No Renewal My Contract Husband (Nella and Alfred) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44 A Question She Refuses to Answer

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Nella’s reply sounded perfunctory. Then she began to usher him out. “The ICU doesn’t need family members to stay right now. You can go home and rest first, then come back tomorrow.”

For some reason, the word family bothered Alfred. He felt a sudden irritation and even corrected her seriously.

“What are you talking about? Whose family member am I?”

Nella paused, puzzled that Alfred would fixate on such an unimportant label.

Strictly speaking, he was not Patrick’s family. But everything he had done tonight was exactly what a family member would do.

If Patrick were not Zoey’s brother, she thought, would Alfred really lower himself to stay at the hospital for hours, waiting through an entire surgery?

He had done everything a family member would do. Why insist on arguing over the word itself?

She had no interest in debating something so trivial. She only urged him again.

“It’s already one in the morning. You should go home.”

Alfred heard the impatience in her tone and frowned.

“You’re in that much of a hurry to send me away?”

Nella fell silent.

All day long, Alfred had been acting strange in her eyes.

But she truly did not have the time or energy to deal with him.

“I’m on night duty. Situations like tonight can happen at any time. I need to rest while I can so I have enough strength. I really don’t have time to entertain you.”

What she meant was clear.

Please leave and don’t disturb my sleep.

Anyone with basic sense would take the hint and go.

Alfred understood perfectly. He just chose not to leave.

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9:49 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 44 A Question She Refuses to Answer

He stood there, looking at her in silence.

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Then his gaze passed over her shoulder and landed on the medicine boxes on the desk, their labels hidden under plastic bags.

Seeing him stare without speaking made the irritation in Nella’s chest grow stronger.

“You had a nightmare just now.”

Alfred spoke suddenly.

His eyes stayed fixed on her face. His low voice carried a meaning she could not quite read.

Nella’s expression stiffened for a split second, then returned to normal. “Yeah. I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I keep having messy dreams.”

Her tone was casual, almost careless, as if she were brushing it off.

But Alfred said nothing. His dark eyes kept watching her. After a moment, he asked quietly, “Is that really all it is?”

He stepped forward without warning.

Startled, Nella instinctively stepped back, only to bump into the swivel chair behind her. She fell into it.

The next second, Alfred bent down.

His tall frame cast a shadow over her.

His long, strong arms braced against the chair on either side of her, trapping her in between.

Nella’s brows knit tighter.

“Alfred, what are you doing?”

Her voice turned cold.

The clear rejection in her tone made surprise flicker in Alfred’s dark eyes.

Only then did he realize that ever since she came back from that trip, she no longer called his name with the same closeness as before.

He stared at her in shock, searching her eyes for the familiar warmth he used to see.

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9:49 Fri, Jan 9

No Renewal My Contract Husband