The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 103

Nora rested at The Hayes Manor for three days.

During those three days, Gideon kept his promise, appearing in the guest room every morning and night without fail to apply her ointment himself.

His movements were patient and meticulous, even deliberately softening his breathing so he wouldn't hurt her. But the atmosphere between them remained in a dead, suffocating silence.

Nora no longer brought up what happened in the dining room that night, and she absolutely refused to utter Giselle's name.

She passively accepted his care like a wooden puppet, closing her eyes to sleep the moment he finished, never sparing him a single glance.

Three days later, the red swelling from the burn had mostly faded, leaving behind only a few faint pink marks that could easily be hidden with a little concealer.

Nora insisted on returning to work at Professor Arthur Lawrence's studio.

She carried her bag to her desk. The surrounding area instantly fell silent.

During the morning meeting, Sloane Miller was distributing the haute couture design assignments for the next month.

"Nora, the French client is very satisfied with the concept sketches you submitted last time."

Sloane flipped through the documents in her hands, her tone entirely professional and devoid of her usual personal animosity. "You'll take full charge of the subsequent 3D modeling and material selection. If you need any special fabrics, just get them straight from the warehouse. You don't need my signature for approval anymore."

Sitting at the end of the long table, Nora held her pen, nodded calmly, and jotted the tasks down in her notebook.

After the meeting, everyone slowly filtered back to their desks.

"Alright, enough. Who cares what her status is? As long as we treat her like royalty in the office and stay out of her way, we'll be fine. Piss off the billionaires, and we all lose our jobs."

Nora stood outside the breakroom door, listening to the petty speculations.

Her fingers tightened slightly around her mug, her expression as calm as still water.

Gideon's methods had always been precise and ruthless. He didn't make a big show of targeting anyone; he simply severed their profit margins effortlessly. He was using his own methods to show everyone in the studio that Mrs. Hayes's dignity was not to be offended.

Nora didn't push the door open to interrupt them. She turned around and walked back to her desk with her empty mug.

She opened her laptop, launched her design software, and poured all her focus into the blueprints on the screen. She had no desire to analyze the motives behind her colleagues' sudden shift in attitude, nor did she want to use her title to throw her weight around.