He Waited She Wilted (Ottilie and Yorath) novel Chapter 128

Ottilie walked up to Yorath and murmured, "Hey."

He reached out, gently tucking a wind-tossed strand of hair behind her ear.

The movement exposed the elegant curve of her jaw and the graceful line of her neck.

His fingertips trailed lightly along her skin.

It was as soft as a feather, but it sent a violent shiver down her spine.

"You're a public figure now. It wouldn't be good for you to get photographed out here. Get in the car."

Just as Ottilie was about to comply, her parents came sprinting out of the building.

They froze when they saw Yorath, but quickly recovered and rushed forward. "Where do you think you're taking our daughter, Yorath? Give her back!"

Yorath's expression didn't change. "I heard you trying to extort three hundred thousand dollars from Mr. Walden upstairs. In this country, extortion of that magnitude is a felony that carries a heavy prison sentence. I suggest you think very carefully about your next words."

James's face drained of color. He stammered, "That wasn't extortion! That was her wedding fund!"

"Whether it is or not isn't up for you to decide," Yorath said coldly, gesturing toward the open car door. "Let me give you a ride."

The Sewell family had learned the hard way what happened when you crossed Yorath.

They wanted to avoid him for the rest of their lives.

There was no way they were getting in his car. Instead, they hurled one last threat at Ottilie.

"Your brother said it himself—there's no legal way to sever a blood relation! Don't think you can just strike it rich and ditch us!"

With that, they scrambled away.

A young woman in crisp nursing scrubs stepped out of a car parked behind the Cullinan.

She was vibrant and professional.

Approaching Yorath, she gave a respectful nod. "Mr. Fordham, patient care is my specialty. I'll have him back on his feet in no time. If you ever have another sweet gig like this, keep me in mind."

She gave Ottilie a quick nod before heading upstairs.

Yorath spoke without looking at Ottilie. "He clearly needed a caregiver. But you're a public figure. If you're photographed staying at his place, you can hide behind closed doors, but he can't hide at his school. It's a logistical nightmare. I hired a professional medical aide to handle it."

"Thank you. I'll pay you back for the cost."

They both got in the car.

The privacy partition was raised.

"Drop the AC to sixty degrees."

The partition glided shut.

Frigid air blasted through the vents, hitting Ottilie's skin and raising goosebumps along her arms.

Time stretched on, morphing into an agonizing crawl.

"I asked you last time if you and your precious teacher had slept together."

"We're just friends," Ottilie said quietly.

"Friends who just sleep together without the romance? Does he know exactly how to sweet-talk you?"

That one sentence practically handed down her death warrant.

Ottilie lowered her gaze to her pajamas, forcing every ounce of her emotion back down.

"It's just a transaction between us, not a relationship. You have other women too. I don't have the right to question you about them."

Meaning, he had no right to question her either.

In an instant, Yorath's composed, aristocratic facade shattered completely.