32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain
Distance With Natalie
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The intimacy of the situation–the feel of her against him and the intoxicating scent that enveloped them- created a charged atmosphere in that dimly lit room that neither of them had anticipated.
Natalie held steadily onto his shoulders, intending to explain why she was there, but as soon as she moved her face back to look at him, her words died on her lips. The intensity in his gaze held her captive, and she froze, unable to say a word. Her breath quickened, and she swallowed hard, feeling an unfamiliar vulnerability in his presence.
Justin, too, felt his control slipping, the iron resolve he was so proud of wavering as he became acutely aware of every movement she made, every breath she took. The proximity, the softness of her against him, was
almost too much.
Finally, he managed to regain a control over his thoughts, his voice coming out rough and low.
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32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distance With Natalie
“Natalie,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.
Hearing her name spoken in his deep, enticing voice, she could only hum softly in response, her gaze
lingering on his face longer than it should have.
“You should be resting,” he added, his tone gentler but still firm.
The simple words broke the spell, and Natalie quickly tried to push herself away from him, but her injured ankle betrayed her once again. She groaned in pain and fell back against him before she could even move.
“S–Sorry,” she whispered, her voice strained as she pressed against his shoulder, trying to suppress the pain.
“Stay still,” Justin commanded, his voice firm yet laced with concern.
She felt his one arm wrap around her back, holding her securely, while the other moved to the back of her thighs. In one smooth motion, he lifted her slightly and adjusted himself on the couch, settling her next to him comfortably, his arm still around her as if to protect her from any further mishap,
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32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distanco With Natalie
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She felt the strength of his grip, the steady calmness in his movements, and it both reassured and unsettled her, as it felt more intimate than their previous position.
Opposite to her, Justin maintained his composure, his focus on ensuring she was settled and comfortable, even as his mind wrestled with the emotions she
stirred within him.
Embarrassed, Natalie couldn’t bring herself to meet Justin’s eyes. Her cheeks flushed with the awkwardness of the moment, as well as the inexplicable attraction she had felt.
“I… was just trying to cover you… so you wouldn’t feel cold,” she explained, her voice low and apologetic.
Justin glanced at the sheet that had slipped down from his chest to cover his lower body. He couldn’t help but feel thankful for it. In just a few moments of unintentional closeness, this woman had managed to affect him in a way he hadn’t anticipated, and thankfully, the sheet managed to hide the evidence.
She began again, her discomfort evident. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
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32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distance With Natalie
Justin cleared his throat, trying to shake off the lingering sensation of her touch. “It’s fine,” he replied, though his voice was still a bit unsteady. “Just… be careful with your foot and don’t walk around unnecessarily.”
Natalie nodded, eager to put some distance between them, she shifted a little away. “Why are you here,” she asked, trying to ease the tension between them.
“I was nearby. Instead of returning to the hotel, I came here,” he replied calmly. Standing up, he kept the sheet draped over him, his back facing her, he walked towards the door. “I’ll send a nurse to help you get back to bed,” and tossed the sheet onto a table next to the door before walking out, without turning to her
even once.
Natalie watched the door close behind him, her mind racing. ‘What’s wrong with him to leave so suddenly? Did I make him uncomfortable? Did he think I was trying to throw myself at him?‘ The thought left her feeling more embarrassed and self–conscious.
Justin stepped out of the room, instructing John, now
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32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distance With Natalie
Natalie’s bodyguard, to call for a nurse to help her. He didn’t want to risk getting closer to her, his body’s reaction to her proximity troubling him more than he
cared to admit.
How inappropriate it was–this attraction to a woman who was supposed to be his stepsister. With long
strides, he left the hospital room, as if he couldn’t wait
to escape.
He had already sent Noah home to rest, so he got into the car and drove off into the dark night. Rolling the window down, he let the cold air rush in, hoping it would cool his racing heart and heated body.
‘I should maintain my distance from her,‘ he noted, now regretting his decision to stay with her at the hospital.
In the evening, when she wished to leave but he forced her to stay in the hospital, he clearly heard her say that she hated hospitals. He understood just like him, she didn’t have good memories of being in hospital. That’s why, in the night, he returned to stay by her side to ensure she won’t feel lonely in that cold, quiet room.
32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distance With Natalie
His thoughts drifted back to when he was ten, before he was adopted into the Harper family. He had been hospitalised for a month, clinging to life, and every time he woke up, he found himself alone in a sterile, silent room. The only sounds were the rhythmic beeps of the machines attached to his body, and the silence that felt like a crushing weight.
The nurses and doctors who occasionally checked on him were brief in their interactions. No one was there to talk to him, to sit by his side, as if everyone in the world had disappeared or they had just abandoned
him.
Waking up in the middle of the night in that lonely hospital room was the worst, filling him with fear, helplessness, and a deep sense of being unwanted. That terrible time, which his young self had barely endured, had never truly left him, even if now he was a strong, powerful adult. The wounds healed but the scars still remained.
He remembered reading in Natalie’s file that she had spent many days in the hospital after nearly losing her life while drowning with her mother. He could relate to the seven–year–old girl who had lost her mother
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32 Justin’s Resolve To Maintain Distance With Natale
d spent her recovery alone in a hospital. Thinking about her family, he was sure none of them had
bothered to be there for her, perhaps except for her grandfather.
As he continued driving towards the hotel, a sigh escaped him. ‘Why do I worry so much about her? All I need to do is find her husband, resolve that matter, and then bring her back to the Harper family. Why are things getting unnecessarily complicated?
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33 Briena’s Another Plan
33 Briena’s Another Plan
The next morning, Briena received a call from her manager, Ana. Still drowsy from sleep, she answered with a frown, “Do you realize the time, Ana?”
“I’m sorry, Briena, but it’s urg
