Chapter 58 Taking Care of Julia
“Julia!” Jared gasped and immediately stretched his hand to catch Julia’s body before she fell to the ground.
With heart pounding, Jared carried her and strode out of the bathroom, heading to bed.
‘Her clothes were soaking wet. I can’t just put her on the bed like this, right?‘ he thought to himself, falling into a dilemma.
He stared at Julia for a moment and took a deep breath. After some hesitation, he swiftly removed Julia’s clothes and lay her on the bed. He then grabbed a towel and wiped her entire body before covering her with a duvet.
He then placed his palm on Julia’s forehead to check her temperature, but he immediately withdrew his hand as though he was burned.
‘She’s burning!‘ he inwardly sputtered.
Julia struggled to breathe, which made her face paler. Gradually, her eyelids trembled and fluttered open. She blinked and saw the blurry figure of a man beside her.
“Help me… Get the syringe,” she murmured weakly.
“Where is it?” Jared asked.
“In the drawer,” Julia gestured with her finger.
Jared hurriedly pulled open the drawer and grabbed the syringe. Just as he was about to lift the duvet, Julia grabbed the needle from his hand.
“No, I’ll handle it myself!” she insisted, struggling to hold the syringe properly. She blinked, but her surroundings were still blurry.
“With
your current state, how can you manage this on your own?” Jared frowned.
“No… I’ll-” Without waiting for her to finish her words, Jared carefully flipped her over, securing her beneath his frame. He lifted the covers and administered the injection.
The sharp sting seared through Julia’s body, prompting her to grip the bedsheet tightly as her body trembled.
Seeing her hurt expression, Jared pursed his lips. His heart ached as though a thousand needles pierced through his chest. Nevertheless, he still emptied the syringe before withdrawing.
He stared at Julia and caressed her face. It was still pale, but her expression had already softened as she fell into a peaceful slumber.
The room was eerily silent, but Jared’s heartbeats drummed in his ears. His face was painted with worry, which even he seemingly wasn’t aware of.
Coincidentally, he raised his head and saw his reflection in the mirror. Immediately, his breath was caught in his throat.
Looking at his expression, he felt strange. He had always been a cool–headed person, and the word ‘panic‘ wasn’t in his dictionary. He always wore an unflinching demeanor, even in dire circumstances, but Julia had managed to dismantle his composure repeatedly.
Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. He took off his drenched clothes and
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strode toward the closet. He grabbed a set of loose pajamas and changed into it.
Glancing at Julia, he grabbed the pink lace nightgown and helped her put it on.
However, when his fingers brushed against her feverish body, he unknowingly gulped, making his Adam’s apple bob. Instantly, he felt his lower abdomen heat up as if there was a ball of fire burning inside him. A certain appendage on his lower body stood up as if it wanted to burst out of his pants. He had always been proud of his self–control, but Julia slowly melted the ice around his heart.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his surging desire and looked away.
“Cold…” Julia murmured, instinctively seeking comfort by embracing the warmth around her. Despite the hardness of the pillow she held, it was warm and comfortable, making her sleep peacefully until dawn.
Jared was caught off guard as Julia snuggled in his arms, but he didn’t push her away. He watched her until he fell asleep.
The following day, when Julia woke up, Jared was already gone.
Perplexed, she glanced at the discarded syringe in the trash can, her mind racing as she tried to piece together the events from the previous night.
“Did I administer this injection myself?” She pondered, her gaze fixed on the syringe.
‘Could it be my fever was too high, so I can’t remember anything?‘ she thought.
Thinking she had indeed managed to inject herself while in such a state, she couldn’t help but feel her luck was good.
At that moment, a sudden knock sounded, making her snap out of her thoughts.
“Are you up, Julia? Breakfast is ready,” Conrad said.
“Yes, I’ll come out right away!” she replied, then trotted to the door. Just as she was about to twist the knob, she stopped and frowned.
Suddenly, what happened last night replayed in her mind. Although her recollection was somewhat hazy, she was certain that the one who had administered the injection wasn’t her but Jared!
Realizing this, a sense of embarrassment coursed through her body. She clenched her fist in annoyance, but after some thought, Julia felt somehow guilty.
Jared gave her medicine out of kindness. Plus, he didn’t do anything more, even though she was unconscious. Other than that, she almost drowned him, to death, but he still took care of her.
Sighing, she comforted herself, “I’ll just think it’s a dream.”
With that in mind, Julia headed to the dining hall and sat down in front of her brother.
Conrad smiled and finally began eating. After a while, he kept glancing at Julia, seemingly wanting to say something but didn’t know where to start.
“What’s the matter? Do you have something to say?” Julia asked after noticing his weird glances.
After a brief silence, Conrad put down the cutlery and finally broke his silence. “There are only two days left until Carter’s wedding. I bet you have heard of it.”
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“Yes, I’ve known about it for a while now,” Julia nonchalantly replied.
Conrad stared at her, and his brows furrowed. Her attitude was indifferent, and her tone remained steady as if this matter had nothing to do with her.
“Have you already moved on?” he asked. His tone sounded doubtful.
Recalling Julia’s deep and unwavering love for Carter in the past, Conrad had expected a stronger emotional reaction from her. After all, no matter what he had said before, Julia had persistently clung to her affection for Carter. So, he found it difficult to believe that his sister could let go so effortlessly.
“I’m putting it behind me,” Julia responded, her words interspersed with bites of food. Taking a deep breath, she continued, “But on the 18th, I’ll attend his wedding to return the favor.”
A cold glint flitted into her eyes as she spat, “I’ll talk to Carter to get a clean breakup.” “Are you serious about this?” Conrad worriedly asked.
Julia understood the concerns that weighed on his mind, so she comforted him, “Brother, rest assured. I’ve thought it through, and I won’t chicken out this time. I want a clean break.”
A helpless sigh escaped from his lips when he saw his sister’s determined expression. She had always been stubborn, and he knew no matter what he said, he wouldn’t be able to sway her decision.
However, knowing her deep love for Carter, Conrad was worried that Julia would change her mind after seeing him at his wedding.
Feeling torn, Conrad felt he needed to follow her. If Carter considered Julia a nuisance and caused her harm, he would step in to shield her from him.
“By the way, I remember you said you’d start your business today.” Julia shifted the topic. She smiled and said, “Actually, I’ve already found an assistant for you. Guess who it is.”
“Who?” Conrad wondered. Looking at Julia’s bright smile, he had the illusion that she had poached talent from a prominent company.
“Well, you’ll meet him later.” Julia grinned.
Despite his curiosity, Conrad didn’t continue to probe. He trusted her judgment, so he would accept it no matter who it was.
Later that day, Julia and Conrad were in the living room. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Julia glanced at the clock and saw it was two in the afternoon. She turned to her brother and exclaimed, “He’s here. You can now see him yourself.”
On seeing her knowing gaze, Conrad’s curiosity reached the roof. Without a word, he strode toward the door and opened it.
The moment he saw the person outside, Carson froze. His pupils dilated as he thought, ‘How could it be him?!”
