Chapter 258
With the luggage finally unpacked and everyone settled in after the long flight, evening had fallen over M Country. A soft knock broke the quiet in Adam’s suite. Thomas, who’d just finished arranging tomorrow’s files, headed to answer.
Natalie stood in the hallway looking fresh despite the long flight. He smile could’ve lit up the room.
“Dr. Snow?” Thomas kept his face blank, a skill perfected from years of keeping unwanted visitors at bay.
Natalie peered around him. “Hoping to grab dinner with Mr. Haven. he free?” Her voice hit that sweet spot between friendly and professional.
Behind that perfect smile, Natalie had spent an hour pulling herself together. The elevator meltdown was a mistake. Havens liked cool heads, not emotional outbursts. Time to be the doctor Sophia had handpicked–the one Adam should want.
Adam looked up from his laptop. “Thanks for the invitation, but I’ve already ordered in. His voice was polite but cool, like talking to a distant cousin. “You heading down or staying in? I can have something sent to your room if you want.”
Natalie’s smile stayed put despite the tiny flinch in her eyes. She switched tactics smoothly. “What about your treatment? I thought we’d stick to the nightly routine.”
“Irene’s handling it tonight,” Adam replied.
Natalie barely skipped a beat. “Mind if I watch? Professional curiosity. Could learn something new.”
Adam thought for a moment, then nodded once. “If Irene’s okay with it, I don’t mind.”
After dinner, which Irene and Adam ate in comfortable quiet while trading occasional notes about tomorrow’s meetings, Irene began setting up her gear. Her hands moved with the ease of someone who could do this in their sleep.
Natalie sat nearby, her face changing from interested observer to barely hidden surprise as she watched Irene work.
Adam settled back, visibly changing before their eyes. The permanent worry line between his brows faded, his shoulders dropped–a side of him few people ever saw.
“Wait,” Natalie suddenly cut in, leaning forward. “That’s right on a nerve cluster. You sure about that?”
Irene didn’t even blink, continuing her work without pause.
Adam subtly shook his head at Natalie–a quiet but clear back off that needed no words. His eyes stayed locked on Irene with complete trust.
They fell into a rhythm that looked almost practiced–Irene adjusting a setting, Adam shifting before she could ask, him handing her tools before she reached for them. They moved like dance partners who knew each other’s next step.
“That’s way too high!” Natalie’s voice jumped as she stared at the screen. “You could damage the surrounding area!”
“She knows what she’s doing,” Adam said, his voice calm but final. Don’t interrupt.”
Natalie’s mouth snapped shut, clearly thrown by his tone.
As the treatment hit its key phase, Irene’s focus deepened, her breathing steady as she made quick adjustments. The room fell quiet
except for the soft hum of machines.
“Stop!” Natalie half–stood, composure cracking. “This is dangerous! One slip and his legs could be permanently damaged!”
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Irene’s hands finally stilled. She turned slowly, giving Natalle a look at could freeze water.
“Could you please shut up? The words weren’t loud, but they hit ha. “Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean others cant. How would you feel if so one talked over you while you worked? Can’t you show even basic respect?”
Adam’s eyes bounced between them, the corner of his mouth lifting lightly. If support had a shape, his would’ve been a mountain
at Irene’s back.
Natalie’s cheeks flushed in uneven patches. She sat rigid, watching one’s work with new eyes. Despite herself, she couldn’t deny how skilled the other woman was. Worse still was how Adam looked at Irene–with a trust Natalie realized she might never earn.
When they finished, Irene packed away her things methodically, each item in its place.
Natalie stood, trying to gather her dignity. “Your methods are… different, Dr. Sterling. Hope they work, or the fallout could be
serious,”
“Thanks for the concern,” Irene replied without looking up, voice flat with tiredness. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
Natal lingered a moment too long before leaving, her final glance filled with feelings she couldn’t quite hide.
The door clicked shut. Adam and Irene were alone now. Through the windows, city lights twinkled below like fallen stars. The room smelled faintly of Adam’s cologne mixed with the clean scent of Irene’s equipment.
Irene snapped her case shut. “Don’t skip your bath tonight. Extra important after what we just did.” She zipped her bag, still
avoiding his eyes. “Get some sleep.”
“You said you’d take ‘full responsibility,” Adam said, voice hinting at something playful. “If something actually went wrong, what exactly would that mean?”
Irene’s hands froze mid–motion, making a small clinking sound. Her back straightened like someone had tapped her shoulder.
When she turned, she found his expression different–open, curious, waiting. Her throat tightened unexpectedly.
“Just something doctors say,” she managed, sounding huskier than normal. “Besides, nothing will go wrong.”
Adam’s fingers tapped against his armrest, matching the sudden quickening of her pulse. “Not very reassuring, doc.”
Was the room getting warmer? Irene smoothed her already smooth blouse, searching for professional distance that had suddenly
vanished.
“What kind of responsibility did you have in mind?” The words slipped out before she could catch them, her voice dropping lower.
Adam just watched her, saying nothing.
The silence between them felt charged, like the moment before a storm breaks. Irene felt unsteady on perfectly solid ground.
“Go take that bath,” she blurted, grabbing her last piece of equipment. “Big day tomorrow. I need to rest too.”
Adam stayed quiet as she headed for the door. “Night, Irene,” he finally said, her name soft in his mouth, like he was testing how it felt.
Her heart skipped as she mumbled “Goodnight‘ and slipped out.
The door closed softly. Adam stared at it for a long moment.
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He thought about her quick exit, the pink creeping up her neck, and smiled, Then sighed when he remembered how fast she’d left,
When will she stop running? Maybe she already knows what I’m thinking but isn’t ready to face it yet.
He moved to the window, the city spread below in a blanket of lights
His fingers tapped the armrest, counting out how long he’d need to wait before she’d stop running away.
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