Chapter 359 The Secret
When Natalie returned to her bedroom, Samuel was still awake.
Even after she showered, he still hadn’t gone to bed.
“Aren’t you tired?” Natalie asked.
“I was waiting for you.” Samuel walked up to her. “Come over here, I’ll help you apply some medication.”
Natalie couldn’t help but smile.
“Mmm-hmm.”
Submitting herself, she let him lead her to the bed.
While she sat on the edge, Samuel knelt on one knee and applied some medication on the bruises that were left by Lionel when he strangled her.
Samuel’s fingers felt burning hot to her, while the cream felt icy cold.
Jolted by the sensation, Natalie recoiled by reflex.
“Don’t move,” Samuel ordered softly. The look in his eyes was both gentle and domineering at the same time. “How am I going to do this if you keep fidgeting?”
“Actually, it’s not a big deal.”
“Stop playing it down,” Samuel replied with gritted teeth. “I have never seen a woman like you that lets herself get hurt and doesn’t feel the urgency of getting treated.”
Pouting, Natalie retorted, “I just don’t like it. You can go on ahead and fall for someone else. I didn’t force you-”
The next moment, Samuel shot her a glance when he realized he didn’t have anything to counter.
Knowing that she had grasped his weakness, Natalie didn’t fear him at all.
As for him, it was difficult to fall for any other woman after being impressed by her achievements.
Not wanting to hear any more of her rants, Samuel decided to shut her up with a kiss.
Back in the hospital, Lia was already awake.
Lionel stayed by her side instead of getting one of the servants to do it.
Ever since she was awake, Lia would only eat, drink, and shower. Other than that, she barely spoke.
Lionel tried to probe why she poisoned herself and framed Natalie for it. Nonetheless, she only admitted it implicitly but refused to say anything about it.
After Lia was pulled back from the jaws of death, Lionel noticed that he had developed dirty thoughts about his “sister.”
Even though he was worried about her, he wasn’t sure how to interact with her after what happened. After all, he was fearful that she would find out what was on his mind.
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the ward’s door.
“Come in.”
The moment the door opened, Yara entered with a bouquet of white lilies.
“Lia, it’s me. I’m here to visit you.” After handing over the flowers, Yara gave Lia a knowing smile.
The moment Lia saw who it was, her pupils constricted at once. “You…”
Noticing the change in Lia, Lionel couldn’t help but ask, “Lia, she and you…”
“Lionel, Lia and I are old friends,” Yara replied with a smile. “I was worried about her when I heard that she was injured. Thus, I decided to visit her. Anyway, please find a vase for the flowers I brought. I wish to have them placed beside the bed so that they can cheer Lia up and hasten her recovery.”
Lia bit her lip and urged, “Lionel, go find a vase quickly. We cannot let Yara’s good intentions go to waste.”
When Lionel saw that his sister had opened up, he assumed Yara was her new best friend. Therefore, he nodded in acknowledgment and left the ward, giving both of them some privacy.
After he closed the door behind him with a bang, only Yara and Lia were left inside.
“My brother told me that I almost died.” Lia stared daggers at Yara.
“Really?” Yara disputed. “Perhaps, the poisonous compound was unstable. The pill that you swallowed might coincidentally be stronger. Hence, it was nothing but an accident. Besides, haven’t you already recovered?”
Lia didn’t expect Yara, who appeared so gentle and graceful on the surface, to actually be so vile on the inside.
Not only is Yara trying to frame someone else, but she also doesn’t care about the potency of the poison. In fact, it seems my death was part of the plan.”
With a conflicted look in her eyes, Lia asked in a trembling voice, “Yara, aren’t you worried about divine retribution?”
“Do you have to be so dramatic?” Yara laughed shyly. “Lia, I think you would be the first in line for having filthy desires for your own ‘brother.’ Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. If this gets out, I wonder what everyone would think of your ‘brother’ and the Johnson family.”
Yara’s words struck at the heart of Lia’s weakness.
“Lionel is only my brother in name. Both of us are not related by blood.”
