The CEO's Hidden Love: Midnight Temptations and Deep Desires novel Chapter 1406

Langston rolled his eyes, "I just don't want her to get hurt, you know? If she does, she'll be crying all day. Better I take the hit; I can handle it without shedding a tear."

Dorothy sighed, knowing full well her son's stubborn streak. She didn't push it.

"Mom, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"

Handing it over without a word, Dorothy watched as Langston quickly downloaded an app, sent off a few messages, and then deleted it before handing the phone back.

"You need to focus on getting better," she reminded him. "Even though you're stuck in the hospital, you've got to cut down on screen time."

"I know, I know, the eyes!" Langston joked, trying to keep the mood light despite the discomfort that pulled at his features.

He was determined not to let his mom see any sign of his pain; he couldn't bear the thought of her worrying.

Suddenly, a knock at the door startled them both.

Dorothy, expecting it to be Everett, hurried to open it.

But standing there wasn't Everett...

It was Byte 7.

The surprise reunion left them both momentarily speechless.

"Master!" Langston's voice from the bed broke the silence, snapping Julian back to reality.

"I, uh, came to check on him."

Dorothy nodded, stepping aside to let him through.

Seeing Julian sparked an unusual chattiness in Langston.

"Master, did you fix the bug in the new system? I didn't bring my laptop here, can't check it myself. I'll have dad bring it from home tonight!"

Julian, still in his signature hoodie that seemed to be his second skin, raised an eyebrow.

With a resigned smile, Dorothy nodded, "Sure."

They didn't go far, just stepped outside the room.

Julian, hands in his pockets, still had that carefree swagger. His oversized hoodie almost swallowed his slender frame, shadowing most of his face.

"You and Everett... doing good?"

"Yeah, we're really happy," Dorothy answered honestly.

"Man, losing to him, I can accept that." Julian seemed to reflect on past events, shrugging, "That thing he did with the flash drive, that was pretty badass. I respect that."

Dorothy knew he was referring to a critical moment they had faced together.

"He's always been like that."

"Everett, he really loves you. If I were a woman, I'd fall for him too," Julian mused. "You're lucky, really."