Chapter 845

At the hospital, Noreen was curled up in a tight ball on the bed, crippled by the pain.

The attending doctor, however, was unhurried. “Are the cramps usually this severe?”

“Not this bad. And it started early this time,” Noreen managed to force out.

The doctor continued, “Are you sexually active? Is your sex life regular?”

Noreen was rendered completely speechless.

The doctor peered over his glasses and reminded her, “This is important for the diagnosis.”

Noreen finally mumbled, “No.”

Seth visibly paused, shooting Noreen a very loaded look.

The doctor jotted something down on her chart and advised, “Moderate sexual activity can help promote pelvic blood circulation and relieve muscle tension. For some women, it can significantly ease the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.”

As he spoke, the doctor shot Seth a glance.

The look was a mix of pity and outright disapproval.

Seth cleared his throat and asked the doctor humbly, “Aside from that, is there any way to cure her cramps completely?”

Seeing that Seth was genuinely concerned, the doctor’s expression softened, and he explained patiently.

“Primary dysmenorrhea generally can’t be cured. We can only manage it with medication, lifestyle adjustments, warm compresses, exercise, and stress management. For some patients, the symptoms naturally lessen or disappear with age or after childbirth.”

Seth listened intently, even asking a few follow-up questions for detail.

The doctor answered each one.

By now, the pain medication had started to kick in, and Noreen was finally feeling a little better.

Because she was so embarrassed about the earlier questions, she didn’t want to look at Seth. She simply lay there and pretended to be asleep.

Surprisingly, she actually dozed off.

In her hazy state, she felt a steady, comforting warmth over her stomach.

The familiar stabbing pain really seemed to melt away under that soothing heat.

Noreen slept for quite a while. By the time she woke up, it was already dark outside. The door to her room was left slightly ajar, and she could hear voices outside. She listened closely. It was Cecilia Soares.

“Our housekeeper made this warm tea,” Cecilia was saying. “It works wonders. I drink it every time I have bad and it always makes

me feel so much better.”

“Thank you,” Seth replied, accepting the thermos.

“I should get going then.” Cecilia didn’t even step into the room.

She was simply following Leonardo’s instructions to drop off the warm tea for Noreen.

After all, it wasn’t exactly appropriate for an older man to visit a woman for severe period cramps, so he had sent Cecilia to run the errand instead.

As soon as Cecilia left, Seth walked into the room.

Seeing that Noreen was awake, he approached the bed. “Ms. Soares specially brought over some warm tea. She says it helps with the cramps. Let me help you up so you can drink some.”

Noreen’s expression turned icy.

Her tone was equally cold. “Drink it yourself.”

What was his problem?

Trying to play the attentive caretaker using another woman’s gift?

Noreen threw off the covers and got out of bed, ready to head back to her hotel.

Seth caught her wrist, coaxing her with infuriating gentleness. “I don’t get period cramps, why would drink it? Stop being stubborn, Justhave a little. Cecilia said it really works.”

But Noreen yanked her hand away, her voice remote. “Thank you for bringing me to

the hospital. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

The words ‘thank you’ sounded painfully formal.

They were the perfect weapon to keep someone at arm’s length.

She grabbed her coat and bag, turning to leave.

The smile slowly faded from Seth’s lips.

He honestly couldn’t understand it. Everything had been fine just a minute ago—

why the sudden attitude change?

Why was she so impossible to melt?

But he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Noreen was already out the door.

Seth hurried after her, completely forgetting about the tea Cecilia had brought.