Chapter 94

Chapter 94

After finishing, Sebastian released me.

I buried my face in the pillow, even my ear tips burning red, not daring to move a muscle.

The room filled only with the soft sounds of his movement and the beeping of medical equipment.

My consciousness grew fuzzy again under the medication's influence.

Before completely drifting off, I thought I felt a cool palm settle on my forehead, lingering for a long time.

When I woke again, darkness had fallen outside the window.

Only a dim wall lamp lit the room with soft light.

The disinfectant smell had faded considerably, replaced by the faint aroma of food.

I stirred. My body no longer felt burning hot, just weak.

"Awake?" Sebastian's voice came from nearby.

I turned my head to see him sitting in the chair beside the bed, a laptop resting on his knees, the screen's glow illuminating his sharply defined profile.

He wasn't looking at me, his gaze still on the screen.

"Your fever's down," he said.

I made a sound of acknowledgment and tried to sit up.

Only then did he close the laptop and reach over to prop a pillow behind my back.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked.

"Heatstroke, plus your body's in terrible shape." Brief as always. "Some signs of osteoporosis. He recommended more exercise."

Osteoporosis?

I froze.

All those years trying to conceive, the endless medications—my body had been hollowed out long ago. Some health issues weren't surprising.

Lost in thought, an indescribable soreness radiated from a certain... unspeakable location.

I stiffened, my mind flashing to those mortifying moments before I'd passed out.

I really had been...

And it was...

My gaze involuntarily drifted to him, my voice barely a whisper. "Did I... get the injection?"

He finally looked up at me, his expression calm and unreadable. "Yes."

I gripped the bedsheet beneath me, clinging to one last shred of hope. "Was it... that old doctor..."

"I gave it to you."

Silence.

I turned to stone, feeling all my blood rush to my head, my cheeks hot enough to fry an egg.

How could he say something so explosive in such a calm tone!

Sebastian looked at my scarlet face, his brow creasing again.

He reached out, seemingly to check my forehead. "Why are you burning up again?"

"I'm not!" Like a startled rabbit, I jerked backward, dodging his hand. "I need to use the bathroom!"

I practically scrambled off the bed, slipping on my slippers and bolting into the attached bathroom without looking back, slamming the door shut.

Leaning against the cool door, I gasped for air, my heart threatening to leap from my throat.

In the mirror, my face was red as a ripe apple.

Great.

I could never show my face again.

I dawdled in the bathroom for a full ten minutes, splashing cold water on my face countless times before the heat finally subsided slightly.

Taking a deep breath and giving myself a pep talk, I finally opened the door and emerged.

Sebastian had put away his laptop and stood by the window on a call, his back to me.

I walked back to the bed, sat down, and pretended nothing had happened, my gaze wandering anywhere but toward him.

He ended the call quickly and turned around.

"Um..." I cleared my throat, forcibly steering the conversation back to safer ground. "My safe—can I pick it up now?"

"I already had someone handle it. It'll be delivered to the villa tomorrow."

"Good."

The atmosphere lapsed into awkward silence again.

I twisted my fingers together, feeling I should say something to thank him.

After all, he'd brought me to the hospital, stayed with me, and even personally given me that injection.

"Thank you for today." I kept my head down, my voice still a bit shaky. "To show my appreciation, let me treat you to dinner?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I heard him let out an extremely soft scoff.

My head snapped up, looking at him in confusion.

He walked over and stopped beside my bed, looking down at me from above, his eyes carrying some indecipherable meaning. "Dinner again?"

He leaned down slightly, drawing closer, his voice dropping low with a hint of amusement. "Sophia, have you forgotten that last time we went to dinner, who was at the next table putting on a melodrama with his first love?"

His words hit like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head.

Beauchamp's self-righteous face at the restaurant and the way he'd looked at Monica—like he'd found something precious he'd lost—instantly replayed in my mind.

My just-lowered temperature threatened to spike again.

"I..." I opened my mouth but found any explanation would sound hollow.

Could I tell Sebastian that Beauchamp and I had completely severed ties?

Would Sebastian even believe me?

After all, from his perspective, I'd spent the past seven years loving Beauchamp devotedly.

My head started throbbing again, and my vision swam.

I gave up trying, pressing my hand to my forehead and swaying before collapsing back against the pillow. "I'm so dizzy..."

I closed my eyes, my voice weak. "My fever probably hasn't gone down yet. Maybe... we can talk about dinner another time?"

Playing sick—though old-fashioned, it worked.

Especially for a "patient" like me who'd just cheated death.

However, after waiting for what felt like forever, the expected concern never came. Instead, I heard the soft click of a lock.

My heart jumped. I snapped my eyes open.

Sebastian had somehow reached the door and shut it, even turning the lock.

He turned around and walked toward me, step by step.

The dim wall lamp cast his long shadow behind him, completely enveloping me.

He stopped beside the bed, looking down at me, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Then, right in front of me, he methodically rolled his wrist.

His joints made soft cracking sounds.

My mind went blank with a buzzing noise.

The suffocating sensation of Beauchamp's hands around my throat, pinning me against the wall in my previous life, instantly overwhelmed me.

Sebastian was going to hurt me?

Because I lied to him?

Because my entanglement with Beauchamp embarrassed him?

Overwhelming fear turned me ice-cold. Words tumbled out incoherently. "I was wrong! Beauchamp and I have nothing to do with each other anymore! I'll never see him again!"

My voice carried a sob.

Sebastian's brow furrowed deeper.

Just as I thought a slap was about to fall, he suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist, yanking hard.

I was hauled up from the bed, crashing unprepared into his solid chest.

That familiar woody scent mixed with his burning warmth surrounded me completely.

Terror stole my breath. I froze in his arms, not daring to move.