leonore left in a hurry and heard Hamish had fainted. She was afraid that he had a problem with his heart. So, she did not even have time to take her personal belongings and rushed out in a panic.

The girl dragged her miserable body back to the hospital and unsurprisingly she received pity and sympathy from everyone.

"Leonore, have your mind died? What's so good about someone like Hamish that he deserves to treat you this badly?" said her best friend, Nicole Chapman, with a tone full of resentment, but her hands treating Leonore’s wound were incredibly gentle, afraid of hurting Leonore.

"You are an authoritative doctor in this city! You know, a lot of hospitals are eyeing you and fighting over you to become an expert medical staff in their hospital. But you refused them and went to find Hamish!"

Leonore could only smile lightly and say nothing. But the next moment, she felt a sudden pain in the wound and hissed.

Nicole had already gotten used to Leonore’s acquiescence, and she resigned herself to continuing to clean Leonore’s wounds. Hearing her hiss, Nicole unconsciously frowned in worry.

"Alright, drink some water, and listen to how hoarse your voice is."

Feeling her best friend care, Leonore took the glass of water and gave her a sincere smile.

"It's been so long, but you still can't forget him?"

Nicole’s voice was concerned, and Leonore’s thoughts were pulled away in an instant.

Apart from Nicole, no one knew that Leonore, who was now known as Hamish's bootlicker, once had a boyfriend named Benjamin Kiehl.

Benjamin and Leonore had known each other since childhood and they were childhood sweethearts. Even the parents of their families were old friends. Their family were harmonious and they were happy.

Almost everyone assumed that they were a destined couple.

However, fate played a cruel trick. When their parents were planning to go on a trip, they unfortunately encountered a series of car accidents.

Leonore’s father was standing in front of her mother when the truck lost control and crashed into the driver's seat.

He was pierced by steel bars and died on the spot. Benjamin's parents, who were sitting in the backseat, also died as a result of failure to rescue them.

Only Leonore’s mother, who was well-protected, was sent to the ICU, spending high medical expenses and struggling to survive.

Looking at her mother's pale face, Leonore, who had rushed back from abroad, broke down and cried countless times, hating everything she had learned in her life but being unable to save the mother who gave birth to her and raised her.

It was Benjamin who accompanied her during the most desperate moments. Even though he was also suffering from the pain of losing both his parents forever, he still comforted the girl with tears in his eyes, saying he would always be with her.

Later, her mother died and left this necklace to her.

The two of them lost everything overnight and became orphans who depended on each other for survival.

On countless dark nights, he was the only belief that kept her alive.

However, when Leonore finally cheered up a little and came to his house with carefully selected gifts, she only saw his unconscious figure.

She suppressed her inner fear and sent him to the hospital, but it was like a bolt from the blue.

Benjamin had a rare genetic disease with few cases found worldwide.

The disease broke out suddenly at this time, and everyone was helpless. No one could come up with a solution to slow the spread of the disease.

He had less than a month left to live.

Leonore had the title of a well-known medical postdoctoral fellow abroad, but she could only watch all her loved ones leave her.

Later on, Benjamin often lost consciousness.

Chapter 4

At that time, Leonore felt that every time he lost his vitality was a warning of death for her.

What reason did she have to continue living when her only belief was about to shatter?

But he seemed to see her thoughts, and with an incredibly weak spirit, he begged me to donate his body.

"Leonore, don't lose hope in life. I won't be the only one in your life," he said.

He used all his strength, reached out his withered hands, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with trembling hands.

"My organs will replace me to continue living in this world, and Leonore, I want you to replace me, witness my heart beating vividly, and witness every beauty of flowers, plants, birds, and animals in the world ...."

Before she could open her mouth, the heart rate monitor beside her made a beeping sound.

Leonore cried so hard that she almost fainted, but she could only watch helplessly as Benjamin's body was pushed into the morgue.

Nicole knew her situation and took annual leave to fly to her side, because Nicole was afraid that her best friend might do something foolish.

However, Leonore’s emotions seemed to have gone the moment Benjamin left. She handled his funeral with great calmness.

Leonore joined the hospital where her best friend, Nicole, worked as a specially hired doctor, and watched patients who had received organ transplants gain new life. But Leonore herself was like a withered flower in the corner, lifeless, and could never find the vitality that belonged to her.

Until she met Hamish, who was suffering from heart failure and urgently needed a heart transplant. He had eyebrows and eyes that were similar to Benjamin.

The Schmidt Family knew that Leonore was a famous medical expert abroad, and spent a lot of money begging her to transplant a heart for Hamish.

At that moment, Nicole finally saw a long-lost and faint vitality in her.

Leonore personally transplanted Benjamin's heart to Hamish, rejected the Schmidt Family's numerous gratitude and took care of him meticulously, fearing that there would be any adverse reactions.

Even after Hamish was discharged from the hospital, she still stayed by his side and took care of his daily life. Her attitude could almost be described as humble.

Even though Hamish's attitude towards her gradually changed from gratitude at the beginning to impatience and in the end to annoyance.

Even though everyone assumed Leonore was Hamish's shameless bootlicker.

And even though Sarah had cursed her for being shameless countless times.

Leonore did not mind at all.

What she cared about was the heart of her beloved.

She wanted to see it beating vividly, replacing her beloved and living out the bright life that originally belonged to him.

And now, it had been almost a year since Hamish underwent the transplant surgery.

What had kept her alive until now was Benjamin's last wish.

In just one month, Hamish would be completely out of the danger period of rejection reaction, and her beloved's heart would live warmly in the sun from now on.

Leonore could also leave him without any worries.

It was already night when she limped back home.

It was funny to say that after her persistent pestering, Hamish actually agreed to be her boyfriend.

She once thought about explaining, but thinking that living together would allow her to better observe his adverse reactions, Leonore reluctantly gave in.

In everyone's eyes, she was a dog who had everything she wanted. It was her great blessing to be with him.

But the only thing she cared about was Benjamin's heart.

As long as she could fulfill her beloved's wish, she did not mind receiving other people's strange looks, and did not mind bearing all kinds of insults.

After all, her life should have ended a long time ago.

Chapter 5

The house was dark. Leonore did not turn on the light and sat alone in the darkness.

It was as if she had broken down and cried countless times in the dark night before, her beloved gently held her in his arms and comforted her with a gentle voice.

With a click, the sight suddenly became bright.

The girl instinctively closed her eyes and slowly adapted to the cold white light.

However, she heard Hamish unpleasantly question why she did not turn on the lights.

She did not answer, just stared at his left chest with a daze after her eyes adapted to the light.

Dear, if you knew that the person who carried your heart now bullies me like this, you would be very angry, right?

But it's okay, I will definitely fulfill your wish and keep your heart beating vividly.

Hamish felt uncomfortable. He hated this kind of look from Leonore the most, as if she was looking through him at someone else.

However, as soon as this thought came to his mind, he disdainfully put it behind his mind and sneered in his heart.

Everyone thought that Leonore loved him deeply, so how could she possibly look for the shadow of someone else in him?

But it was just him thinking too much.

Thinking of this, the man walked to me and took out a box somewhat awkwardly.

Leonore was taken aback for a moment, and her thoughts instantly returned.

She saw Hamish take out a gold necklace from it and throw it into her arms like a piece of trash, saying, "It's just a broken silver necklace. Do you care so much? I bought you a new one, so don't wear that one anymore."

After speaking, he paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly. "Sarah was wrong about what happened today, but you shouldn't be like a fool and just go straight into the cage. Have you forgotten that you are most afraid of dogs?"

Leonore gave an emotionless smile.

He did not remember when he forced me into the dog cage, but now he remembered that I had a traumatic experience with dogs?

Who was he pretending to be so affectionate for?

Seeing her did not say anything, he thought she was still angry and unconsciously was about to lose his temper.

However, seeing the scars on her exposed arms, he could not help but soften his temper.

Even he himself did not expect that he would put the necklace on her himself, and he was very careful not to hurt her.

Looking at her slender white neck, which seemed to be easily broken, he inexplicably felt that his softest spot had been poked.

But before he could put the necklace on her neck, he suddenly heard a clear sound, followed by a slight numbness in his arm.

Leonore actually slapped his hand away and rejected his kindness?

She sat up straight, moved away from the man, and said in a distant tone, "I'm sorry, I don't like other people's things."

Her whole body was tense, giving off an aura that said "keep away from strangers".

He was taken aback for a moment, but later realized her disdain, and a look of shame and anger appeared on his face.

"Leonore, you're not going to stop even if I treat you well, right? Who are you pretending to be so hypocritical for?"

He was panicked for a moment. It was not like he had never quarreled with Leonore before, and it was not like he had never humiliated her before.

But all of that was to test whether Leonore truly loved him. Every time he softened, she would reconcile with him, gently lying on his chest and listening to the strong beating of his heart.

Why was the usual situation changing now?

The panic disappeared in an instant, and Hamish arbitrarily attributed it to her still playing a tantrum.

He had already humbled himself, so what else did she want?

Chapter 6

Hamish ignored Leonore’s struggle and forcefully put the gold necklace on her neck, not even caring about her being suffocated by his rough actions.

Watching her patting her chest and panting heavily, his heart was filled with a strange sense of satisfaction.

See, I said she was just throwing a tantrum, how could she not love me?

He was in a good mood, so he crossed his arms, which was unusual for him, and waited for Leonore to calm down. Then he slowly asked what the dish would be tonight.

She was afraid that his nutrition would not meet the needs of his heart, so she always cooked for him in various ways and even took the nutritionist certification exam, which made everyone envious.

But this time, Leonore, who had always been extremely attentive to him, said with a reddened nose and a flat tone that she had not prepared it yet.

Hamish was stunned. He did not expect to get this answer.

He craved the dishes Leonore’s cooked and even turned down Sarah's invitation to go to the bar for a drink, but Leonore said she had not prepared it yet?

There should be a limit to losing his temper!

"What do you mean? Leonore, if you don't want to live anymore, just say it! Let's break up!"

He showed his biggest trump card and looked at me leisurely.

Leonore seemed to have triggered a mechanism. She finally raised her head slowly and looked straight at him for the first time.

Yeah, it's not time yet, there's still one month left.

Only by confirming that her beloved heart was truly worry free could she leave without any worries.

She smiled mechanically, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, please don't break up."

She did not give him any promise, just blurted out a few words dryly, because she knew they would not have a future.

He received her confession of guilt as he wished, and just as he was about to curl up his lips, his mobile phone rang.

He glanced at it and then turned on his hands-free device.

Sarah's crying voice came. "Hamish, please come and save me. I met a group of hooligans in the bar. They blocked me in the bathroom and I couldn't get out ... ah, don't come over here!"

There was a loud noise coming from the other end, as if something was hit.

"Hamish, I know Leonore may be jealous as usual. But can you come and save me? I really need you ...."

Leonore could not tell whether Sarah's tone was fake or not, she only saw Hamish's face change drastically.

He glared at her fiercely, put on his clothes, and left without hesitation.

"Sarah has been considering your feelings up to this point, yet you dare to give me a cold shoulder! Leonore, you really don't know what's good for you!"

Hamish slammed the door with a loud bang, making a deafening sound.

As he left, Leonore forcefully took off the expensive necklace and threw it into the trash can, then uncontrollably began to retch.

She was almost about to vomit bitter bile before she forced herself to stand up and suppressed the urge to vomit.

So disgusting.

Everything related to him made her feel disgusted.

The good thing was, it would soon be over.

For more than half a month after that, Hamish did not go home.

However, Sarah's social media continuously updates her daily life with Hamish.

Leonore heard that in order to save the girl, Hamish beat those thugs into the hospital, and finally paid a large sum of money to settle the matter privately.

However, she fell ill due to excessive fright and kept pestering him all day long.

At first, Leonore was a bit worried that she would not be able to see him in person and would not be able to observe his physical condition. Fortunately, Sarah's social media updates gave her full confidence.

Chapter 7

There were no signs of adverse reactions on his body, and in a few days, Leonore would be able to leave him.

Completely leave Benjamin's heart.

She listened to Nicole cursing Sarah for being full of pretensions and cunning, but there was not the slightest ripple in Leonore’s heart, she just looked over the cases.

Even though she stayed in this hospital because of Hamish, she had to be worthy of the white coat she was wearing and the trust of every patient and family member.

Everyone said the registration fees she offered was affordable and she was a humble and skillful doctor. They praised the hospital for having such a talented person like her worked here.

Only in front of Hamish would she lose her dignity and be degraded to nothing.

Now that there were still a few days to go before she left. She had already communicated with the hospital and cancelled the registration quota for the next few days.

Leonore could not delay other people's treatment, so all she could do now was treat every of her patient seriously.

Just when she thought that these days would pass so smoothly, she unexpectedly received a call from Sarah the day before I left.

Her voice was urgent. "Leonore, Hamish had an accident while swimming, please come and save him!"

Hearing he had an accident, Leonore’s heart sank unconsciously.

But then she thought of his teasing before and found it boring.

As if Sarah could see through her thoughts, her voice was filled with pleading.

"Leonore, I know it was my fault about what happened to you with Black Jack before, but this time it's true! Hamish hasn't come back since he went into the water, please come and see him!"

Leonore froze, but still chose to anxiously pick up the car keys.

When Leonore rushed all the way to the outskirts, Sarah was standing by the river with a group of people, anxiously stepping back and forth but at a loss as to what to do.

Seeing Leonore come, her face revealed hope. Sarah grabbed her hand and begged her to go down to look for Hamish.

Leonore was an excellent swimmer. She did not delve into why Sarah did not call for rescue hotline. She hurriedly took off her coat and jumped in.

It was because Leonore saw his watch in the turbulent river mouth.

The watch was given to him by Sarah, and Hamish liked it so much that it never left his body.

Now it had been washed to the river mouth, there was only one possibility ....

She did not dare to think about it and searched for him anxiously.

The river was turbulent, causing her, who was already weak and frail, to sway in all directions. She did not even have time to take a good breath and plunged into the bottom of the river again.

Her beloved's heart was on him, nothing could happen to him!

Hamish must carry the hope of Benjamin and Leonore and live well!

Now autumn had arrived and the river had turned icy cold.

Leonore’s hair was disheveled and stuck to her face that she could not even open her eyes. She looked so miserable, but she still took a deep breath and jumped back into the water.

He could not die. Hamish could not die!

He was lucky enough to get her beloved's heart, how could he die so irresponsibly!

She would never allow Benjamin's heart to be wasted by him!

But as time passed bit by bit, she only felt that her physical strength was gradually failing, and the hope in her heart was gradually becoming faint.

Despair slowly grew in her heart and gradually spread throughout her body.

Hamish was death, and Benjamin's heart was gone.

Leonore failed to fulfill Benjamin's last wish.

She had nothing left ....

She clenched her fists tightly, trying hard to calm down, but finally let out a desperate roar.

Tears flowed down her face.

In that moment, Leonore did want to stay in the river forever.

But in the next moment, she heard the sudden burst of laughter on the river bank.

Chapter 8

Leonore looked over in a daze and unexpectedly saw Hamish.

Hamish who was supposed to be nowhere to be found in the river ....

Sarah sneered. "Hamish, you're so accurate! As soon as I told her something happened to you, she jumped into the river with all her might."

"But look! She cries, don't you have any pity for her?"

Hamish looked indifferent.

"What's there to say? I hooked my hand and she came at me like a dog!"

As he spoke, he made a slurping sound towards Leonore in the water.

After confirming that everything in front of her was not an illusion, her tense spirit finally relaxed.

The moment Leonore saw Hamish, what filled her heart was not the anger of being teased or the grievance of being humiliated, but rather glad.

Fortunately, Hamish was still alive and kept her beloved's heart beating.

Fortunately, she did not fail his wish and did not lose his heart.

When Leonore went up to the river bank, wet all over, Hamish took a few steps back in disgust.

"Hurry up and go change your clothes! Even though you love me that much, I said I don't like a woman who disgraces herself.”

But Leonore’s face did not show any shame or annoyance from humiliation, just staring fixedly at his heart.

Dear, your heart is beating vividly.

So, my mission is completed.

She did not even look at Hamish, and without saying a word, she dragged her trembling body and drove away.

An uncertain voice came from behind. "Hamish, does she get carried away? Is she angry?"

Looking at her back as she left, he suddenly felt a surge of panic in his heart for no reason, as if he would lose Leonore forever.

But the mocking voices of the crowd brought him back to his sense. He suppressed the inexplicable fear in his heart, forced himself to pretend that nothing was wrong, and expressed his contempt for her.

It's okay, he thought to himself.

I think I did make her angry this time, but it also proves that she does love me.

Just as he thought about it, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

Since she loves me so much, I won't make a fuss with her. I'll just go back and coax her and everything will be fine.

Having this thought in mind, he went into the bar with Sarah.

Meanwhile, Leonore drove straight back home.

The coldness seemed to pierce her bone marrow, but she simply dried herself hastily, changed her clothes, and left without hesitation.

If Hamish had returned home even once in the past few days, he would have been shocked to find that the home he was familiar with, where the aroma of her well-prepared food always wafted, had long since become empty, with only traces of his life left alone.

She actually had no attachment to anything related to him, and the reason why she cleared out all of her things was that she just did not want to have anything to do with him anymore.

While Hamish was reveling in the deafening music of the bar, Leonore took one last look at the city and then boarded the plane.

A hotly dressed girl came over and wanted to chat with him, but Hamish pushed her away.

"Get lost! I have a wife and she loves me very much!"

Leonore looked at the scenery outside the window, typed a few words in the chat box with Hamish, then blocked him and turned off her mobile phone.

That message only had a few words. [Live well, let's break up.]