Chapter 105 Jealousy Arises Again
Sloane's POV
The arms holding me suddenly went rigid, and in those deep eyes, an incredible joy burst forth instantly.
All the gloom and exhaustion on his face was completely washed away in this moment by this sudden happiness.
"Really?" He leaned down, his nose almost touching mine, the smile in his eyes like crushed starlight, stunningly brilliant.
I nodded firmly.
"Good." He laughed softly, the sound deep and pleasant, making my chest tingle.
He lowered his head and pressed a burning kiss on my lips—a kiss without desire, only the wild joy and cherishing of something lost and found again.
"Then before you go back, I'll stay with you." He released me, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"No," I immediately shook my head, "What about the company? You can't stay here the whole time."
The disaster area had harsh conditions and poor communication. If he stayed here, a lot of work couldn't be handled.
"Besides," I added with some worry, "the disaster situation is serious now, and all the major hospitals are short-staffed. My application... might not get approved."
"It will." Jared interrupted me. He held my hand and pressed a burning kiss on it, his deep eyes showing a strategic certainty and confidence I'd never seen before.
He looked at me, his thin lips curving into a domineering yet indulgent smile, speaking word by word, as if making a vow.
"I promise, they will definitely come."
Looking at that strategic certainty in his eyes, I knew exactly what his "promise" meant.
It meant using the Montclair family's power to put direct pressure on the highest levels of the health system.
I tugged at his sleeve, gently trying to dissuade him with some disapproval: "Jared, I know you mean well, but let's follow normal procedures for this kind of thing. Don't go overboard—it'll cause trouble for the hospital."
Hearing this, he looked down at me, his deep eyes showing no wavering. Instead, he raised an eyebrow matter-of-factly, "My wife is suffering here and being bullied—that's the biggest trouble."
With that, he gave me no chance to argue back. He leaned down and pressed a burning kiss on my forehead, that kiss carrying an undeniable dominance and comfort, "I don't want you too far from me, not even for a second."
His domineering and unreasonable manner made me both annoyed and amused.
I leaned back into his embrace, burying my face in his solid chest, grumbling in a muffled voice: "You're just a stumbling block in my career path."
Hearing this, not only was he not upset, but a deep, pleasant laugh rumbled from his chest. His arms tightened around me, and he said in a dangerous yet seductive tone by my ear: "Then don't go too far from me."
He wore down my resistance completely. Wrapped in his warm embrace and clean, pleasant scent, the exhaustion from recent days came flooding in like a tide. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and I soon fell deeply asleep nestled in his arms.
When I woke up again, it was because the light coming through the window was too bright.
I groggily opened my eyes and instinctively reached to my side, but touched a warm, solid chest instead.
I jerked awake, all sleepiness gone, and looked up to meet Jared's smiling eyes.
He was still here.
"Why are you still here?" I sat up in surprise, checking the time on my phone—it was almost time for work. "The company has so much going on, you should go back."
But he didn't budge. His long arm reached out and pulled me back into his embrace. He nuzzled my hair with his chin, his tone lazy with a hint of satisfied hoarseness: "Not leaving."
"What?"
"I've already postponed all my work," he said, looking at my shocked expression with a triumphant smile, his tone completely matter-of-fact. "Until you go back, I'm staying with you."
This man, once he made a decision, really couldn't be swayed by anything.
Looking at him, a strange warmth welled up in my heart, and any rational thoughts about whether he should stay were instantly washed away by this warmth.
Seeing I was no longer objecting, the smile in his eyes deepened. He cupped my face and kissed me without asking.
This kiss carried the freshness of morning and an undeniable dominance. He carefully traced the shape of my lips, lingering and tender, until I could barely breathe. Only then did he pull back slightly.
Those eyes tinged with desire quickly cleared the moment they met mine.
As if remembering something, his gaze slowly moved down to my flat stomach, and the fire in his eyes was instantly replaced by a deeper tenderness. He sighed softly, stopping all movement, just holding me in his arms, his voice carrying a hint of suppressed regret and helplessness, "I forgot."
His restrained yet cherishing manner made my heart melt, and I couldn't help but smile.
At noon, the bodyguard Jared had newly assigned brought a lavish lunch. The exquisite food containers looked completely out of place in this simple rest room.
I was taking small sips of the soup he'd specially asked the kitchen to make when someone knocked on the door.
It was Professor Reagan. He was clearly startled when he saw Jared, who looked so out of place in this environment, but quickly recovered.
"Sloane, I have good news for you." Professor Reagan had a warm smile on his face, looking at me with eyes full of relief. "The hospital has approved your application. The new medical team will arrive tonight to take over your work. You can leave without worry."
Hearing this, I instinctively looked at Jared.
He was carefully removing fish bones for me with serving chopsticks. Sensing my gaze, he looked up, a faint smile rippling in his eyes, his expression seeming to say: See, I promised.
After the meal, Jared began helping me pack my small suitcase. He folded each piece of my changed clothes carefully and patiently, as if handling precious works of art.
I leaned against the headboard watching him, watching this man who was decisive and commanding outside, now doing these trivial tasks for me. The feeling of being cherished by him nearly overflowed from my heart.
Watching his busy figure, I suddenly remembered something.
"Jared," I called to him, my voice soft, "there's something I want to tell you."
He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me.
Meeting his questioning gaze, I took a deep breath and told him the decision that could change the trajectory of my career: "I've become Professor Brandon's student. From now on, I'll probably be systematically studying neurosurgery with him."
The moment I finished speaking, the warm atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
Jared's hands stopped mid-fold. He slowly turned around, and that face that had just been overflowing with tenderness for me was now dark enough to drip water.
"Teacher?" He repeated the word, his voice low, carrying a hint of danger. "Male or female?"
"Male." I answered honestly, though an ominous feeling rose in my heart.