Chapter 19

Arabella's POV I was jolted awake by pain. My breath came in short gasps, and I let out a muffled groan through the oxygen mask, desperate to move. Jasper’s hand was still tightly holding mine, his body slumped beside the bed as he rested. Sensing my movements and hearing my groan, he quickly stirred awake, sat up, pressed the call button, and then leaned over to gently touch my head. His voice was filled with urgency. "What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Is it your wound?" I managed to nod, my mind still hazy, craving sleep. The mask fogged up with my breath. Jasper’s hand stroked my head soothingly, as if comforting a child. "Don’t worry, I’m here. I’m here." A doctor and nurse quickly entered, ready to examine me. “Boss, could you please release the patient’s hand? Can you keep a bit of distance from her?” Cameron’s face darkened as he looked at the two of us, practically glued together. Jasper pressed his lips together, his response firm. “No, she’ll be scared. Let’s just do the examination this way. She says she’s in pain—could the anesthetic have worn off?” Cameron, seeing Jasper’s determination, didn’t argue. He stepped forward to check my condition and replaced the oxygen mask with a nasal cannula. "There’s no major issue. The anesthetic has simply worn off. Pain is expected," Cameron said, finishing his check-up and slipping his hands into his lab coat pockets. “She’s in so much pain!” Jasper said, his fingers brushing the sweat on my forehead as he snapped at Cameron, unable to keep his frustration in check. Cameron apologized. “It’s unavoidable, but if she can bear it, it’s better. Painkillers aren’t ideal in the long run. You could try distracting her, keep her mind off the pain.” Jasper fell silent for a long moment before nodding in agreement. Dr. Taylor, along with the nurse, finally turned and left the room. I was in a daze, feeling like a child. “It hurts…” Jasper could only continue to comfort me. "It’s okay, just bear with it. It’ll pass. It won’t hurt much longer." I almost felt like I might cry, my brow furrowing. “Want me to tell you a story?” Jasper asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious, as though he’d turned into a nagging old woman. “What should I tell you? How about that house?” “That house... I always planned to take you there. For a vacation, a getaway, or maybe when we’re older, we could live there,” Jasper said, gently rubbing my forehead, trying to smooth away my frown. “I want to take you to watch the sunrise, to see the ocean, feed the pigeons at the square, take evening walks, read under a tree…” Jasper sighed. “There are so many things I want to do with you.” “But why did you betray me? Wasn’t I good enough to you?” Jasper’s lips pressed into a tight line as he flicked my brow playfully. “You bad girl. I’m not being conceited, but honestly, I’m better than those other men.” After his self-praise, he actually felt a little shy and cleared his throat, continuing, “When you wake up, when you’re better, if you’re still willing, can we go back to how we were before?” He looked down at me, his eyes soft. “Forget it, you won’t remember this anyway. We’ll talk about it when you wake up.” As his deep, magnetic voice and gentle words lulled me, I drifted back to sleep. Jasper smiled as he watched me sleep, whispering, “Goodnight.” Then, he leaned over the bed beside me, his exhaustion finally catching up with him as he too fell into a deep sleep. Morning The sunlight poured through the window. I slowly opened my eyes. I had slept for so long that I felt a bit sluggish. A glance at the dark shape next to the bed nearly made me scream, but as I focused, I realized it was Jasper. He was right beside me, leaning forward, his head tilted to the side as he slept. One of his hands was still tightly clasped around mine, holding on firmly. I dared not move. I thought to myself, he must have been very tired last night. Bored, I began to watch Jasper as he slept, my gaze tracing every inch of his face. His strong brows, long eyelashes, the faint dark circles beneath his eyes from lack of rest, his nose straight as a knife’s edge, and his slightly pursed, beautiful lips... Honestly, he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. I noticed a faint stubble emerging on his chin, which was hard to believe. He was usually such a clean person, his chin was always spotless. But it still looked good on him. Unable to resist, I reached out with my other hand to touch his chin. Before my hand could even reach it, I met his suddenly opened eyes. They weren’t clear, still somewhat hazy, bloodshot, and full of fatigue. He looked at me, his eyes clear but with a hint of panic, and smiled at the corners of his lips. “What are you trying to do?” I slowly retracted my hand, trying to act casual. “Nothing. I just saw a bug flying earlier.” Jasper’s smile widened. “Mm.” He sat up, pulled his hand away from mine, and placed the back of his hand on my forehead to check my temperature. I couldn’t deny it—when his hand left mine, I felt a pang of disappointment. For a moment, I wanted to hold onto it and never let go. “Your temperature is normal. Does the wound still hurt?” Jasper stood and pressed the bell to call the nurse for her routine check-up. I shook my head. Jasper adjusted the blanket over me, then turned to open the door, speaking to the bodyguard standing outside with a few orders before returning to my bedside. “You should stick to soft foods for now. I’ll have Leonardo arrange for the kitchen to prepare something for you.” Jasper pats my head before walking to the window to gaze outside. “The sun’s up. When you’re able to get out of bed, I’ll take you for a walk.” I nod, realizing he can’t see my gesture since he’s facing away from me, so I murmur a response, “Mm.” He looks out the window, and I watch him. We don’t speak, but there’s a quietly warm and peaceful atmosphere in the room. This is the scene the nurse walks in on. Mr. Jasper, hands in his pockets, his chiseled profile like a sculpture, bathed in sunlight, looking almost as if he’s glowing. His beautiful wife, silently gazing at his back, her eyes full of longing and tenderness. The nurse smiles faintly, her lips pressed together. As perfect as the moment is, she knows she must break the silence. “Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Jasper. I’m here to check on Mrs. Hawthorne.” Jasper turns back to face her, walking toward the bed. “Please, go ahead.” I’ve been cooperating, but when I see the syringe in the nurse's hand, I can’t help but tremble. Ever since I was injected with those unclear drugs during that auction, I’ve developed a kind of reflexive fear and disgust toward syringes. “Nurse... Do I really have to get an injection? Can’t I just take the medicine?” I swallow and give a forced laugh. Jasper looks at my frightened expression and recalls how weak and unconscious I was after the drugs were injected into me at the underground auction. His brows furrow in concern. It seems that experience left quite a mark on her. “Mrs. Hawthorne, please cooperate. We want you to recover as soon as possible,” the nurse says, her smile professional, but her tone firm. I pout, holding back a sigh, and take a deep breath, though my body still trembles slightly. Jasper sighs, steps forward, and gently wraps his arms around me, his warm hand covering my eyes. “Just don’t look. I’m right here with you, don’t be afraid.” As he feels me relax just a little, he raises his chin, signaling the nurse to hurry up. The nurse understands his cue, quickly disinfects, and inserts the needle into my skin, slowly pushing the medicine in. As the needle pierces my skin, I flinch, and Jasper immediately holds me, soothing me. “It’s okay, it’s over now.” I take a deep breath, my body finally relaxing. It feels so good, having him here with me.