Chapter 361 Doubt Me

“Are you being good children back at home?” Christina asked, her voice gentle.

Both Lucas and Camila missed her a lot, so they began whining. “Mommy, we miss you a lot! Since you’re not at home, no one can put us to bed.”

Christina frowned upon hearing that. “What about your daddy? Didn’t he put you to bed?”

Before departing the country, she agreed that Nathaniel’s bodyguard would accompany her on the condition that Nathaniel would remain at home to care for their children. Yet, to her confusion, it seemed that he hadn’t made much effort to fulfill his parental responsibilities.

Lucas and Camila suddenly realized that they had unintentionally revealed the truth, despite their promise to their father that they would keep it a secret.

Nathaniel felt a surge of panic as he realized how close the kids had come to exposing the truth.

If Christina discovers that I’m here in place of the Hadley family’s bodyguard. I’m doomed.

“No, Mommy, Daddy is always busy. He works late into the night in his study. It must be tiring for him.” Camila explained softly.

In an attempt to disguise their guilt, Lucas quickly added, “Mommy, don’t worry. Daddy is taking great care of us!”

“I’ll be back soon. Be good, and I’ll bring you your favorite chocolate as souvenirs,” Christina told them.

Lucas and Camila were afraid of making more slips. “Okay, Mommy. We’re looking forward to your return! Bye!”

Christina was about to bid them goodbye, but before she could utter a word, the children ended the call hurriedly.

She stared at the dark screen, utterly confused.

The children are usually talkative. Why did they hang up so quickly this time?

Christina was still worried. She pondered about it for a while before giving Nathaniel a call.

It took a while for the call to be answered.

“What’s wrong, Christina?” The familiar charming voice rang out, albeit sounding a little hoarse.

“Why is your voice hoarse?” she asked. Did he catch a cold from working late every day?

Nathaniel walked to the lawn outside the hospital, where it was quiet. Worried that Christina might recognize his voice, he intentionally spoke in a hoarse tone.

He clenched his fist and brought it close to his mouth, clearing his throat. “I’m doing okay.”

Christina fell silent. She held her phone, not knowing what to say next.

Nathaniel informed her, “I have investigated the issue you mentioned. Yosef’s parents are safe in the country. They are not facing any immediate danger.”

It was obvious that Yosef had lied to her.

Christina frowned and said nothing. She seemed to be deep in thought.

Nathaniel paused, allowing her to process the information. “Regarding the imitation at your studio, I have discovered that the assistant was bribed by Yosef, not by me. She colluded with him to falsely implicate me in the situation.”

Christina’s earlier suspicions were confirmed by Nathaniel’s revelation.

His words provided her with a clear understanding of the situation.

A short silence later, Christina said calmly, “I understand now. Thank you.”

Nathaniel had no idea she would sound this calm. She came all the way here for Yosef. Will she seriously believe me?

“Don’t you doubt me?”

Christina’s voice remained icy as she replied, “I don’t need to doubt you.”

A wealth of warmth suffused Nathaniel when he heard her reply.

He marveled at Christina’s unwavering trust in him, realizing that his efforts to show his affection had not been in vain.

Before ending the call. Christina added, “I’m not like you. You have little trust in everyone.”

With that, she ended the call.

Nathaniel’s expression turned cold. When have I not trusted others?

He pocketed his phone and put on his mask before entering the hospital.

When he returned to the ward, Christina had already fallen asleep.

Her long black hair cascaded to the side, framing her delicate face. The soft glow of the lights accentuated her porcelain skin, giving it a translucent quality. Shadows formed beneath her captivating eyes, and she appeared as though she had stepped out of a fine painting.

Right then, the nurse came in with some medicinal oil to rub Christina’s ankle.

Nathaniel was worried that her force would hurt Christina and got the medicinal oil from her, intending to apply it himself.

After giving him the once-over, the nurse handed the medication to him and left.

Nathaniel’s gaze fell upon the medication, realizing that it was modern medicine rather than traditional remedies. While it could provide temporary relief for her swelling, he knew that its effects would be short-lived.

He carefully rolled up the hem of Christina’s pants, revealing her red and swollen ankle. As he examined the injury, a flicker of anger and determination flashed across his eyes.

The following day, Christina woke up and realized the bodyguard wasn’t in the ward.

He must we returned to the hotel as there toas nowhere for him to sleep here.

She sat up in bed and tried moving her leg Her ankle felt much better.

Right at that moment, the nurse walked into the room and commended in fluent Ferropenian. “Your boyfriend has been incredibly considerate. He applied a hot water bottle to your ankle and massaged your leg throughout the entire night. You’re a lucky girl, huh?”

Christma was stunned to hear that. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth and gratitude toward the bodyguard for his considerate actions.

No wonder my leg healed this quickly.

After examining her condition, the nurse helped her with the discharge procedures.

Right after the nurse left, Nathaniel came in with her breakfast.

Christina lifted her head to gaze at him adorably. “Mr. Bodyguard, thank you for your help last night.”

*I was just doing my job,” Nathaniel replied calmly.

He placed the breakfast he had bought, consisting of oatmeal and milk, on the table to serve to fier.

Christina spoke in a tiny voice. “Thank you.”

Nathaniel grunted in acknowledgment and left the ward to take care of her discharge procedures.

After Christina finished breakfast, she was able to walk on the ground.

Just in case, Nathaniel bandaged her wounded ankle to cut down its external pressure.

After leaving the hospital, Christina received a few phone calls from several magazine outlets requesting a collaboration.

Having watched the live stream last night, they now had their eyes set on several designs, aiming to feature them prominently on their magazine covers.

Excited by the news, Christina wasted no time in calling Yosef to share the positive update.

Yosef’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news, yet his gaze revealed a mixture of emotions.

He felt a sense of helplessness as the very thing he had intended to discard was returned to him, safe and sound.

Gripping his phone, he said softly, “Christina, thank you. Actually, I-”

“Yosef. I need to tell you something. The studio is back on track, and the children are waiting for me at Scenic Garden Manor. I can’t stay here for long,” Christina cut in.

She knew some words had to be said sooner or later.

Her lips curled as she continued, “Back when you established the studio, you were driven by the ambition. to make a name for yourself and rise to the pinnacle of the fashion industry. Have you forgotten all about that?”

A dark look appeared in Yosef’s gaze as he muttered, “But you’re no longer here...”

After spending time with Christina, he knew how important the studio was to her.

“I’m not withdrawing my shares. I’m just working elsewhere,” Christina clarified. She had dedicated her time and effort to building the studio and had no intention of completely abandoning it Yosef chuckled bitterly. “All right, then. As long as you’re willing to stay, there will always be a place for you here.”