Meanwhile, inside the car.
"Brother-in-law, huh?" Mia commented with a frown.
"You didn’t give me a chance to call Steve Davis my brother-in-law, so I took my chance here," Cathy teased.
"Don’t spoil my mood by mentioning that jerk’s name," Mia warned. "Or I’ll throw you out of this car."
Cathy wisely kept quiet about it and said, "Didn’t you notice the kind of pressuring aura her husband had? The best way to melt such a man is to let him hear what he might like. After working in the corporate world, I’m kinda close to understanding such cold people."
"I can’t doubt you on that," Mia said. "I’ll drop you off at Natalie’s home."
"First, take me to the hotel to get my things, and then you can drop me at her home," Cathy said.
Mia hummed in agreement and turned her car towards the hotel Cathy was staying at. "You act like you are poorest person in this world, but you have enough money to stay in a luxury hotel."
"I work hard to earn so I can spend it on myself and live in luxury," Cathy countered.
Mia said nothing more. She dropped Cathy at the hotel, but as Cathy stepped out of the car, Mia smirked and said, "You can spend some of that money to hire a cab to Natalie’s," before driving off.
"Mia, you betrayer!" Cathy shouted, watching her friend leave. "Never mind."
She headed into the hotel, got her stuff, and checked out. Hiring a cab, she made her way to Natalie’s apartment.
-----
Meanwhile, inside the hospital.
Preparations had been made for Caryn to visit Aiden. The entire path from her room to the ICU was sanitized, and she was made to wear a mask. The floor was empty except for the nurse pushing her wheelchair, fully covered in a hospital suit, accompanying her.
She stopped at the glass window from where Caryn could see Aiden. Her gaze, which always appeared emotionless, finally wavered at the sight of him. She had always seen him strong—except for the time when she first found him, when he was nothing but a scared and traumatized kid.
He had grown into such a strong man that even she had to give in to him, despite her unwillingness to listen to anyone, including him. He was not her son—she had made that clear to both him and herself when she adopted him. But now, seeing him like this, she couldn’t help but feel her motherly instincts stir, and an overwhelming anger boiled inside her at whoever had caused this.
After living together for so long, people even grow attached to the pets they keep. Aiden wasn’t just anyone—he was someone she had raised, someone she had poured her efforts into shaping into the man he was today.
The doctor had said it would take two to three days for him to regain full consciousness. If not, they might lose hope.
’I will make sure they pay for this. All you have to do is wake up.’
-----
Justin had gone to take a shower. Meanwhile, Natalie went to the kitchen and instructed the chef on what to cook for him, in her own style. She knew Justin liked her cooking, but if he knew she had cooked it herself instead of resting, he would scold her. So, she preferred to instruct the chef at home.
’Seems like he’s still inside the bathroom.’
’Maybe because he was away for the day?’ she questioned herself.
Natalie couldn’t resist him as she knew it well she missed him as well, not just him, but the intimacy with him.
Justin’s lips moved against hers with a deliberate intensity, sending a shiver down Natalie’s spine. Trapped between his firm body and the door behind her, she had nowhere to escape—not that she wanted to. His hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer until there wasn’t an inch of space left between them.
Natalie’s hands instinctively rose, clutching onto his damp shoulders for support. Her breath hitched as Justin deepened the kiss, his lips claiming hers with an urgency. Every move of his mouth against hers felt commanding yet tender, as if he was both devouring and cherishing her and making up for the day he spent away from her.
When he finally pulled back slightly, his forehead rested against hers, both of them breathless. His dark eyes locked onto hers, filled with an intensity that made her heart pound even harder.
He brushed his thumb across her swollen lips, his gaze never leaving hers. "I missed you... far more than I realized."
Her lips were slightly parted, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. "Justin..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Before she could say more, his lips were back on hers, claiming them with a renewed passion. One of his hands traveled up to her neck, his fingers brushing against her skin, while the other stayed firmly on her waist, holding her in place as if he feared she might slip away.
The sound of their mingled breaths and the faint creak of the door behind her were the only noises in the room.
Her fingers tangled in his damp hair, pulling him closer, as if she wanted to lose herself entirely in his embrace. His kisses grew slower yet deeper, savoring every second, every reaction he pulled from her.
When he finally broke the kiss, his lips lingered just above hers, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.
"You drive me crazy, Natalie," he murmured, his voice low and gravelly.
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