Chapter 363
[ 545 words ]
Chapter 363:
Caroline didn’t wait for an explanation. She turned and walked out of the lounge, her heart hammering in her chest. But even as she fled, a small part of her understood the crumbling of a man pushed to the edge by forces she had brought into his life. The guilt of that knowledge was a new and unwelcome weight.
Caroline didn’t stop walking until she reached the stairwell. She pushed through the heavy fire door and climbed, her footsteps echoing in the concrete shaft. The roof. She needed the roof. She needed air that didn’t smell like antiseptic and desperation.
She burst through the rooftop door and stumbled to the edge, gripping the cold metal railing. The city sprawled beneath her, indifferent, glittering with a million lights that seemed to mock her isolation.
She wanted Jarrod. The thought was a raw, physical ache. She pulled out her phone and dialed his number, already knowing what she would hear. The recorded voice, cold and impersonal, was the only reply.
The door to the roof creaked open behind her. She didn’t turn around.
“Caroline.”
Julian’s voice was hoarse, broken. She heard his footsteps, slow and hesitant, stopping several feet away. He didn’t come closer.
“I am so sorry,” he said, his voice thick with shame. “I lost my mind. I never should have touched you.”
She didn’t answer. The wind whipped around her, cold and biting.
Downloadable PDFs on FindNovel.com
“I know you don’t want to see me right now,” he continued, his words tumbling out in a rush, still trembling with the aftershock of whatever had driven him to the breaking point. “But I came up here because… because I couldn’t let you think I was just trying to take advantage. That’s not what this is. I swear. I’ve just been… I haven’t been sleeping. I haven’t been thinking clearly. They’ve been watching me, Caroline. Every day. Every shift. I thought I could handle it, but…”
She heard the rustle of paper. “I asked around. I know about your father’s condition. I know the surgery is… I know you need help.” His voice cracked. “This has nothing to do with what just happened. This is just… a friend, helping a friend. One who’s made a terrible mistake but still wants to do the right thing.”
She finally turned. Julian was holding out an envelope. Inside, she could see the corner of a black, high-limit credit card. His face was a ruin of guilt, exhaustion, and desperate hope. He looked like he was barely holding himself together—a man who had been pushed past his limits and was now trying to claw his way back to some semblance of decency.
Caroline looked from the card to his face. A cold, weary calm settled over her.
“I appreciate the offer, Julian,” she said, her voice flat. “But I don’t need it.”
He pushed the envelope toward her again, insistent, his hand still trembling. “Caroline, don’t be proud. I know what these procedures cost. You can’t handle this on your own—”
“I’m not on my own.” The lie formed on her lips, smooth and practiced. She looked him directly in the eye. “My husband already wired the money. All of the hospital bills have been taken care of.”
Julian stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. The hope in his eyes died, replaced by stunned confusion.
.
.
.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.