âNolan, I love you, I really do,â Regina whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Nolan, heart aching, pulled Regina into a tight embrace. âItâs my fault. I should have been faster. Iâve never blamed you for anything. Just seeing your smile is enough for me. If youâll let me, just being by your side is all I ask for. I donât need declarations of love. I know your family has been a burden on you.
Iâve seen it all.â
The bodyguards who followed them in were taken aback by the sight of their boss, tears streaming down his face, and shuffled awkwardly.
But the priority was to get Regina checked at the hospital, considering sheâd been bound and tied up for so long, which might have caused some circulation issues. They didnât want her to end up with numb limbs.
Eventually, one particularly brave bodyguard stepped forward to suggest this to Nolan.
With a heavy heart, Nolan wiped away his tears, determined to handle it himself.
He lifted Regina with such care, as if she were made of glass, and took her to the hospital. Thankfully, after the medical check-up, it was clear Regina was mostly suffering from emotional exhaustion and a bit of a chill from being in a damp place for too long.
Nolan stayed by her side, holding her hand so heâd know the moment she woke up.
Regina woke up in the middle of the night and saw Nolan sleeping soundly by her She didnât move, cherishing the moment.
But Nolan soon woke up, overjoyed to see Regina awake. He immediately rang for nurse to check on her.
After the nurse and doctor hurriedly left, advising Regina to rest for a speedy recover was just the two of them again.
Regina looked at Nolan with a soft, grateful smile, which brought tears to his eyes agai âI was so scared, lying on that cold floor, wondering if Iâd ever see you again. But here I am, thanks to you, Nolan. If it werenât for you, I might have-â
Nolan silenced her with a kiss, not wanting to hear her talk about what might have happened.
âGrandma already visited,â he said softly. âShe insisted we visit the chapel once youâre discharged. It seems like weâve hit a streak of bad luck recently, with one thing after another.â
Regina was surprised. âGrandma knows? Does that mean the whole family knows?â
Hearing her refer to his family as her own filled Nolan with happiness.
âOf course,â he replied with a smile. âWhen someone so important to us is in trouble, they all wanted to come see you. But thankfully, youâre okay. I asked them to go back home, leaving just me to stay with you.â
Nolan then sat by the bed, gently kissing her hands.
âIâm just glad I made it in time. When I saw you lying there, I thought my heart would stop. You scared me to death. I wonât let you do anything that dangerous again. And donât worry about dealing with Domingoâs case.â
Reginaâs voice was soft. âWas it Domingo who hurt me?â
Nolan nodded. âIt was all Madelineâs doing. I never imagined sheâd hate you this much, even convincing her father to harm you. If I hadnât tricked them into thinking Madelineâs life was in my hands, who knows how long it wouldâve taken to find you.â