Chapter 400 My Brother is Here, It's Inconvenient
Aurelia felt a lump in her throat, tears welling up in her eyes, like a wronged child seeing their parent.
Now, she couldn't deny it, Joe was her rock, the source of security that no one else could replace.
The feeling Nathaniel brought was different; this familial reliance made her feel grounded and relaxed. It was unconditional support and trust, no matter what happened.
Joe's brow twitched, and he reached out to smooth her hair. "You're safe, don't be afraid."
Of course, Aurelia knew she was safe; nowhere made her feel safer than in front of her brother.
Men might run away or betray, but the family wouldn't.
Aurelia shifted and sat up against the headboard.
"Joe, I was going home after work, but I ran into Marcus in the parking lot. That guy is a lunatic, he..."
Joe interrupted her. He couldn't bear to hear the rest. His cherished sister had almost been violated. He couldn't even think about it.
"Aurelia, I saw the surveillance footage. Don't worry, I'll make him pay."
Anyone who dared to mess with his family would face consequences.
Aurelia wiped her moist eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed. She was almost thirty, and still crying in front of her brother.
"Joe, I'm fine. He didn't do anything to me. I ran out of the room and fainted when I called you."
She didn't know what happened after that.
Joe said, "I came out of the elevator and took you away. This is a hospital; you can be discharged tomorrow. Grandma is very worried about you. I told her you fell asleep in the office. Call her tomorrow morning and remember not to slip up."
Aurelia nodded, "I know."
"Thirsty?"
"Yes."
Joe stood up to get her some water from the dispenser. The cup landed in Aurelia's hand, and she drank half of it in one go.
Joe sighed, "Grandma is right; you need someone to protect you."
Aurelia almost choked on her water, staring at him in shock. "Joe."
Joe took the empty cup from her hand. "I'm going to hire a few bodyguards to follow you. How many more times can you handle something like this?"
When he saw Aurelia being taken away by a man on the surveillance footage, he almost went crazy. He immediately contacted the traffic police to retrieve videos from various intersections, eventually finding the car that took her and tracking it to the hotel.
He wouldn't allow this to happen again.
Hearing about the bodyguards, Aurelia immediately agreed, "Okay."
As long as he wasn't finding her a boyfriend, anything was fine.
Joe took the cup to the door, turned off the light, and left the room. "Get some rest; it's still early. Call me if you need anything. I'll be outside."
The hospital room was a suite, and Joe made do on the sofa outside.
Aurelia lay down comfortably this time but couldn't fall asleep.
The next morning, Nathaniel's video call came right on time.
Seeing the name on the screen, Aurelia was about to answer when Joe knocked on the door.
"Aurelia, are you up? What do you want for breakfast? I'll have someone get it."
As he spoke, Joe pushed the door halfway open.
Aurelia, feeling guilty, hurriedly pressed the hang-up button.
Joe handed her a cup of warm water. "How are you feeling? Recovered? Want to get up and walk around?"
As he spoke, Nathaniel's video call came through again.
This time, Aurelia didn't have time to hide it, and Joe saw the name on the screen.
Aurelia looked at Joe with a guilty expression, like a teenager caught in a secret relationship. She was waiting for a lecture. If the person was acceptable, it would be fine, but Nathaniel's bad reputation had already taken root in her brother's mind.
She was extremely nervous.
Joe paused and asked, "Why aren't you answering?"
Aurelia was so nervous she stuttered, "My phone's almost dead, and I didn't bring a charger. I still need to call Grandma later."
Aurelia thought this was a good excuse and pressed the hang-up button again.
Joe felt a headache coming on, thinking of the saying, "Daughters are hard to keep once they grow up!"
He felt once again that he should introduce her to a reliable man to keep Nathaniel from constantly bothering her.
Joe placed the water cup on the small shelf by her bed. "If you don't say anything, I'll just have someone get whatever."
Aurelia was stunned for a moment before realizing her brother was waiting for her to talk about breakfast. She sighed in relief.
"Joe, I want something sweet."
Joe helplessly glanced back and went out to call his assistant.
Aurelia took the opportunity to text Nathaniel: [My brother is here, can't video call.]
Nathaniel, having been hung up on twice, was about to call a third time when he saw her message on Facebook, feeling annoyed with his future brother-in-law.
What was he doing in his sister's room so early in the morning?
Nathaniel: [Are you up? Show me you and the babies later.]
Aurelia: [Can't today.]
Nathaniel: [Why?]
Aurelia: [I'm in the hospital.]
Seeing "I'm in the hospital," Nathaniel immediately called her, anxious to know what had happened.
Aurelia glanced at the door; Joe wasn't there, probably had gone out.
She answered the call, speaking in a low voice, "Why are you calling again? I told you my brother is here. I messaged you on Facebook."
Nathaniel couldn't wait; he needed to know she was safe. "Why are you in the hospital?"
"It's a long story. I ran into Marcus after work yesterday. He drugged me, and my brother brought me to the hospital."
Aurelia added quickly, not wanting him to worry, "It's nothing serious. I'll be discharged tonight."
Nathaniel was terrified by her words. Last night, after confirming with the detective that the woman in the photo was indeed Burry, he had tried calling Marcus but couldn't get through.
He couldn't help but think that Marcus had been stalking Aurelia.
While he was helping Marcus find Burry, Marcus was sinisterly following Aurelia to Coral Bay. No wonder he hadn't seen or heard from him in days.
Nathaniel asked, "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No, he said Burry has a red birthmark on her chest and grabbed me to verify if I was the person he was looking for."
Aurelia spoke calmly, but she was still scared. Yesterday's incident had really frightened her. But over the phone, from such a distance, she didn't want to make him worry, so she tried to sound nonchalant.
Nathaniel felt a pang of guilt. He regretted provoking Marcus in the hospital last time, which had led to this dangerous situation.
He couldn't bear to think about what might have happened to Aurelia because of his words. He couldn't forgive himself.
"Aurelia, are you hurt?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
