Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 225

Carter pouted playfully, leaving Emma completely helpless.

"Dr. Ann, the supplies are all here. I'll step out now."

The young nurse giggled as she left the room. She never expected the infamous, ruthlessly cold Carter Harrington to act like a spoiled child.

"What are you playing at now? Take your jacket off."

Emma picked up the antiseptic and tools. Carter looked at her with deep, smoldering eyes and muttered, "It hurts too much. I can't lift it."

"Then don't move. I'll do it."

Emma leaned in to unbutton his jacket, carefully peeling it off his shoulders. The soft ends of her hair brushed lightly against his cheek, making Carter swallow hard to keep his composure.

Once his jacket and shirt were discarded, his lean, heavily muscled torso was fully exposed. A deep, jagged gash ran down his firm arm.

"It's this deep and you didn't say anything?"

Emma's brows knitted together as she began to clean the wound.

The sharp sting of the alcohol finally made Carter wince, but even then, he didn't miss the chance to seek her sympathy.

"Honey, it hurts so bad..."

Emma narrowed her eyes, casually grabbed a wad of clean gauze, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

"If it hurts, bear it. Weren't you acting like a tough guy just a minute ago?"

She sat in front of him, entirely focused on disinfecting the laceration.

Carter sat there with gauze in his mouth, looking utterly wronged, yet his gaze was impossibly dark and intense.

A fiery, consuming affection burned in his eyes, but Emma was too focused on her task to notice.

"All done."

Emma secured a fresh roll of bandages around his arm, finally relaxing her brow as she looked up at him.

Carter was still obediently biting down on the gauze. Emma couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Mr. Harrington is this obedient?"

She never imagined he could act this tame.

Carter lifted his chin slightly, gesturing for her to take the gauze out.

Emma rested one hand lightly against his rigid abs and used the other to playfully pinch his cheek.

"So handsome."

Instantly flustered, Carter's face and ears burned crimson, looking both shy and entirely innocent.

Amused, Emma pulled the gauze from his lips and tossed it into the trash can.

She asked Jeff to bring up a clean shirt. While they waited, a knock sounded at the door.

She walked into the suite to find Julian standing in the center of the room, glaring at Travis, who was slouched casually on the sofa.

"Perfect timing. He's demanding to be discharged. You deal with him."

Julian rubbed his temples, clearly thoroughly exasperated by his reckless colleague.

Emma picked up the medical charts to review them. Travis laced his hands behind his head, completely ignoring the thick bandages wrapped tightly around his ribs. "It's just a few scratches. Why the hell do I need to stay in a hospital for that?"

"They need to keep you for observation for at least two days because of the head trauma. But if you want to leave, fine. Just make sure you come back for a check-up every single day."

Emma knew Travis well. He despised the smell of hospitals. Even back overseas, no matter how severely he was injured, he flat-out refused to stay overnight.

Travis shot Julian a smug, provocative grin. "Hear that? Even Emma says I'm fine."

"Just make sure you pay her back for the car you totaled," Julian retorted, seeing that Travis genuinely didn't seem to be at death's door, and prepared to leave.

"Double," Travis smirked lazily. "I'll pay her back ten times over if she wants."

Thank God Emma had bought the most reinforced luxury car on the market, otherwise, they wouldn't just be dealing with surface wounds.

"I'll pay for her car. Consider it my compensation."

Tristan's voice suddenly cut into the room. Travis finally noticed him standing at the door, his eyes glinting with dangerous amusement.

"Keep your compensation. My sister doesn't need your chump change."