Caroline’s POV:
I couldn’t tell if he was awake or asleep, so I asked, "Are you awake?"
"Yep," Charles replied in a nasal voice.
He paused for a moment until he slowly opened his eyes.
It was obvious that he was feeling very uncomfortable.
Charles’ eyes were a bit misty, which made him look befuddled.
Even so, he still smiled at me the moment he saw me.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
My heart ached for him.
Instead of answering his question, I said, "You have a fever, Charles.You should go to the hospital."
He didn’t respond to my suggestion and just chuckled at me.
I felt really bad for him, and I was worried for his health.And when he smiled at me, I got annoyed a
little.
"Charles, you’re burning up.How can you laugh at a time like this? Why don’t you go to a doctor? Are
you a child or something?"
"Fine… fine.I’m going to the hospital right away," he said.
I was actually surprised that he obeyed me.
It made me wonder why Amy was unsuccessful in convincing him.
Out of the blue, Charles added, "But you have to come with me."
For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond.
Then, I said to him, "Just take Amy with you.She’s really worried about you."
"Aren’t you worried about me too?"
Charles was looking at me like he wanted to see through me.
In all honesty, I was sad about this.I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried about him.
"I’m gonna tell Amy to come in here and take you to the hospital," I said.
Just as I was about to stand up, he asked, "Did Edward prohibit you from ever seeing me again?"
"Huh?"
I was confused by the sudden change of the subject.
Charles leaned against the back of the chair, gazing into my very soul.
"Simon said it over the phone last night."
Only then did it dawn on me that Charles was the one who answered Simon’s call for me last night.
Now I understood why I saw the call log this morning but didn’t remember talking to him at all.
"Dad wants me to get together with Simon." I decided to just tell Charles the truth.
"Tell him never to call you in the middle of the night again.It’ll cause a misunderstanding," said Charles.
"It’s fine.I’ll explain what happened last night to Simon," I answered.
"I meant for myself."
Charles locked eyes with me and added, "I might misunderstand your relationship with him."
His words moved me, but I couldn’t say anything for a time.
Just then, we heard a knock on the door.I gathered my composure and stood up from his lap.
"Come in," Charles commanded.
Amy opened the door and walked in.
She was staring at me with curiosity.
Clearly, she was asking if I had convinced Charles to go to the hospital.I nodded in response, causing
her to sigh with relief.
"Get the car ready,"
Charles ordered while closing the folder on the desk.
Amy nodded in response before walking out of the office.
Then, I followed Charles into the elevator.
It looked like he was getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute.He was rubbing his temples
from time to time.
"Are you okay?" I asked, unable to resist it any longer.
Charles glanced over at me and asked, "Do I look okay?"
"Do you feel dizzy?" I asked back.
"A little," he said.
I moved closer towards him and suggested, "If you’re feeling dizzy, come lean on my shoulder."
Charles didn’t respond.
Confused, I turned my gaze towards him and saw that his reddened face was right before my eyes.
He then turned around, putting one hand on the wall of the elevator and locking me between the wall
and his muscular chest.
Before I could say a word, he raised my chin using his fingers and kissed me passionately.
The warmth of his lips almost incinerated my reasoning.
My body trembled with pleasure.
Instinctively, I tightened my grip on my purse.
Charles was adept at this stuff.
He could easily make me lose my mind.I tried my best to remain sane and put my hand on his
shoulder, intending to push him away.
But before I could do so, he started kissing me softer little by little.
And the warmth of his lips became even hotter.
"This isn’t right.Something is definitely wrong!’ The following moment, his lips slid away from mine.
Not a second later, Charles fell forward.
"Charles!"
I wrapped my hands around his waist to support him.
It seemed that he had passed out.
Soon, the elevator reached the garage.
When the elevator door finally opened, I saw that Amy was already waiting outside.
She was also shocked to see that I was holding Charles up.
"He passed out.Take him to the hospital at once!" I said anxiously.
Amy and I hobbled Charles into the car and let him lie flat on the backseat.
Once Amy was sure that Charles was settled down on the seat, she said to me, "Mrs.Moore, please
take the front seat."
I pondered for a second and shook my head.
"You need to take him to the hospital now.I’m not going."
Amy nodded in response before heading into the car.I was really worried and I wanted to say
something.
But in the end, I couldn’t say a word.
I just watched as the car turned to a corner, leave the parking lot, and completely disappear from my
sight.I stood there for a time until I finally decided to walk out of the garage, dragging my feet.
That night, I was having a hard time falling asleep.
The thought of Charles’ frail appearance during the day made me feel worried about him.
Finally, I got up and left the house quietly without waking Elena up.
As I stood in front of the inpatient building of the hospital, i felt a little timid.
Just then, my phone rang.
"Where are you?"
Charles’ voice was hoarse, and it sounded much gentler in the quietness of the night.
"Downstairs of the hospital," I answered.
"Come on in.I’m in room 2009."
Then, he hung up the phone.
Soon, I reached the ward.I knocked first before entering.
But to my surprise, there was nobody inside.
‘Isn’t he supposed to be here?’ I took a look around, but he was nowhere to be found.
"If I hadn’t called you, you’re not going to come up here, are you?"
I suddenly heard Charles’ voice from behind me.
Startled, I turned around at once.He was wearing a hospital gown.He had his hands in his pockets,
looking down at me with a gloomy expression.
"Where have you been hiding?" I asked.
"I’ve been on the balcony this whole time," Charles said, gesturing towards the direction of the balcony.
‘Now I get it" I remarked inwardly.
It was dark outside, so I didn’t notice him from where I was standing inside the room.
Upon seeing how worn he was, my heart broke.
"What happened to you? Is it serious? What did the doctor say? How long will you be staying in the
hospital?"
Charles chuckled at me.
"Whoa, take it easy! You’ve got so many questions.Which one would you like me to answer first?"
I looked back at him and suggested, "Answer them in order one by one."
But then, he just smiled at me and didn’t answer.
Instead, he took a step closer towards me.He towered over me, causing me to feel nervous.
I wanted to back away, but the door was right behind me, closed.
There was no room for me to retreat.
Thus, I straightened myself, and looked him dead in the eye.
"Why are you standing so close to me?"
Charles was staring right at me.
His eyes were like a gigantic net, trapping me and making it difficult for me to breathe.
"Who are you to me? Why should I even answer your questions?"
His words were like a hammer, driving a mighty nail to my chest.
As I looked into his eyes, I felt only bitterness.
In the end, I averted my gaze from him.
I pursed my lips and said, "In that case, I’m leaving."
I turned around and reached for the doorknob, attempting to leave.
But the second I made a move, he held my waist.I was shocked.
The very next second, he carried me and threw me onto the bed behind us.
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