Hathaway couldn’t tell whether Tessa had seen. through the underlying meaning behind her words, but from their conversation earlier, it dawned on her that her daughter paled in comparison to Tessa in several aspects. Thus, she changed the topic, saying, “Let’s not talk about Kathleen any longer. I’m returning today.”
Although Tessa was surprised by Hathaway’s decision, she didn’t question it. “Bon voyage, then.” Hathaway nodded and chatted a little more before taking her leave. Unexpectedly, right after she walked out, she noticed Nicholas walking over with food in his hands, and she looked at the man with an unreadable look in her eyes.
At the other end, Nicholas saw her and gave her an expressionless nod as a greeting. Just when he was going to brush past her, she couldn’t stop herself from calling him, “President Sawyer…”
“If you want me to let Kathleen off the hook, I think you would be wise to think twice. It’s not the first time that your daughter has tried to kill my wife. There was the car accident she had planned, and to make matters worse, she decided to plan a kidnapping this time. If it weren’t for Tessa’s luck, I’d be arranging her funeral and staring at her gravestone. My children would also lose their mother forever.”
His words made her so ashamed that all she could say was sorry. She honestly couldn’t think of anything else to say besides that.
Nicholas inhaled deeply before saying calmly, “I’m not the one you should apologize to, and it’s not you that the apology should come from.” After that, he stepped past her and went into the ward with the food. The instant he entered the private ward, the iciness on his face melted away; in its place was a warm smile. “Have you been waiting long?”
Tessa shook her head. “It’s okay.” Then, he efficiently unpacked the food and started attentively feeding her. After a while, she told him about Hathaway’s visit in between mouthfuls, “Although Miss Hathaway didn’t make it clear, I could tell that she wanted me to withdraw the charges, but I didn’t agree to it.”
Nicholas nodded softly. “You don’t have to brood over this. Leave this to me and just focus on your recovery.” Tessa flashed him a sweet smile, and the days afterward seemed to slow into a routine. During the day, Stefania would visit Tessa with Gregory and Gordon. In the evening, Nicholas would accompany her in the ward. Meanwhile, Remus would send lan to deliver nutritious soup every day after learning about her condition.
One week flew past in a blink of an eye, and Tessa finally regained the rosiness in her pale cheeks. The injuries on her body, besides her hands which suffered severe lacerations, were also recovering well.
Still, due to her injuries, she was not allowed to take a shower for almost a week. So, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly sticky despite being well cared for. Thus, after dinner, she looked at Nicholas with puppy eyes. Naturally, he noticed her gaze and turned to her with puzzlement. “What’s wrong?”
“I would like to take a shower,” she said honestly. He was aware that she placed hygiene very high on her priority list, and one week was already a test to her limits. So, he thought about it and said hesitantly, “But your hands haven’t recovered yet, and the doctor has made it very clear that you aren’t allowed to get in contact with water for the time being.”
“I’ll wrap them in plastic bags,” she suggested piteously. However, he thought that the idea was unreliable. “No.”
“But I would like a shower.” She stared at him with puppy eyes, and he eventually found himself caving in. Finally, he relented and said, “Okay. But I’ll be helping you out.”
“What?” At first, she was stunned, and then. embarrassment washed over her. “Let’s drop the idea.” Even though they had done all sorts of intimate acts and even had children together, it still made her embarrassed to think that she had to face him without clothes on.
Under the light, her delicate face turned pinkish, due to her bashfulness. Nicholas couldn’t help but find her adorable. In the end, he couldn’t stop himself from approaching her and asked in a deep, husky voice, “Why are you still so shy?”
“No, I’m not,” she denied hotly. He chuckled as he gazed at her with unabashed fondness. Then, he gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The unguarded Tessa closed her eyes after a second and draped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss.
Their kiss was passionate and deep, and the temperature in the room gradually rose. They didn’t know how long it lasted until Nicholas finally released her, breathing heavily.
