Chapter 124 Warming Her Up
Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw Nancy after he pushed the curtains Drenched in cold sweat, he had been terrified, thinking she had really gone missing.
He approached and asked gently, “Why are you sitting here?”
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Nancy remained seated by the window in silence. She leaned against the adjacent wall, her dark eyes fixated on the round moon in the sky. Her strength was depleted, and most importantly, she didn’t want to talk to him at all.
It was only at this moment that he noticed how lightly she was dressed. When the wind stirred, the corners of her attire fluttered, providing no defense against the biting cold.
As he extended his hand to touch her, he was shocked to discover how icy cold she was, almost like a block of ice.
Without hesitation, he lifted her and placed her on the bed, covering her with a blanket.
Under the room’s light, he saw that her body was freezing. Her once porcelain-like face now lacked any trace of color, except for a flush of red on her cheeks, which was from the cold. Her slender and bony hands were as cold as if they had just been taken out of a refrigerator.
“Why aren’t you wearing warmer clothes?” Nicholas asked with a hint of frustration. How can she treat her body this way? Does she not know that I’ll be devastated if she falls ill?
Without a word, Nancy glanced at him and tucked herself under the blanket.
“Did you not eat anything all day today?” he asked, trying his best to contain his emotions.
Her response came devoid of any emotion. Blinking, she mumbled, “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you eat?”
“I just didn’t have the appetite,” she replied.
Though Nicholas was well aware that this was just an excuse, there was nothing he could do.
He reached out and touched her hand again, only to find that her hand was still ice-cold, with no signs of warming up. “Why are you still so cold?”
After saying that, he placed her small hands in his large palm, gently rubbing it. At the same time, he instructed the helpers, “Have the kitchen prepare some light food and make some fruit compote.” From his observation, he knew that Nancy liked to have fruit compote when she was in a bad mood.
“You don’t need to prepare anything,” she finally moved her eyelids and murmured. When she felt the weight of his gaze upon her, she calmly explained, “I don’t want to eat.”
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“Have the kitchen prepare the food now,” Nicholas ordered, despite her protest.
After massaging her hands for a while, he felt that her hands had finally warmed up a bit, and some of his anxiety subsided.
“How do you feel now: Any warmer?” he asked.
“A little,” Nancy replied.
In doubt, Nicholas slid his hand under the blanket to check her body temperature.
With that touch, he immediately turned on the room’s ventilation system and shed his coat. before sliding into the blanket to envelop her. At that moment, he believed that this was the fastest way to warm her up.
“What are you doing?” Seeing him slip under the blanket, Nancy instinctively retreated, and her face turned pale as though she was scared out of her wits.
“I’m warming you up.” He gazed at her with an indulgent look, and his tone was unusually gentle.
If it weren’t for her firsthand experience of his true side, she would have almost succumbed once again. However, this time, she wouldn’t let it happen.
“It’s fine. I can warm up on my own.” Nancy firmly refused the offer.
“If you could warm up on your own, you wouldn’t have taken so long. Don’t try to act tough, Nancy.”
After that, Nicholas continued to assertively hold her in his embrace, encircling her entire body and gently rubbing her tender back.
With these dual efforts, Nancy’s body quickly warmed up, and her complexion regained some color. She was no longer as pallid as before, but her feet remained icy cold.
When Nicholas touched her feet, he furrowed his brows deeply. He recalled that when he had carried her down from the window a moment ago, she was barefooted.
Thinking about the situation several days ago when she injured her feet on the glass shards, he became immediately concerned. “Are your feet still hurting?”
Nancy shook her head. “They’re fine now.”
She was lying, of course. They still hurt. With so many glass shards deeply embedded in her skin, of course, they still hurt. After all, it had only been a few days. However, she no longer wanted to show her vulnerability, helplessness, and her pitiable side to him.
Receiving care would transform one into a precious gem, while the absence of it could make one appear as a mere joke. She didn’t want to be a joke anymore.
Just then, Nicholas’ phone rang. It was a call from Madelline. She was sobbing as soon as she
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began to speak “You finally answered my call, Nicholas. Do you know how worried I’ve been not hearing from you these days?”
“I entrusted Lynn to take care of you.”
“No, I want you, not Lynn. Are you really this cold-hearted, Nicholas? Are you really leaving me alone? I’ve had the surgery for several days now, but you haven’t visited me once. Do you know how much I miss you? I’ve been waiting and praying for your visit every time I open my eyes. Nicholas, please don’t treat me like this. Don’t be so cruel to me.”
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