The man raised his eyebrows when he saw Clifford's figure, "Where's the little girl?" He asked.
Before Clifford could answer, the man heard sobs coming from the other end of the line. He then frowned and tightened his grip on the trunk, 'Damn, who dared make Merry cry?!'
"Why are you crying? What's wrong? Tell me what happened!" Chris insisted in a panic.
"Brother Chris ... I-I ..." That was all Merry could say before she started sobbing again.
Chris's heart twisted when he heard the young woman's crying voice.
"Where is she?!" Chris repeated to Clifford, who was still standing there.
Clifford finally came to his senses and immediately replied, "Follow me. Miss Merry is in the royal suite."
The two men headed for the elevator and descended on the floor of Merry's room. Luckily, Clifford had left the bedroom door open so they could just enter.
Chris had only taken two paces when he heard Merry's weak voice coming from the living room.
"...It hurts....It hurts so much... sob ...Am I going to die...?"
Chris left his suitcase at the door and ran into the living room. The man's gaze was immediately fixed on Merry who was lying on the sofa. The woman's body was wrapped in a thick blanket, making her look like a cocoon that was about to hatch. Merry turned over and over on the big sofa, still groaning in pain.
While Chris was still trying to process this scene, Clifford walked past him. The man carried a bowl of hot ginger soup in his hand. He went over to Merry and knelt beside the sofa.
"Clifford ... my stomach hurts so much ..." Merry complained when she saw the man.
Clifford placed the bowl of soup on the table before stroking Merry's hair, "You will be fine. This ginger soup will make you feel better." He said, calming her down.
Lilia's personal bodyguard felt Chris's gaze pierce his back. Clifford turned and their eyes met. For a moment, the atmosphere between them felt tense, like swords colliding.
But that moment didn't last long as Clifford immediately relented. The man got up and walked over to Chris.
"Young Master Chris, as you can see, Miss Merry's health is not very good. I will hand Miss Merry over to you, because I must immediately go to escort Miss Lilia." Clifford said in a polite tone.
"…Okay." Chris nodded with a conflicted expression. He wanted to yell at Clifford for touching Merry earlier, but he had good reason for his actions. At least Chris was relieved that Clifford wasn't going to interfere with his time with Merry.
Hearing Chris's voice, Merry lifted her face and called out, "Brother Chris ...?"
When Merry distracted Chris, Clifford took the opportunity to leave the room. He closed the door behind him silently, but his eyes were cold and emotionless.
"This is the best way." Clifford tried to convince himself, "Only this is the best for everyone."
He realized his place from the start. The difference in status between himself and Merry was like heaven and earth. There was an indescribable gulf between them. That's why Clifford kept all his feelings in his heart and buried them deep.
"For the sake of Miss Merry's happiness, I will do anything."
*****
After Clifford left, Chris sighed and neutralized his expression. He didn't want to make Merry even more depressed.
"Brother Chris..." Called Merry again, this time her voice was stronger than before.
Chris took off his jacket and put it on the table, then walked over to Merry. He knelt beside the sofa, just as Clifford had done earlier.
"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Chris asked softly.
Merry looked at Chris with pitiful eyes as she continued to rub her stomach, "My stomach hurts..." She groaned.
"Did you eat something strange? Should we go to the hospital? I'll call a surgeon I know and…" Chris continued talking as he pulled out his cell phone.
"N-No! I don't want to go to the hospital!" Merry immediately sat up with an horrified expression. She immediately frowned in pain from her movement.
Chris pushed her back down, "Don't move too much. I'll call an ambulance and... "
"I told you, I don't want to go!" Merry protested. Her hand gripped Chris's arm tightly, preventing him from making calls.
"But you are in pain...!" Chris snapped.
"I just had my period, okay?!" Merry shouted with a red face.
"Eh ...?" Chris stared blankly at Merry, "Menstruation?"
In an instant, Chris's face looked as red as Merry's.
"O-Oh…" Chris looked away awkwardly.
He felt embarrassed to death, but there was also a feeling of relief in his heart. Since hearing Merry's crying voice on the phone, his mind was constantly in chaos. Bad thoughts continued to fill Chris's mind as the man headed to Merry's room. Was Merry hurt? Or was she in trouble? Would Chris be able to reach Merry's side in time? Chris had never been this scared in his life.
Chris sat on the sofa, then suddenly pulled Merry's tiny body into his arms. The smell of eucalyptus oil invaded Chris's nose, different from Merry's usual scent. The warmth of the young woman's body slowly calmed Chris' chaotic heart. Merry's body stiffened as she found herself lying in Chris's arms. If anyone saw their current intimate position, that person would definitely misunderstand.
"U-Um ... Brother Chris ... what ...?" Asked Merry in a panicked voice. She stretched, trying to get away from the man's embrace, but Chris's hand was tightly hugging her.
"Shh, shut up and don't move much. I don't want to know if you are actually making your own stomach hurt even more." Chris said curtly, but his actions were the opposite of what he said.
Chris's hand began to massage Merry's stomach in a gentle and careful motion. Even though Merry's body was covered with a thick blanket, she could still feel the warmth of Chris's hands. Merry was amazed by Chris's massage techniques, which could exert pressure that made her feel good. She felt that the pain was gradually decreasing.
Chris glanced at Merry's face while continuing to massage her stomach. The young woman had stopped fighting and completely surrendered her body to Chris. The man frowned as he tried to untangle the mixed feelings in his heart. There were feelings of love, happiness, and unknown emotions that he's yet to identify.
He himself was not as young as before and his family continued to insist that he started looking for a partner to marry. Chris actually had who he wanted, but he didn't have the courage to reveal it yet. He was afraid that if Merry's brother found out about his feelings, he might skin him alive for daring to fall in love with his beloved sister.
Chris remembered the words he said to Tom on Jean's birthday night. He smiled bitterly, feeling that he himself was no better than his best friend.
He recalled what he said to Tom, "If you love her, you only need to express your feelings, no?" But things, as always, were easier said than done. If only the real world could be that easy!
"Brother Chris, why did you come to Jakarta?" Merry asked curiously, staring into the man's black eyes. The pain had subsided, so she began to think about other things.
Chris's hand movements stopped for a moment at the question, but he immediately returned to massaging Merry's stomach. He tried to be as gentle as possible so as not to hurt her.
Chris used one hand to get rid of the hair that stuck to Merry's forehead, "I'm here on business." He shortly answered.
"Hmm..." Merry nodded and did not ask further.
The quiet atmosphere of the room and the touch of Chris's soothing hands lulled Merry. In just a few moments, the girl was fast asleep. The man looked up and looked around the room, looking for a pillow he could use.
Then his gaze fell on the bowl of ginger soup that was perched forgotten on the table. Chris took turns staring at Merry's sleeping face and the bowl of soup. He wondered if he needed to wake her up to drink the soup.
Chris tried to gently shake Merry's body, but the woman did not react. Finally, he decided to let Merry just rest. If the woman needed the soup, she could have the hotel staff bring her another fresh one.
The man continued to hug Merry and warm her stomach for four hours without stopping. Even though his hands were sore and his legs were cramping, Chris didn't move from his position.
He stared at Merry's sleeping face in silence. Chris's expression was gentle and full of love, as if he were staring at the most precious treasure in the whole world.
Since when did he love this tiny woman so much? Where did this feeling of love come from? The questions kept filling Chris's mind.
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