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Finished
Julian stepped into the room, placed the two boxes of sanitary pads in the corner, and shrugged off his suit jacket as he made his way to the bedside. He leaned over and saw that Iris looked pale, with a thin layer of cold sweat across her forehead.
His heart ached for her. Gently, he reached out and touched her forehead–her temperature felt normal.
Iris slowly opened her eyes and murmured weakly, “You’re back.”
Julian bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. “Is the pain bad?”
She nodded.
Sliding his hand beneath the blanket, Julian rested his palm over her lower abdomen and began massaging in slow, steady circles. “Did you take anything for the pain?”
“I took some ibuprofen earlier,” Iris said faintly. “It didn’t really help.”
Julian got up and left the room, returning shortly with a heating pad. He carefully placed it
under her stomach.
The warmth brought a little relief.
Leaning close, he murmured near her ear, “Do you think you could eat something tonight?”
“I don’t think I can,” Iris replied softly.
While stroking her hair with one hand, Julian pulled out his phone with the other and video- called Brandon.
“What’s going on?” Brandon answered.
“How do you relieve menstrual cramps quickly?” Julian asked, unable to hide the worry in his
voice.
Brandon sounded puzzled. “Is this for Iris?”
Already on edge, Julian frowned at the obvious question. “Who else? You think my grandma gets period cramps?”
Brandon couldn’t help but chuckle, but he stopped when he saw Julian’s serious expression on
the screen.
As an experienced OB–GYN, Brandon knew there was no instant fix for menstrual pain-
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Chapter 352 Tender Care
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getting anxious wouldn’t make it any easier. He felt for his sister, but there wasn’t much he could suggest beyond the basics.
“Has she taken pain relievers?”
“Yes, and she’s still in pain.”
“Try heat.”
“Already using a heating pad.”
“Then maybe try some gentle pressure–point massage. It can help ease the discomfort.”
“Which points? Show me.”
“Around the lower abdomen–about two finger–widths below the navel is one spot. There’s another between the navel and the pubic bone. Gently press and massage each for a few minutes. Also, the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger on her hand, and the spot about three finger–widths above the inner ankle.”
“I’m not sure I’ll find them right.”
“Point the camera at Iris–I’ll guide you.”
Julian switched the camera view, and under Brandon’s direction, he located the areas and began massaging as instructed.
Once he hung up, Julian focused entirely on applying gentle pressure to Iris‘ abdomen and the points Brandon had mentioned.
Between the heating pad and the careful massage, Iris gradually felt some of the tension ease. Julian kept one hand moving in soothing circles over her belly until, bit by bit, her pain dulled, and she drifted into sleep.
Half–asleep, she remained aware of the steady, comforting motion on her stomach–not once did it stop.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she vaguely felt the hand lift away, and with it, that calming sensation faded.
Blinking her eyes open, she glanced toward the side of the bed.
Julian was no longer in the room.
Pushing herself up, she checked the clock–a little past eight in the evening. She’d been asleep for over two hours.
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Chapter 352 Tender Care
Which meant Julian had been massaging her abdomen for nearly that long.
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Iris tossed the blanket aside and got out of bed. A dull ache still lingered, but it was manageable now, nothing like the sharp pain from before.
Slipping on her house shoes, she noticed the two large boxes of name–brand pads in the corner and couldn’t help a soft, helpless smile.
He’d bought so many–how long would it take her to go through all of these?
She walked over, opened one box, pulled out a pad, and headed toward the bathroom.
As she pushed the door open, she found Julian standing at the sink. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and he was carefully washing the clothes she’d changed out of earlier in a small basin.
Iris hurried over, her voice tense. “Julian, you really don’t have to do that–I’ll wash them later.”
Knowing how particular he was about cleanliness, the fact that he was handling her blood- stained clothes made her heart squeeze with guilt.
Julian didn’t pause. He glanced over at her, his eyes concerned. “Are you still hurting?”
“It’s better now,” she said quietly, reaching for the clothes in his hands. “They’re too stained- just leave them, please.”
With a gentle nudge of his elbow, he shifted her back and blocked her hand. “This came from your body, Iris. It’s not dirty. And you shouldn’t be touching cold water right now.”
A tender ache bloomed in Iris‘ chest, emotion washing over her in quiet waves. There was something deeply moving in his matter–of–fact care.
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