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A second chance for the CEO
Chapter 14
Nathan lightly pulled back the blanket covering the patient, revealing the injury on her back.
He frowned and let go of the blanket.
At that moment, Stella began to stir, slowly regaining consciousness. In a daze, she opened her eyes but couldn’t clearly see who was in front of her.
‘Where’s… Liam…?”
‘Grandma asked someone to take him home.”
She didn’t need to see who was speaking; from the tone of the voice, Stella already knew who it was.
As she began to recall what had happened earlier–when Nathan stepped in, pulling her mother away and unexpectedly rescuing her -Stella felt a twinge of amusement.
She tried to smile, but the anesthetic’s effect was wearing off, and every movement brought pain.
Nathan’s eyes remained fixed on her. Stella noticed his expression as he pulled a chair closer to her bedside.
“Your mother was ready to beat you to death. Why didn’t you run or try to avoid it?” His tone carried frustration. “You just knelt there and let her hit you. Are you stupid?”
In such a situation, Stella could have easily avoided the blows, yet she remained silent and still.
“She wasn’t going to beat me to death…” Stella’s soft voice broke the silence.
Nathan remembered the scene vividly–Fernanda’s eyes had a crazed look, far from normal. Even more absurd was Jorge’s indifference. The other daughter of the family had hidden upstairs while Jorge sat reading the newspaper as if nothing was
happening.
“Stella, has your mother always been like this? Is that why everyone in that house acted so calmly?” He pieced things together quickly, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
‘She’s much better these days,” Stella replied, pressing her lips together without directly answering.
Nathan, perceptive as ever, quickly understood the weight of her words.
“When did she start behaving this way?”
Stella knew he was asking about her mother, but it felt odd for Nathan to take an interest in her affairs. Even so, she had no desire to share details about Fernanda’s condition, especially not with the man in front of her.
‘She only acts like that when she feels insecure…” Stella lifted her head with great effort and met his gaze. “You can go home now.
Thank you for today. I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you? Stella, why didn’t you tell me earlier that if I didn’t attend that dinner, your mother would beat you to death?” Nathan’s irritations palpable.
Stella” had always known Nathan had a sharp tongue, especially with her, so she was used to it by now.
Still, I need to thank Mr. Collins for showing up, even if it was after the fact.
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Chapter 14
“Mr. Collins?” Nathan raised aft eyebrow. So you like calling your huband that?”
“Husband Stella chuckled, finding it amusing. It was the first time he had ever heard that word come from Nathan’s lips. “But aren’t you the one who reminds me of my place? That this title of wife, or Mrs. Collins, doesn’t belong to me?”
Nathan placed both hands on the headboard and suddenly leaned in lose, his arrogance dominating the space between them.
“And since when do you listen to my words, Stella?”
As they were so close, their breaths mingled and intertwined.
Stella wasn’t used to being this near to him, so she immediately packed. With the little strength she had left, she raised her hands to push him away. But the movement tugged at the wounds on her back, causing such pain that she wanted to cry out.
“If you don’t want to hurt yourself, don’t move recklessly. Nathan pressed her shoulders back onto the bed, and Stella endured the pain as she pushed his hand away.
“I want to rest. You can go home now.”
“My grandmother told me to stay here tonight and take care of you.”
“There’s no need. I can take care of myself.”
“Okay then, take care of yourself!” Nathan’s lips tightened as he spoke coldly. He grabbed his car keys from the coffee table and left.
Stella knew he didn’t want to be there, so there was no reason to continue pretending.
Now, all she could do was lie on her stomach to sleep. However, maintaining that position for too long made her body go numb. Fearing that moving would tear her wound, she stayed still, closed her eyes, and let sleep take over.
She was exhausted–utterly, completely exhausted.
Nathan stepped into his car, inserted the key into the ignition, but didn’t start it. Instead, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit
one.
Thinking about Stella’s attitude earlier left him in a foul mood. But when he reflected on it, he questioned, What connection do I even have to her problems? Why should I care?
He opened the car window and sat there for a long time. In the end, he didn’t go home. When he glanced at the clock, he realized it was already early morning.
He returned to Stella’s room, where she had fallen asleep, still lying in the same position as when he left.
During the night, Stella’s sleep was far from peaceful. The pain in her back made her wake up repeatedly. At six in the morning, she slowly sat up and stood, trying to find her way to turn on the light in the dark room.
Suddenly, the room lit up. She squinted, trying to see who had turned on the light. That’s when she noticed Nathan sitting on the sofa, staring at her.
She froze.
Hadn’t he gone home last night? Did he sleep on the sofa all night?
“What are you…”
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Chapter 14
His face looked tired, likely from spending the entire night on the sea without proper rest. Stella felt the atmosphere between them grow strange. Though they were husband and wife, in reality, they were nothing more than strangers.
If not for Liam, they probably wouldn’t have any connection in this fe.
As she silently thought this over, she noticed Nathan had risen from the sofa and was walking toward her. He stopped in front of her, and instinctively, she stepped back.
Nathan placed a hand on her waist, careful to avoid her wound, but firmly enough to keep her from retreating.
His eyes locked onto her delicate face.
“Stella, am I such a dangerous and threatening beast?”
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