Chapter 266 Fever
Chapter 266 Fever
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She went back to the White family and tried with everything in her to be good. She kept her head down, worked hard, and tried to blend into their lives as though she belonged there.
She wanted so badly for her parents and relatives to accept her. She treated it like it was her adoptive parents‘ final wish, and she couldn’t bear the thought of her grandmother, so far away in Baytree, lying awake with worry.
But no matter how much blood tied them together, her presence never warmed the White family’s hearts.
They didn’t deserve her.
And still, she wondered if her real parents would be upset or disappointed that things had turned out this way.
In her haze, Anneliese thought she saw them again. She saw her parents reaching out, their hands gentle, their touch soft against her hair. She heard their voices speaking to her, warm and soothing, the way they had when she was a child.
“Anne, don’t cry. It’s okay. Everything will be okay…”
As her mind swam back toward the surface, she felt the undeniable warmth of an embrace. Peace wrapped around her like a blanket.
Her arms rose on instinct, clinging to the figure holding her. She pressed her cheek against that solid chest, nuzzling into it with a desperate need for comfort.
“Mom…”
Her voice trembled with longing and buried hurt.
The arms around her suddenly stiffened. The response she craved never came. No soft caress, no tender reassurance.
She rubbed her cheek against the chest again, unwilling to accept it. At last, a hand came down lightly against her back in a gesture that tried to mimic comfort.
The sting in her nose built until tears slid freely down her cheeks. She held tighter and whispered, broken, “Mom, I’m sorry…”
She buried herself closer into the embrace, but her body went rigid. Something felt wrong. Why was her mother’s chest so hard?
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Chapter 266 Fever
Did someone steal her mother’s chest?
“Do you like touching it that much?”
Her hand was caught in a grip that locked her in place.
The words came from above, deep and husky.
A voice she knew far too well.
Jonathan.
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Her eyes flew open. He stood before her in a black satin shirt, the fabric damp, pulled crooked and wrinkled.
Several buttons had been ripped open, and her hand had slipped right into the gap. Her fingers dug firmly against the hard muscle of his chest.
She hadn’t even shaken off her daze before his low, smooth voice fell again.
“Baby, you’re hurting your mom.”
Her entire body jolted.
She yanked her hand away as though she had touched fire, scrambling upright.
But in her panic, her hand caught on the shirt and tugged hard. And of course, another awkward event happened.
The sound of fabric giving way filled the air. Two more buttons flew loose, and the shirt sagged
open.
His chest and stomach came into view, every line sharp, every plane of muscle carved as if from stone.
Heat consumed her face. She threw her hands up in front of her, shaking them uselessly, her entire body on fire.
“I… I need to use the bathroom!”
Her eyes darted everywhere but at him. She hung her head low.
She clung to the excuse like it was the only rope thrown her way, shoved the blanket aside, and stumbled to run.
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Chapter 266 Fever
She had forgotten how weak she still was. Her body had been out for too long.
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The moment her feet hit the floor, her legs crumpled beneath her like overcooked pasta. Her eyes shut tight as the ground rushed toward her.
But a strong arm wrapped swiftly around her waist, pulling her back.
The world tilted as Jonathan scooped her up, one arm firm around her middle, the other sliding under her thighs.
She clung to him on reflex. Her legs locked around his waist, her arms wound tight around his neck, her cheek pressing hotly into his shoulder.
“Baby, let me take you to the bathroom. I’m your mom, after all.”
His voice dipped low into her ear, laced with amusement.
He carried her forward with steady, deliberate steps.
The way he held her, paired with his words, made it feel as though he were mocking her, playing out some absurd role of a parent escorting a child.
Her entire body screamed with humiliation. Anger and shame twisted inside her so fiercely she thought she might faint again.
Thankfully, he set her down gently on the closed lid of the toilet. His hand brushed the top of her head in a light pat before he turned and stepped out.
She covered her burning face with both hands. She sat there for what felt like forever, but the image of his bare chest blazed inside her head, refusing to fade.
Her palm still felt the ghost of his warmth, and she snatched it back like it carried a brand.
“I called the doctor. Don’t stay in there too long.”
A soft knock on the door followed his calm reminder.
Her teeth pressed into her lip. Her reply came muffled.
“I know…”
She listened as his footsteps receded and a door shut. He must have left.
Her racing heart eased little by little.
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Chapter 266 Fever
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When she finally gathered herself, she cracked the door open to peek out. The room beyond was sleek and private, every corner spotless. A single–patient luxury hospital suite.
It was empty.
She slipped out quietly and climbed back into the hospital bed just as the doctor entered with
a nurse.
Jessica followed right behind them, her face drawn with worry.
“Finally! You’ve been out cold for an entire day and night. Do you see this? You’ve even put wrinkles on my forehead! My frown wouldn’t unravel!”
12:10 Thu, Sep 18
