Chapter 183

Chapter 183

"Emily!"

William rushed to the bathroom door and pushed it open with his hand. It swung open easily.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the light spilled onto the wet floor.

Emily had fallen and was sitting on the ground, one hand supporting herself while the other frantically grabbed a nearby towel, trying to cover herself.

But her position from the fall was so awkward that the towel barely covered half of her body.

Her wet hair clung to her cheeks, and water droplets slid down her neck.

Emily was embarrassed and annoyed, her face so red it looked like blood might drip from it.

"Get out!"

Emily's voice trembled, angry and anxious, her eyes rimmed with red.

But William showed no intention of leaving. His gaze quickly swept over Emily, and after confirming she wasn't seriously hurt, he relax slightly.

But after a few seconds, his eyes fell on Emily's somewhat swollen ankle, and his brow immediately furrowed.

"Don't move!"

He crouched down, his voice low and husky, carrying an undeniable authority.

Emily instinctively shrank back, her back pressing against the cold wall.

Seeing William approach, her voice instantly rose several notches, both hands clutching the towel tightly.

"Don't touch me. I told you to get out."

But William ignored her protest, reaching out to hold her left foot by the toes, gently pressing on the swollen ankle.

Emily gasped in pain, her brow furrowing tightly.

"It's sprained."

William looked at her, his eyes serious and focused, completely undistracted by the scene before him.

"Can you stand up?"

Emily tried gently, but as soon as her foot touched the ground, the pain made her wince.

Seeing this, William sighed, wrapped one arm around her waist and the other under her knees, and lifted her straight up from the floor.

"Stop being stubborn."

Emily hadn't expected him to do this. She let out a startled cry, the towel nearly slipping off as she fumbled frantically.

"William, put me down!"

Facing her resistance, William's voice remained calm.

"No, you've hurt your foot and can’t even walk."

His tone was as matter-of-fact as if stating the most ordinary thing, so he simply carried Emily out of the bathroom and placed her on the soft bed.

The moment Emily touched the bed, she immediately wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, leaving only a pair of reddened eyes exposed, watching William warily.

Seeing her like this, William's lips unconsciously curved upward slightly.

"What are you laughing at?"

Emily was getting angry from embarrassment.

"This is all your fault. What's with that glass? Why is it transparent? Did you do thaton purpose?"

Faced with her barrage of questions, William helplessly spread his hands, his tone so sincere it didn't sound like a lie.

"If I did it on purpose, I wouldn't have been sitting outside like an idiot. I didn't know that wall was transparent glass either. I've never stayed at this kind of hotel before—my assistant arranged it."

Emily stared at him, trying to find any trace of deception on his face.

But William's expression was open, without the slightest evasion.

She huffed in frustration and turned her face away, refusing to look at him anymore.

William said nothing more and turned to leave the room. Hearing his footsteps fade away, Emily felt inexplicably empty inside.

But she quickly shook her head, cursing herself for being pathetic.

However, within a few minutes William returned, now carrying an ice pack and a clean towel.

"Stick your foot out."

William sat on the edge of the bed, his tone as natural as if commenting on nice weather.

After a slight hesitation, Emily extended her foot from under the blanket. By now her ankle had swollen considerably, the skin showing an unhealthy reddish-purple color.

"Looks like it's hurt pretty badly."

William frowned deeply, carefully wrapping the ice pack in the towel before applying it to her ankle, his movements careful and gentle.

"Does it still hurt?"

He asked softly. Emily bit her lip and shook her head.

"It's okay."

Actually, the instant the ice touched her ankle, the sharp pain was quite noticeable, but she didn't want to show weakness in front of William.

William seemed to see through her thoughts but didn't press further, only making his movements even gentler.

He held the ice pack with one hand while the other gently massaged the uninjured muscles around her ankle, helping to relieve the tension.

William's palm was warm and dry, his fingertips applying just the right amount of pressure.

Emily leaned against the pillow, watching him concentrate with his head lowered, and suddenly a strange feeling welled up inside her.

This man seemed different from the one in her memory.

The William she knew was ruthless in business, always merciless with his enemies—a tough character.

But right now, sitting by her bed, this person was gentle and patient, like any ordinary man who knew how to take care of someone.

William remembered what she liked to eat, remembered her dietary restrictions, remembered all her habits.

When Emily was most helpless, he would quietly appear to shield her from all storms. He was even willing to fly halfway around the world with her just to cure her mother.

If she married a man like this, it might not be so bad. The moment this thought emerged, Emily startled herself. She quickly shook her head, her cheeks heating up again.

"What's wrong? Does your head hurt?"

Noticing her unusual behavior, William looked up with concern.

"Nothing, no."

Emily guiltily looked away, not daring to meet his eyes.

William looked at her suspiciously but didn't ask further.

He continued massaging for a while until most of the ice in the pack had melted, then removed it and checked Emily's ankle once more.

"The swelling's gone down a bit. You should be able to walk tomorrow."

As he spoke, he gently placed Emily's foot back under the blanket and tucked in the corners for her.

Emily thanked him quietly, her voice extremely low.

But William still heard it and smiled slightly.

"No need to thank me. Taking care of you is what I should do."

When he said this, his tone was too matter-of-fact, as if taking care of Emily was the most important mission of his life.

Emily's heartbeat quickened again. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to ease the awkward atmosphere, but the words died on her lips.

The room fell quiet, with only a faint humming sound remaining.

William stood up, walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the blanket and lay down. Emily's body instantly stiffened.

"What, what are you doing?"

Her voice had changed.

"Going to sleep."

William looked completely natural.

"The bed's so big, there's plenty of room for two people."

Emily was shocked by his shamelessness, her eyes widening instantly.

"Who wants to sleep in the same bed with you? Go sleep on the couch."

But William completely ignored her rejection, turning on his side to face her, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"The couch is too short, I can't stretch my legs. Plus, your foot is injured—if anything happens during the night, I'll be right here to take care of you."

"I don't need to be taking care of!"

"You do."

"William!"

"Mm, I'm here."