Novel Palace
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Chapter 74 Strangers for a Lifetime
“Adrian?”
Sienna called out tentatively, but the man on the bed breathed heavily, offering no response.
She clenched her teeth, approached the bed, and lowered her head to gently lift Adrian’s shirt. Instantly, her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Was this the wound she had stabbed with her own hands?
Sienna gazed at the long, deep crimson scar, her heart feeling far from the initial satisfaction she had imagined. Instead, it weighed heavily, almost suffocating her.
Unable to meet her own gaze, she averted her eyes.
After a long while, Sienna finally gathered her resolve and reached for the iodine solution on the bedside table. With trembling hands, she continued to clean Adrian’s wound.
She didn’t know how long it took. The trash can was filled with bloodied cotton balls before Adrian’s wound finally stopped bleeding.
Sienna let out a sigh of relief, only then realizing that she had been on edge the entire time, afraid
to even take a breath.
She bit her lip, frustrated, unable to comprehend why she had allowed herself to worry and be afraid for this demon-like man before her.
Yet, the heart was unyielding to reason, and she couldn’t stop thinking whether Adrian would never wake up again, whether Adrian would lose his life because of her!
As more blood flowed, the man on the bed grew even paler, resembling a lifeless, delicate doll with perfect features, but forever devoid of human emotions.
Sienna, as she watched, suddenly felt a tinge of fear.
Adrian’s chest rose and fell so weakly, almost on the brink of disappearance.
Instinctively, she drew closer, bending down and pressing her ear against Adrian’s chest. It was only when she heard the rhythmic sound of his beating heart that she eased up.
She stood up and approached the door, knocking on it and calling out loudly, “Is anyone there? Open the door!”
Her plea was met with silence.
Helpless, Sienna took a seat on the chair beside the bed.
Being in the same room as Adrian made her instinctively tense.
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This man, even in his weakest state, exuded an undeniable presence.
An injured beast that could still tear through its prey’s throat.
Sienna traced the outline of his profile with her gaze, involuntarily recalling in her mind her first.
encounter with Adrian.
Looking back now, perhaps that was the unfortunate beginning.
This man seemed to have cast a spell on her, leading her to pursue an illusion of love and even forsake everything.
If everything could start over, she would rather have never met Adrian in her childhood and remained strangers for a lifetime.
Suddenly, the man on the bed let out a low, hoa rse groan and slowly opened his eyes.
After a moment of confusion, he abruptly turned his head and looked at Sienna, his gaze burning as he asked, “You didn’t leave?”
Sienna put on her cold mask again and replied, “Adrian, why do you bother asking when you already know?
“I don’t understand what methods you’ve come up with to tease me, torment me. I have no regrets for hurting you!”
Adrian glanced thoughtfully at the closed door, not responding to Sienna’s words.
He closed his eyes, his voice dry and hoa rse.
“I’m thirsty.”
“Since you’re the only one here, do what you’re supposed to do.”
“Feed me water.”
Sienna had originally intended to say something sarcastic, but when she saw Adrian’s weakened complexion, she uncontrollably poured a glass of water and helped Adrian sit up.
Only then did she feel the high temperature radiating from his body beneath her palm.
Her expression changed, and she blurted out, “Are you running a fever?”
Adrian remained unchanged in his expression. He lowered his head and took a sip of water from the cup Sienna held to his lips, his movements slow, and unexpectedly, a hint of reluctance surfaced in
his heart.
If only this woman could always be gentle and obedient like this, wouldn’t that be great?
Why did she always refuse to listen?
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Sienna furrowed her brows tightly. “Adrian, you’ve truly gone too far. Now, you’re willing to gamble with your own injury just to torment me!”
She couldn’t tell if her anger came from Adrian’s tyranny or her annoyance that Adrian didn’t care for his own body. “You have a fever and still won’t call for help. Do you not value. your life?!”
Adrian said heavily, “If I die, will you be happy?”
Suddenly, Sienna felt a pang in her heart. She gave a bitter smile and said, “Happy? Of course, I’ll be happy, Mr. Olson. If you were to die from a fever, it would be worth setting off fireworks for three days!”
Adrian said darkly, “Dream on if you think you can leave my side.”
The two fell into a stalemate again. Sienna sat stiffly on the bedside, hands clenched, staring at a point on the ground, determined to ignore Adrian.
After a while, a pair of warm hands reached out suddenly, grabbing her wrist firmly.
Sienna was startled and lifted her head, glaring at him. She then realized that Adrian had already closed his eyes, his face red from the fever, breathing heavily, and had fallen into a deep sleep.
But his hand still held onto hers, refusing to let go.
“Let go!”
Sienna struggled to break free, but with a forceful tug from Adrian, her entire body suddenly lost balance. Before she knew it, she was pulled onto the bed, lying in Adrian’s embrace.
“Adrian, you’re crazy!” Sienna was exasperated, but Adrian’s large hands were like iron claws, holding her tightly against his chest. Adrian’s arms also came around her.
Sienna was tightly enveloped in a cool, woody fragrance and a faint smell of blood, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
“Adrian, let me go! Look carefully, I’m not Janice!” Sienna gritted her teeth, feeling immensely humiliated.
In a half-dreaming state, Adrian leaned close to her ear and huskily whispered, “Be good, be quiet…”
Sienna was instantly stunned, losing all strength in her body as she collapsed weakly into Adrian’s embrace.
A bitter smile formed on her lips. Who was the recipient of his tenderness in this dream-like state? At this moment, she felt like a despicable thief…
After a while, drowsiness washed over her, and Sienna simply stopped pondering their current situation, sinking into slumber within Adrian’s arms.
She had expected a night plagued by nightmares, but to her surprise, there were no dreams at all. When she opened her eyes again, daylight flooded the room.
The sound from outside the door awakened them.
“You left Adrian, a patient, alone in the room for the entire night? That’s outrageous! Open the
door!”
Janice’s voice echoed, followed by the forceful opening of the door. She stood there, gaping, as she witnessed Sienna and Adrian entwined on the bed, her face contorting into a grimace of extreme
anger.
Sienna snapped back to reality and immediately pushed Adrian away, getting up to adjust her
disheveled clothes.
Janice forced a smile and asked with concern, “Adrian, how are you feeling? I was so worried about
you that I had to barge in when I found out there were no attendants here last night. Please don’t
blame me…”
She glanced timidly at Sienna. “Sienna, you’re here too. You cared for Adrian last night? I’m most
grateful…”
In her words, Janice had already assumed the role of someone close to Adrian, while Sienna was treated as nothing more than an outsider.
Sienna no longer cared about Janice’s petty tricks. After straightening her clothes, she co olly responded, “Since you’re here now, it’s for you to take care of the patient. I won’t continue to be a bother.