Chapter 308
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Rachel bit back her pain , barely daring to breathe . In a trembling voice , she asked cautiously , “ Ms. Remar , did your hand pet hurti
Inside the clinic , the doctor stared at the thermometer’s reading , his face tightening . He hurriedly jumped up to prep the IV , muttering , “ 101 1 1 -10 % keeps up , he’ll be delirious . ”
Aria shot Owen a puzzled look , her brows furrowed . “ What happened after that ? Why did your fever shoot up so quickly ? ”
‘ He’s not some pampered weakling – under normal circumstances , he wouldn’t spike a high fever this quickly . And normally , a high fever wouldn’t come on and persist this quickly , Aria thought .
Hearing this , Owen’s heart suddenly skipped a beat .
He swallowed hard without thinking , but his throat was bone – dry , as if it might catch fire . A nervous lump was stuck in his throat , refusing to go down no matter what .
Owen was wracked by a violent coughing fit .
Panicking inside , he desperately tried to suppress his cough , terrified it might give him away – but his body just wouldn’t listen to him .
With every cough , it felt like his throat was being scraped raw by sandpaper – it hurt like hell , which meant it must be inflamed .
Seeing this , Aria quickly fetched a glass of water and pressed it directly to Owen’s lips .
Owen instinctively opened his mouth and slowly tilted his head back , gulping down the entire glass of water in one go .
“ Thanks , ” Owen rasped , his voice barely more than a whisper .
The word he uttered was so hoarse , it was obvious he had a bad cold .
Just then , the doctor approached , and Aria quickly stepped aside to make room for him .
After carefully examining Owen , the doctor gestured toward the back of the clinic and said with a teasing smile , “ Go ahead and help your boyfriend into the private room , will you ? ”
The clinic was spacious , with a rest area in the back .
At the word “ boyfriend , ” Owen’s expression shifted instantly . His gaze darted reflexively toward Aria , only to find her face an impassive mask , utterly unreadable .
Just as Aria was about to speak , Owen cut in , “ We’re not officially dating yet . ”
There was a world of difference between “ not yet ” and “ not at all “ .
Owen kept his eyes locked on the doctor as he spoke , enunciating the word “ yet ” with deliberate softness .
Aria hadn’t heard him ; she simply helped Owen to his feet and led him toward the private room .
The doctor glanced at Owen , shaking his head with a wry smile . “ Young people these days – even when pursuing someone they like , they’ve learned to play the sympathy card . ”
With that , the doctor turned back to preparing the medication .
Aria helped Owen onto the bed . “ It’s already eight – you haven’t had dinner yet . I’ll go get you something to eat .”
As she turned to leave , Owen caught her by the wrist . “ Wait . ”
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Caught completely off guard , Arla hadn’t anticipated Owen would use so much force .
Her foot caught on something unseen , and she pitched forward .
Owen instinctively reached out and caught her .
Aria reached out to steady herself against the bedside , but when Owen suddenly pulled her into his arms , her flailing hand landed squarely on his tipic
Owen Shaw’s back went rigid , a jolt shooting
to his brain and leaving his mind blank . His eyes reflected her stunned face .
They were so close their gazes locked , and for a moment , their breaths tangled in the charged air between them .
The harsh fluorescent light washed over his face , bleaching his vision into a blank white void .
Owen struggled to catch the emotions in Aria’s eyes , but saw only a blur .
Aria , however , noticed every fleeting shift in his expression .
She noticed his pupils were fathomless , like bottomless abysses that could swallow her whole in an instant .
Even through the fabric of his pants , Aria could feel the scorching heat radiating from his thigh , sending an electric jolt straight to her core .