The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 224

Chapter 224

Pearlie crept closer under the moonlight and peered at Nina, only to realize her forehead was slick with sweat, and her lips were insanely pale.

Pearlie was so shocked it froze on the spot, its little brain jumping to a wild conclusion. ‘Oh no! She’s being cooked!’

Pearlie looked at Nina, who was burning up, panic and guilt flooding its little heart. ‘Wait. Did I get the bed so warm that I actually cooked her alive?’ Pearlie thought to herself, horrified.

Pearlie spun around in circles, frantically chasing its own tail. ‘What do I do? What do I do? She’s really going

to be toast!’

As it whirled in panic, suddenly an idea popped into its tiny head. ‘Wait! That scary guy who lives out in the yard. He’s a doctor, right? He should be able to help her.’

Pearlie shivered at the mere thought of the last time Quentin had caught it stealing a chicken leg, the memory of his firm grip on its scruff and his stern lecture still vivid.

But that fear quickly gave way to a different kind of terror as it glanced back at Nina, lying pale and drenched in sweat. Its little heart is hammering in its chest.

‘Forget it! Here goes nothing!’ Pearlie shot out of the air vent, cutting through the night like a streak of white lightning, her paws flying beneath her as she raced for her life toward the familiar RV parked on the lawn.

*****

The inside of Quentin’s RV was perfectly still. Shadow had been stable since Nina’s therapy, and their tent adaptation sessions were finally complete. At that moment, Shadow was curled up quietly on the carpet by the bed like a loyal knight standing guard.

Moonlight poured through the windows, casting a gentle silver sheen over everything. Quentin slept soundly in bed, his steady breathing especially clear in the quiet.

Suddenly, a small, furry creature, shivering from the night’s chill, landed squarely on Quentin’s bed. Without hesitation, it scrambled under the covers.

Quentin snapped awake. Immediately, he came face-to-face with a pair of tiny, wet black eyes, just inches from his own. It was Pearlie, the very white weasel he’d lectured before, frantically scrambling on his chest.

Pearlie’s little paws gripped his pajamas as it locked eyes with him, both of them wide-eyed. “Wake up!” Pearlie grabbed Quentin’s face and shook him hard, squeaking frantically, “Nina’s sick! She’s gonna be cooked!”

It frantically pointed its little paws toward Nina’s room. Then it clawed and kicked at his pajamas, as if it could drag him over there itself.

Quentin was wide awake now, picking Pearlie up by the scruff. “Are you guys just got back? Is Nina in trouble?”

Pearlie nodded so hard it looked like her head might fall off, her little eves full of panic.

10:39 Tue, Jan 20

Chapter 224

Quentin was instantly wide awake. He threw off the covers, grabbed his coat, and bolted out of the RV, heading straight for Nina’s room.

Pearlie slipped back through the air vent and, with a quiet click, unlocked the door from the inside.

Quentin pushed the door open. His eyes immediately locked onto the figure curled up in bed, and he quickly went close.

Nina was nestled deep in the soft pillows and covers. Her face now flushed so red it spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears, making her look just like a cooked shrimp.

Damp strands of hair stuck to her smooth forehead and along the sides of her neck. Her eyes were shut, lashes trembling, and her brows drawn together as if in pain.

Following close behind Quentin, Shadow didn’t need a word from him. With just a glance from his master, he instantly got the message. He dashed off and came back with the medical kit clamped in his jaws.

Quentin pulled out a thermometer, ready to check Nina’s temperature, but she turned her away, mumbling in a small voice, “I feel so bad.”

He had to steady her squirming shoulders with one hand, his touch awkward and stiff. Quentin coaxed her in a strangely soft voice. “Just hold still. I need to check your temperature.”

His tone was dry and awkward, like he was struggling to imitate a pediatrician but couldn’t quite pull it off, sounding totally at odds with his usual cold exterior.

Honestly, this was probably the first time in his life he’d ever tried talking to someone in this gentle tone. ‘What happened to me?’ he thought.

Quentin put on his stethoscope. The moment the cool metal touched her skin, Nina instinctively shrank back and tried to bat it away.

He had to lean in, almost wrapping her in his arms, holding her squirming wrist as he whispered, “Easy, it’ll be

over soon.”

Quentin bent closer, pressing the cold stethoscope gently against her chest, making her moan faintly in her feverish haze.

Her hot breath drifted across Quentin’s open pajama collar, brushing the side of his neck. That breath was warm and gentle, yet it sent a silent jolt between them, erasing the last bit of distance.

Quentin’s hand tightened just slightly around the stethoscope. His long, slender fingers gripped so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The faint blue veins on the back of his hand stood out, highlighted by the tension. in his movements.

Quentin forced himself to focus on the sounds from the stethoscope. His face drawn tight in the lamplight, only his Adam’s apple gave him away, bobbing uncontrollably.

After the checkup, Quentin realized it was just a high fever from catching a cold. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

10:39 Tue, Jan 20

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