Clara felt a wave of annoyance bubble up inside her. But then she caught herself—Aiden was the one who cared about Dylan the most. There was no way he’d just disappear on purpose. He was probably caught up with something urgent.
She pressed her lips together, deciding it wasn’t worth getting upset over. “I just changed his bandages and put on some fresh medicine, but he still hasn’t woken up. Should we call a doctor?”
“No need. The boss has always been healthy. I’ll have to trouble you to look after him for a few days, Mrs. Dawson. Now that he’s suddenly collapsed, I need to handle things at the office. I’ve got to head out.”
Clara started to say something, but that same unexplainable frustration washed over her again.
Before she could get a word out, Aiden was already heading downstairs.
She stood in the doorway of the master bedroom, suddenly at a loss for what to do.
If she just left Dylan here, she’d feel guilty all day. But staying to take care of him? This marriage had been forced on her—just the thought made her stomach twist.
She hovered outside for ten minutes before finally pushing the door open, telling herself she could figure everything out once he recovered.
She sat down by the bed, letting her eyes drift to his face.
It wasn’t the first time she’d studied Dylan’s features, but no matter how many times she looked, he was still stunning enough to take her breath away.
People are visual creatures, she thought. Who wouldn’t like looking at something beautiful? The universe had clearly played favorites with him.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice when his eyes slowly opened.
Surprise flickered in her own eyes, but the memory of him passing out—because of something she said—made her heart skip with guilt.
“Mr. Dawson, you’re awake.”
Dylan acted like he hadn’t heard, closing his eyes again.
So, he’s mad.
Flustered, Clara felt her cheeks heat up, but when she saw how pale he looked, she couldn’t just leave.
His breathing slowed, and after a moment, he seemed to drift back to sleep.
Suddenly, Clara remembered—didn’t he have insomnia?
Two hours later, someone knocked on the door.
She got up and opened it to find Richard standing outside.
He was tall, with a kind of quiet intensity. He gave her a quick look, then glanced away.
“Has Dylan woken up?”
Clara wasn’t close to any of these people. She’d never fit into Dylan’s world, and honestly, she’d never tried.
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