The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 192

192 Chapter 192 A Heart Thrown Into Chaos

Zain’s POV

Joanna seemed lost in thought when I suddenly opened my eyes.

“Joanna,” I called out, keeping my voice gentle.

I sat up and turned to face her, unable to hold back when I saw how troubled she looked.

She snapped back to reality at the sound of my voice, looking up at me with a soft tone. “Zain, what’s wrong?”

I looked at her with concern, my voice tender with a hint of affection. “Are you tired?”

She shook her head, giving me a gentle smile. “No, I’m not tired,” she said softly.

I reached out, gently patting her head, my tone doting. “I’ll walk you back.”

She shook her head softly. “No need, I’ll stay here with

you–and with Carry.”

I furrowed my brows, speaking with gentle firmness. “Carry’s got me here. You should go and rest up,

you’ve got your experiments tomorrow.”

Seeing how determined I was, she finally gave in. “Alright, then.”

I stood up, then reached out my hand to her. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

She stared at my outstretched hand, spacing out for a second. For some reason, she seemed to be thinking about something else. I noticed her eyes cloud over, as if recalling something distant and troubling, perhaps the way Vincent had just wrapped Blanche in his arms. A subtle shift in her expression made me wonder if she saw an opportunity in this moment, a chance to clarify a misunderstanding with Vincent.

Her expression shifted subtly, as if a new possibility had occurred to her, a chance she seemed eager to seize.

After thinking it through, she gave a gentle smile.

“Zain, you’re already exhausted, no need to make a special trip just for me. I can just catch a cab myself.”

I still looked uneasy, insisting, “That won’t do. I’ll feel better if I walk you back myself.”

Seeing my stubbornness, she changed tactics. “Carry’s still here anyway. Go keep her company. I’m really okay–I got here just fine by myself, remember?”

I hesitated for a moment.

At the mention of Carry, I finally relented. “Alright, I’ll have Desmond come walk you back.”

She couldn’t help but feel a rush of unexpected happiness at how much I cared. But she still smiled and insisted, “Seriously, don’t worry. I’ll keep you updated all the time, so stop stressing over me.”

I didn’t say anything else, but I stubbornly waited until she had gotten into the cab. It was only after I watched the taxi disappear into the distance that I finally turned and walked back into the hospital.

Once inside the cab, Joanna leaned forward and said

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to the driver, “Hey, just pull over up ahead. I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”

The driver, hearing such a good deal, happily agreed right away.

After getting out, Joanna pulled out her phone and opened WhatsApp. She typed a message to Vincent: [Mr. Aarav, are you free to come out and chat for a bit?]

Once the message was sent, Joanna made her way toward the hospital.

It was already late, and Joanna knew it wasn’t exactly safe for a girl to be out walking alone at this hour.

So, heading back to the hospital was clearly the most sensible option.

Instead of returning to the inpatient wing, Joanna settled down on a bench in the hospital courtyard and waited for Vincent’s reply.

Blanche’s POV

Meanwhile, after Vincent had carried me back to my hospital room, he was all set to comfort me and maybe spoil me a little.

But before he even had a chance to speak, I beat him to it. “Vincent, I want to take a shower.”

Hearing that, Vincent was caught off guard. He just stared at me, searching my face for any sign that something was off.

But there was a smile in my eyes, as if I wasn’t the least bit bothered by what had just happened between

Zain and Joanna.

Vincent didn’t ask any more questions. He quickly got up and said, “Alright, I’ll get some hot water ready for you.”

Once the water was running, he went to fetch my pajamas and some clean underwear.

After everything was set, Vincent came back to the bedside and said, “Let me carry you to the bathroom.”

I watched Vincent running around, taking care of everything for me. I couldn’t deny how much it moved

me–I felt something warm flutter in my chest.

And when he tried to pick me up, my face grew hot. “Vincent, I can go by myself,” I murmured, cheeks pink.

Vincent paused for a second, then quietly let his hand

drop.

He didn’t push me. If I didn’t want to be carried, he’d respect that—he’d let me be.

I slowly made my way into the bathroom, then slid the bolt shut behind me.

Vincent lingered outside the door, hearing the sound of the bolt sliding into place. That made him smile, just a small, genuinely happy smile.

It was a smile that came straight from his heart.

Soon, the gentle sound of water running could be heard from inside.

Vincent didn’t want me catching a chill, so he waited by the bathroom door holding my coat, just in case I needed it.

After a while, the bathroom door opened and I came

out.

My hair was bundled up in a towel, and I was wrapped in a set of fluffy pajamas.

The nights had grown chilly with winter setting in.

As soon as I stepped out, Vincent quickly draped his coat over my shoulders. “Baby, are you cold?” he asked softly.

I shook my head, replying with a gentle smile, “No, I’m not cold.”

Seeing that happy spark in my eyes, Vincent couldn’t help the grin spreading on his face–my smile warmed him up inside.

Vincent helped me sit down on the bed and said, “Let me grab the hair dryer–I’ll dry your hair for you.”

I almost protested, but before I could, Vincent was already off getting the dryer.

He bustled back and forth, not showing even a hint of his usual Mr. Aarav attitude–treating me almost like a little kid he needed to fuss over.

Watching Vincent bustle around the room, I felt like it was all unreal.

How could someone so proud ever be willing to humble himself just for me? I wondered to myself.

I kept thinking about it as Vincent dried my hair, but no matter how much I pondered, I just couldn’t make

sense of it.

Once my hair was dry, Vincent put the hair dryer

away.

I was all set to lie down when Vincent stopped me gently. “Just stay put for a second, alright? I’ll be right back,” he said with a reassuring smile.

With that, he headed back to the bathroom.

Not long after, Vincent came back with a basin of warm water and set it down by my feet. “Soaking your feet when you’ve got a cold helps–or so they say. Get some sweat going tonight, and maybe you’ll feel better quicker,” he said softly, the care in his voice obvious.

I was just about to remind him that there wasn’t any real science behind it, but Vincent cut in first, “Honestly, I’ve only heard it works. You’re the doctor here–I’m probably just playing doctor. Still, even if it doesn’t kick the cold, a nice soak should help you

sleep better.”

With that, Vincent pulled a small stool out from under

the bed and sat down in front of me, reaching out to

gently lift my

foot.

Seeing this, my heart was thrown into chaos.

I pulled my feet back, flustered, my voice low and uncertain. “Vincent, please, you don’t have to–I can do it myself, really.”

But Vincent gave me no chance to refuse. With gentle insistence, he picked up my foot and settled it into the basin of warm water.

Without missing a beat, he began to massage my foot -hesitant and a bit clumsy, but determined to care for

1. me.

His movements were far from expert, heavy–handed even, yet something about the way he tried made my eyes sting unexpectedly.

I watched Vincent fuss over me and couldn’t help thinking, ‘He’s doing all this, and for what? If he was just out for his own benefit, he wouldn’t go to such

lengths–there’d be no reason for all this!‘

I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Maybe he really does like

me?‘

I tried several times to pull my foot away, even offered to do it myself, but Vincent just gently but firmly kept hold of my foot. “I’m your lover–taking care of you like this is my job. You just relax and let me spoil you,” he said, his tone soft but matter–of–fact.

Hearing that, I fell quiet, my heart stirred even further by his words.

I looked down at Vincent, crouched at my feet, awkwardly kneading the sole of my foot–as if he was worried he might hurt me, clumsy but painstakingly gentle all the same.

If his strikingly handsome face weren’t so unmistakable, I would’ve almost wondered if someone was impersonating Vincent just to treat me like this.

After the foot soak, Vincent let me get into bed.

When he came back from emptying the basin, he leaned over and gently tucked the blanket around me.

As he did, he asked softly, “Baby, I need to step out for a bit. Is that okay?”

I was tucked in tight, my head the only thing peeking

out.

I looked up at Vincent, and couldn’t help but think, ‘Did he really see himself as my lover?‘

But deep down, I wondered, ‘What makes me worthy of having him as my lover?‘

Still, I kept those words to myself. Instead, I said softly to Vincent, “You’re free. You can go wherever you want–you don’t need to tell me.”

Vincent immediately picked up on my attempt to wriggle out of things and quickly replied, “No, I’m only free when it comes to the things you’ve agreed to,

remember?”