CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: YOUR TEARS BREAK MY HEART

Housekeeper Wallace nodded. "Yes, Sir came back this morning. He saw that you were asleep and didn’t want to wake you. He’s in the study right now."

Upon hearing this, Chloe Preston turned and immediately ran toward the study. Outside the door, she reached out and knocked.

"Come in."

After receiving a response, Chloe Preston opened the door and walked in gently.

Donovan Xavier was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, tall and imposing. His dark eyes silently watched the torrential rain outside as he held a cigarette, smoke swirling around it. He looked quite aloof, with a hint of loneliness about him.

Hearing a slight noise, he turned his head, his gaze meeting a pair of eyes as clear as water. Donovan Xavier paused for a second before a small smile graced his lips. "You’re awake?"

He then extinguished the cigarette in his hand and walked over.

Chloe Preston caught the faint smell of tobacco on him.

"Why are you smoking?" She remembered he wasn’t much of a smoker.

Donovan Xavier wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling her close. A playful smile tugged at his lips. "You don’t like it?"

"It’s bad for your lungs," Chloe Preston said.

Donovan Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Oh? As long as it’s not bad for my kidneys."

Chloe Preston’s beautiful face immediately flushed, and she gave him a playful glare. "You’re always so improper."

Donovan Xavier lowered his head until his nose brushed against hers, his lips curling as he said with a hoarse laugh, "Improper men are more likely to attract women."

Chloe Preston looked at him, then stood on her tiptoes and reached out to tidy his slightly tousled hair. Her voice was soft and gentle. "I’ve only not seen you for a day, how have you gotten so thin and tired..."

Donovan Xavier’s dark eyes were deep and intense. He leaned closer, his cool lips gently nibbling on her earlobe. "Does your heart ache for me?"

"Mhm."

"Then later, will you let me... replenish myself properly?"

Chloe Preston smacked his arm forcefully. "Dream on!"

Donovan Xavier felt a flash of pain and couldn’t suppress a soft wince.

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing."

Noticing the sudden change in his expression, Chloe Preston reached out to roll up his sleeve.

Donovan Xavier stopped her. "I said it’s nothing."

"If it’s nothing, why won’t you let me see?" she challenged, forcefully rolling up his sleeve. The sight that met her eyes was a forearm wrapped in white gauze, already stained crimson with blood.

"How did you get this wound?" Chloe Preston looked up at him, her own eyes instantly reddening.

Donovan Xavier smiled lazily, his tone deceptively casual. "I was careless and got cut by a knife. It’s nothing serious."

What does he mean, ’cut by a knife’? What does he mean, ’nothing serious’? A wound this deep must be incredibly painful. And this bandage is completely inadequate; not only is it failing to stop the bleeding, but it could easily get infected.

Biting her lip, Chloe Preston turned and ran out of the room without a word. She returned a moment later carrying a first-aid kit. She walked up to Donovan, forcefully pulled him down into the executive chair, opened the kit, and took out some ointment. Then, she carefully began to remove the blood-stained gauze from his forearm.

Donovan Xavier’s brow furrowed in pain, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Chloe Preston remained silent. She picked up the ointment, dipped a cotton swab into it, and began applying it bit by bit. Her touch was anything but gentle.

Donovan Xavier watched her quietly, a low chuckle in his voice. "A little gentler. It hurts."

Chloe Preston didn’t even glance at him. Her eyes were red as she spoke with a hint of temper, "It’s good that it hurts. Maybe it’ll teach you a lesson."

That way, he won’t let himself get hurt so easily next time.

As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"Are you crying?" Donovan Xavier suddenly asked.

Chloe Preston lowered her eyes, her voice firm. "No."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Donovan Xavier grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace, settling her onto his lap. He reached out, his warm, rough thumb gently stroking the corner of her eye. "Your eyes are so red, and you still say you’re not crying?"

Chloe Preston pushed his hand away. "I just got some dust in my eye."

"Miss Quinn, you really are stubborn," Donovan Xavier said. He reached out and pulled her back again, leaning close to blow gently on her eye. "You said you got dust in it, so I’ll blow it out for you. Does that feel better?"

His tone was so affectionate it made her heart skip a beat.

Chloe Preston’s thick eyelashes fluttered slightly.

She slid off his lap and found the gauze in the first-aid kit. As she carefully bandaged his arm, she took shuddering breaths, fighting to hold back the tears.

Watching her, Donovan Xavier’s heart clenched. He raised his other hand to stroke her hair. "I’ll be more careful next time. I’ll try not to get hurt again."

Chloe Preston looked up and glared at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "You’re still thinking about a ’next time’? And you say you’ll ’try’? You are not allowed to get hurt again. I forbid it!"

Donovan Xavier patiently soothed her. "Alright, there will be absolutely no next time, okay?"

"Don’t cry. Your tears make my heart ache."

Chloe Preston wiped away her tears and huffed. "If there is a next time, I won’t take care of you. I’ll just let your wound get infected."

"You can’t do that," Donovan said, suddenly anxious. He tightened his grip on her waist. "If you stop caring about me, who else will worry?"

Chloe Preston ignored him. After she finished carefully bandaging his arm, she looked him up and down. "Tell me the truth. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No," Donovan Xavier replied.

Chloe Preston was skeptical.

She reached out, pulled off his black suit jacket, and then began to undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one.

Donovan Xavier’s breath hitched, his voice growing hoarse. "What are you doing?"

"Taking off your clothes," Chloe Preston replied simply.

Donovan Xavier’s eyes widened slightly as he raised an eyebrow. "What’s gotten into you? So bold today?"

Chloe Preston shot him a soft glare, her pretty face puffing up with frustration. "I don’t believe you. I have to check for myself to see if you’re hurt anywhere else!"

"Fine. Be my guest." Donovan Xavier leaned back comfortably in the executive chair, his eyelids half-lowered, a lazy smile playing on his handsome face.

Chloe Preston undid the rest of the buttons and pushed his shirt open, her hands roaming over his body to check for injuries. Donovan Xavier remained perfectly still.

Seeing that he was otherwise unscathed, she withdrew her hands and let out a soft sigh of relief. "Good, there are no other injuries."

"How did your arm get cut?" she asked. "And you’d better tell me the truth. Don’t you dare lie to me about a single thing."

Donovan Xavier didn’t answer her. Instead, he pulled her hand back and pressed it against his chest. He chuckled softly. "All done with your inspection?"

Chloe Preston nodded. "Yes."

Donovan Xavier frowned slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I’m sure," Chloe Preston answered firmly.

But Donovan Xavier shook his head. "I don’t think your inspection was very thorough. You’re a doctor, Miss Quinn. You should be professional. An examination should be comprehensive."

"Every nook and cranny ought to be checked carefully."