Chapter85 Brushed Against His Penis
Harrison's face darkened at the commanding dismissal. He shook off Clifton's hand, fury blazing in his eyes, his arrogance as someone in power fully on display.
"I don't need you to tell me what to do!"
Clifton's eyes narrowed, the air pressure around him dropping sharply as he was about to speak.
"Enough!"
A cold female voice cut through the confrontation.
Miranda threw off the covers, ignoring the injury on her leg, and got out of bed abruptly.
She moved too quickly, pulling at her wound. Pain drained more color from her face, but she only bit her lip and walked straight to Clifton, positioning herself protectively in front of the tall man.
Miranda looked coldly at Harrison. "This is my hospital room, and I have the right to make you leave. Now. Immediately. Get out."
Standing behind her, Clifton watched the woman's slender yet resolute back.
This was the first time a woman had ever protected him like this.
The feeling was unexpectedly pleasant.
Harrison stared at the man Miranda was protecting, meeting those dark eyes that held an amused, almost mocking glint, and instantly felt a strong sense of humiliation at being challenged.
His fingers trembled with rage as he glared at Miranda. "You're actually making me leave to protect this man?"
"Miranda!" Ariana jumped in right on cue, her eyes welling with tears, looking utterly heartbroken. "How could you do this? I know you're angry, but you shouldn't defend another man just to spite Harrison."
The blatant distortion of facts made Miranda laugh in exasperation.
She let out a cold laugh, her gaze cutting toward Ariana like a knife. "I'm protecting my savior. Since when do you two get to tell me what to do?"
She took a step forward, looking at Ariana's face full of false innocence.
"And you, Ariana, stop acting. All those things online, those vicious rumors, they all came from you, didn't they? Because of you, I almost died."
Ariana's face went pale at these words, and she was about to deny it when Harrison stepped in front of her, defending her without a second thought. "It wasn't Ariana. She's your cousin. She's kind-hearted. There's no way she would do something like that."
His protective stance.
Even though Miranda no longer loved Harrison, hearing him blindly defend another woman made her heart feel like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, painfully tight.
After all, hearts are made of flesh.
She wanted to completely remove Harrison from her heart, but cutting out such deeply embedded feelings, how could it not hurt?
This involuntary pain made Miranda's disgust for the man in front of her reach its peak.
Clifton keenly noticed the subtle rise and fall of her chest. He frowned, stepped forward, and steadied her slightly trembling arm.
His deep voice sounded like a clear spring flowing into Miranda's heart.
"Go rest on the bed. You still have injuries, and getting too emotional isn't good for healing."
This gentle concern smoothed away all of Miranda's emotions.
Her aching heart actually felt much better.
She nodded and, guided by his strength, held onto his arm as she returned to the bed.
Harrison watched their intimate interaction, rage burning in his eyes that he could no longer suppress.
Damn it!
This man who came out of nowhere was standing so close to Miranda.
He barked out angrily, his words laced with undisguised contempt. "Miranda, have you lost your mind? Someone in his profession, how much can he possibly earn in a month? His status and background are completely beneath you, yet you let him touch you."
Miranda found this laughable.
She and Harrison had been well-matched in status, but what had that gotten her? Nothing but a broken heart and a humiliating divorce.
And moreover...
She glanced at Clifton standing straight beside her, feeling self-deprecating.
Between Clifton and herself, it was she who wasn't good enough for him.
But Miranda would never let anyone know that.
She collected her thoughts and looked coldly at Harrison. "My business is none of your concern. Now, take Ariana and leave my room. If you don't go, I'll call the police."
She paused, then pointed at Clifton and continued addressing Harrison.
"And even if you have money and power, so what? In my eyes, you're not worth a single hair on his head!"
"You!" Harrison's chest heaved violently with anger, his handsome face flushed red.
In the next second, Clifton's deep voice sounded as he looked at Miranda, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"If you need me to, I can respond to that call right now."
Ariana looked at the muscle lines visible beneath Clifton's black tactical clothing as he moved, feeling an inexplicable sense of pressure wash over her. Frightened, she quickly tugged at Harrison's arm, signaling him to leave.
Harrison knew staying would only bring more humiliation.
He forced down his anger and threw a harsh parting shot at Miranda. "Don't think just because this man is flattering you that he actually cares about you. He's probably just interested in your family background, trying to climb the social ladder."
Miranda was amused by his petty-minded attitude and shot back without hesitation.
"Even if he is interested in my background, I'm willing. I like it."
"Harrison, you will never be as good as him!"
Clifton placed the medicine bag he'd been carrying on the bedside table. Inside was the special medication he'd just obtained, which could help wounds heal faster without leaving scars.
Only after completing this action did he turn toward the two at the door and speak again, his tone flat but authoritative.
"Get out."
Harrison glared at Clifton, then looked at Miranda on the bed with her resolute attitude, knowing she was angry enough to actually call the police.
He snorted coldly and, bringing the aggrieved-looking Ariana with him, turned and strode out of the room.
The door opened and closed, shutting out all the outside chaos, finally restoring quiet.
Miranda's tense nerves relaxed, and the delayed pain from her leg wound hit her, making her gasp involuntarily.
Clifton strode to the bedside and opened the small white porcelain bottle on the table.
"Don't move. Let me apply the medicine." As he spoke, he used a cotton swab to dab some clear ointment and carefully applied it to the worst wound on her calf.
A cool sensation spread, soothing the burning sting, and even the redness and swelling around it felt unprecedented relief.
Miranda's eyes widened in surprise. "Is this a new medicine from the hospital? It works so well. It doesn't hurt at all anymore."
Clifton continued his work, explaining flatly, "No, one of my team members was injured and is also at this hospital. I just got it from his room."
Hearing this, Miranda immediately felt guilty.
Looking at the man's focused profile, she said softly, "Then my using it... isn't that wrong? Maybe you should take the rest back. What if your teammate doesn't have enough?"
At her words, Clifton paused, looked up at her, and a faint smile touched his eyes.
"Don't worry," he chuckled softly, his voice carrying unquestionable confidence. "With my capabilities, getting more of this medicine isn't difficult. Just use it without worry."
The confidence in his words made Miranda inexplicably feel at ease.
She curved her lips slightly and said softly, "Thank you."
She didn't even notice that as she spoke, the foot resting on his thigh unconsciously curled its toes, moving around on his leg.
Her soft sole, without warning, brushed against the most sensitive area at the root of his thigh.
Clifton's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
His hand paused, and he looked up at her, dark flames churning in those deep eyes.
But in the end, he restrained himself and continued silently and gently applying the medicine.
After finishing one leg, Clifton's voice had taken on a barely perceptible huskiness.
"Switch to the other one."
"Oh, okay."
Miranda quickly responded, flustered as she tried to pull her leg back.
But as she switched legs, her foot somehow slipped on the smooth, expensive fabric of his pants, unable to find purchase.
Her entire foot landed squarely on the place it should least have touched.
Beneath her sole, through the fabric, the hard, burning sensation was impossible to ignore.