After making the calls, Nathan turned to see the little woman curled up and asleep. Exhaustion clearly evident on her face.
His gaze drifted to her beautiful face and then her forehead.The bruise had darkened.
Something cold and lethal coiled in his chest.
Nathan had seen injuries before. He'd caused a few when necessary. But this—this wasn't a consequence of power or war.
This was cruelty.
He moved closer without thinking, stopping beside the couch. His hands slipped into his pockets, as if he didn't trust them to behave. The room felt smaller now, quieter, like it was holding its breath.
He remembered that night vividly. The night she stumbled into his hotel room. Drunk, disoriented, alluring and captivating. The night he found that he could touch this woman without any allergic reaction. He remembers the kisses, her soft moan.
'Now it's not the time to be reminiscing ' he thought shaking his head slightly.
Bella frowned slightly in her sleep.
Even rest wasn't safe for her.
He reached for the blanket draped over the chair and unfolded it carefully, laying it over her shoulders. She shifted at the contact, her fingers curling instinctively into the fabric.
Nathan froze.
For one reckless second, he imagined her reaching for him instead.
The thought hit him hard—sharp, dangerous.
He straightened abruptly, forcing distance between himself and the edge of something he didn't want to name.
But then he looked at the couch again.
Too narrow. Too exposed. Too temporary.
The decision settled instantly.
Nathan bent down, sliding one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back. She stirred faintly as he lifted her, a quiet sound escaping her lips.
Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt.
His breath caught.
She was lighter than she should have been. Too light. Like she'd learned to carry less so others wouldn't notice when they took pieces of her.
Nathan adjusted his grip, firm and steady. She shifted closer unconsciously, her face turning toward his chest, her forehead resting just beneath his collarbone.
His heartbeat felt suddenly loud.
"This is a mistake," he muttered.
But he carried her anyway.
Each step down the hallway felt deliberate, weighted. The master bedroom door opened silently, revealing a space that was immaculate, controlled, untouched.
Nothing about her belonged in it.
And yet—
He lowered her carefully onto the bed, easing her down as if she were something fragile and irreplaceable. When he tried to pull away, she frowned, her fingers tightening briefly in his shirt.
Nathan stilled.
"Stay," she whispered.
The word barely existed—more breath than sound.
Her eyes remained closed.
She wasn't awake.
But it anchored him anyway.
"I'm here," he said quietly, his voice lower than he meant it to be. "Sleep."
Her expression softened almost immediately. Her breathing evened out.
Nathan covered her with the blanket, smoothing it over her shoulders. His hand hovered near her face before he stopped himself.
'Control yourself'
He turned away, then stopped.
He didn't leave.
Instead, he pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on her sleeping form. Time slowed.
"You threatened them," he murmured. "Good."
His jaw tightened.
"They'll regret underestimating you."
Bella shifted slightly, turning toward him in her sleep, as if she sensed his presence even now. The blanket slipped just enough to reveal the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Nathan looked away—then back.
"I don't save people," he said under his breath. "I end things."
But he stayed.
Guarding something fragile.
Something he hadn't realized he was already carrying long before he picked her up.
_______
The morning sunlight rays pour into the bedroom, illuminating the entire room. Bella stirs in her sleep then open her eyes , wondering why her alarm didn't ring as usual.
Where was she?. Then it dawned on her, this is not her apartment. The event of yesterday came rushing back into her memory. She touched her forehead and sigh.
She finally turned her attention to the room, the bed was a massive king size, the room massive and spacious with grey painting and white aesthetic.
'Wow, beautiful. I guess this is the world of the rich' she thought. Even though Bella was from a wealthy background, she didn't grow up with those rich privileges, Claire and Donna made sure of that. Whispering things into the ears of Theodore,her father. Bella who was in a prestigious high school was suddenly sent to a public one.
Despite the cars in the Whitmore's house, she wasn't allowed to be driven to school, she had to take a public bus everyday , while Claire had her own personal driver. Bella knew her father didn't need anyone to turn him against her, he did everything willingly because he already hated her guts and face.
'knock knock'
Someone knocked on the door. Pushing aside all those thoughts, she told the person knocking to come in. A middle aged lady opened the door and walked in with some clothes for Bella.
" Good morning ma'am, my name is Janet and I'm one of the maids in the Willow mansion. Young Master asked to give you this clothes to change into and come downstairs for breakfast ". Janet said and bowed before leaving the room.
"He sent new clothes for me? How did he my size?" Bella mumbled while picking up the clothes . "Wait don't tell me....." remembering the night they spent together, Bella blushed profusely.
Walking to the massive bathroom, Bella took her bath and changed into the dress brought for her. It was a chiffon dress, a limited edition and very expensive too, the dress highlighted her curves but not too much. Just enough to make men heads turn.
She pulled her hair in a ponytail and went downstairs. Not wanting to keep Nathan waiting for too long. Stepping down the stairs, her eyes caught Nathan's. He was sitting down in the living clearly waiting for her before moving to the dining table. Dressed in an impeccable expensive deep ocean blue suit, his hair slick back, his deep gorgeous eyes staring at her like you could see deep into her soul. Bella almost missed a step before catching herself.
"Uhm,Hi". She said when finally standing in front of him. "Hi. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes I did. It was pleasant". She replied not daring to look into his eyes this time around. Nathan looked at the woman in front of him and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was blushing so hard , her entire face looked like a tomato.
"Let's go eat breakfast". Nathan said breaking the silence. Bella released the breath she didn't know she was holding. The way Nathan was staring at her earlier felt like she was standing on hot coals." Are you coming?".
"Oh sorry". Bella hurriedly apologized. She was embarrassed at the clumsy way she was behaving right now. But her damn heart wouldn't stop beating so fast.
She followed Nathan and together they went to the dining area for breakfast.