The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 45

ppp.

The Forbidden Throb

Chapter 45

Emma’s POV:

What are you two doing together?”

Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly, moving between Daniel and me with obvious confusion.

The question hung in the air, pointed and suspicious.

I opened my mouth before I could think better of it.

“Daniel was just checking on a patient. We–we ran into each other by accident.”

The words tumbled out too quickly, defensive in a way.

Daniel’s gaze flicked to me, something unreadable passing through those sharp eyes behind his glasses. But when he turned to Victoria, his expression was

perfectly composed, professional warmth wrapped in polite distance.

Mrs. Williams,” he acknowledged with a slight nod. “I hope everything’s alright with Leo.”

“Oh, yes, yes.” Victoria’s grip on Leo tightened protectively. “Just a scrape, but I wanted to be safe. You know how it is with children.”

Her expression brightened slightly. And how is Nicholas doing? We haven’t seen him around in a while.”

The air seemed to thin.

I felt Daniel’s gaze shift briefly toward me, his expression unreadable.

“Nicholas is well, Daniel replied, his tone professionally neutral. “Busy with his studies.”

“Oh, good, good.” Victoria smiled, oblivious to the tension coiling tighter with every word. “Such a promising young man. Emma’s so lucky-”

“Mom.” I cut in quickly. My voice came out sharper than intended. “Leo must be exhausted. We should get him home.”

Victoria studied my face with that suspicious look I knew too well. Before she could respond, Leo began squirming in her arms, whining.

“Wanna go home,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “I’m tired.”

Victoria sighed, her attention shifting back to her son, “Alright, alright. We’ll go.”

Relief flooded through me. I moved to follow them toward the exit.

Victoria’s phone rang before we’d taken more than a few steps. She fumbled to answer it one–handed, Leo still balanced on her hip.

“Hello? Oh, Robert.‘ Her voice brightened immediately. “You’re here already? That was fast.”

She paused, listening, and I watched her expression shift from surprise to pleased satisfaction.

Victoria ended the call and turned back toward me, her expression shifting into something awkward.

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9:20 am

Chapter 45

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Robert’s here to pick us up,” she said, not quite meeting my eyes. “So… thank you for coming, Emma. We really appreciate it.”

A familiar emptiness bloomed in my chest.

And we don’t want to keep you any longer,” she continued. You should head back to campus. I’m sure you have lots of studying to do.”

We re fine now. You can go.

The unspoken message landed like a stone in my stomach.

“Right. I managed. “Of course.”

Victoria gave me a quick, tight smile and turned away.

I stood frozen, watching as she walked through the automatic doors into the fading afternoon light. Through the glass, I could see Robert’s Mercedes idling

at the curb.

He stepped out, opening the back door with a solicitous smile.

A perfect little family tableau.

And I was standing inside the hospital, watching through the glass like a stranger observing someone else’s happiness.

The car pulled away from the curb, merging into traffic.

“Emma.”

Daniel’s voice pulled me back. I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at the empty corridor for God knows how long.

I turned to face him, willing my expression to smooth into something neutral.

“Sorry,” I said quietly. “What were you saying?”

His

eyes

studied my face with that careful, assessing look.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I said automatically. The lie came easily, worn smooth from years of use.

Daniel’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes told me he didn’t believe it.

A beat of silence passed between us.

“You didn’t tell her about us? The marriage.”

My gaze dropped to the floor. “No. Only my grandmother knows.”

‘Why not?‘

I was quiet for a long moment, searching for the right words.

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9:20 am Ppp.

Chapter 45

Maybe it was that afternoon when Victoria and Robert had finally confessed they’d asked Nicholas for money behind my back.

Something had cracked open inside me that day. Not anger, exactly. Worse than that.

Disappointment.

1 pulled in a breath, searching for words that wouldn’t sound petty or vindictive.

When I was with Nicholas, they–Victoria and Robert–they saw it as… an opportunity.”

The memory tasted bitter on my tongue. “They didn’t care about me. They cared about what I could get them.”

I forced myself to meet his eyes.

“I don’t want that to happen again. Not with you.”

Something shifted in Daniel’s expression–softening into something gentler.

Before I could process it, his hand lifted and settled on top of my head, a brief, deliberate pat that felt both foreign and oddly… comforting.

“Don’t worry about that.”

His voice was quiet but steady.

“We’re married now. That means we inconvenience each other. It’s part of the arrangement.”

His hand withdrew, but his gaze remained steady on mine.

“And trust me I’m more than capable of handling whatever complications come our way.”

There was no arrogance in the statement, just quiet certainty.

Something tight in my chest loosened slightly.

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