The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 618

By the time they finished talking, Vivica had the raincoat on.

Joseph glanced at her. "Put the hood up and pull the drawstrings tight. Just leave enough room for your nose and mouth to breathe."

Basically: wrap up like a mummy, stay as dry as humanly possible.

"Huh? But how am I supposed to see where I'm going?" she asked, looking up at him.

"You don't need to. I'm carrying you. You just hold the umbrella," he instructed, shifting his body closer to the door to block the wind.

The storm was brutal. Even with him standing there acting as a shield, the interior was getting soaked.

She didn't argue. She pulled the hood up, yanked the drawstrings as tight as they would go, and tied them off.

He handed her the umbrella, which she gripped tightly with both hands.

Then, he leaned in and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"Is this going to work? Maybe I should just walk," she said, her voice muffled with worry. She had no idea how far they had to go, and braving hurricane-force winds in calf-deep floodwater didn't seem safe for either of them.

"It's fine. Just hold on tight to the umbrella. I won't drop you." His voice rumbled steadily from above her.

He kicked the car door shut behind him.

The rain slammed into them instantly. She had tried to say something else, but opening her mouth against the gale was impossible. The wind whipped at them from every direction, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut and cling to the umbrella handle for dear life.

Holding her securely, Joseph navigated over two metal guardrails and began the trek toward his parked car.

It wasn't a huge distance, but weaving through gridlocked cars in a flooded street meant every step had to be calculated and slow.

Tucked against his chest, completely blinded by the hood, she could hear nothing but his steady heartbeat over the roar of the storm.

It thumped against her ear, loud and rhythmic as the distant thunder.

But it didn't scare her. It made her feel incredibly safe.

Because the Mercedes G-Wagon was so high off the ground, he barely had to bend down to deposit her onto the leather seat.

"Take the raincoat off, it's soaking," he ordered.

She didn't need telling twice; if she didn't get it off immediately, the luxury interior would be ruined.

Before she even finished pulling it over her head, the driver's side door yanked open and Joseph climbed in.

The heavy doors slammed shut, cutting off the apocalyptic roar of the storm. They looked at each other in the sudden quiet. They both looked like drowned rats, yet the atmosphere in the car was incredibly peaceful and warm.

When Joseph had asked his friend to bring the car, he had thought ahead.

There was a stack of thick, clean towels sitting on the console.

"Dry off quickly, you can't catch a cold."