Chapter 540 Another Attack
Aurelia bunched the blankets into a ball and hugged them to her chest, pulling even Nathaniel's side of the covers over to her.
After a long silence with no response from him and no familiar embrace from behind, she nudged him with her elbow. "Nathaniel, why aren't you saying anything?"
She turned to find him lying rigidly on his back, completely lacking the relaxed posture of someone settling in for sleep.
"Nathaniel?" she called again, then asked, "Why aren't you holding me?"
Nathaniel shifted slightly closer but kept several inches between them, resting just one hand on her waist. "Aurelia, let's sleep. I'm a bit tired."
"Alright," she murmured, pulling half the blankets back to his side.
What she didn't know was that the hand resting on her waist was clenched into a tight fist—he was barely holding on.
When he finally heard her breathing even out beside him, Nathaniel carefully lifted the covers and slipped out of bed barefoot.
Once outside the bedroom, he exhaled in relief, but his whole body had begun trembling uncontrollably. His vision blurred with double images as dizziness overwhelmed him. He bit down hard on his forearm, using the sharp pain to anchor his drifting consciousness, then gripped the banister and stumbled downstairs.
His limbs felt weak and powerless as the craving threatened to devour his willpower. He needed an outlet, some way to release the beast clawing inside him. Another episode had begun.
Nathaniel felt his way to the study in the darkness, wondering how many more times he'd have to endure this torment before finally conquering it.
He was terrified that one day he might give in to drugs—he'd never forgive himself, and neither would Aurelia or his precious children. It would be a permanent stain on his life and theirs. No one wanted a drug-addicted father.
But could he really make it through? The agony was so intense that he curled up on the floor, arms wrapped around himself, then found that position even more unbearable. He didn't know what to do to find relief, so he pressed his forehead against the desk leg and began hitting it repeatedly—physical pain was the only thing that could clear his mind now.
Back in the master bedroom, Aurelia wasn't asleep at all. She wasn't naive—Nathaniel had been acting strangely lately, and her suspicions had been growing since their time in Imperick. Her intuition told her he was still hiding something.
Just as she was drifting off, she'd felt him trembling slightly. She'd pretended to sleep, and sure enough, within minutes he'd slipped away just like before. Aurelia sat up in the large bed, puzzling over what he could possibly be concealing.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating two pairs of matching slippers neatly arranged on the floor. Staring at those shoes, a terrible premonition crept over her. She threw back the covers and headed straight for the second-floor study, her anxiety mounting with each step.
With her hand on the door handle, she was about to call out when she heard sounds from inside. She flung the door open, and the scene before her tore her heart apart with excruciating pain.
"Nathaniel!" She rushed over and threw herself down to protect his head. He was still uncontrollably banging his forehead against the desk leg, the impacts echoing through the room.
Aurelia burst into tears, pulling him into her arms. "Nathaniel, what's wrong? Let me take you to see a doctor!"
She wanted to call an ambulance but remembered her phone was upstairs. In her panic, she started to release him to get it, then immediately pulled him close again, afraid that if she left even for a moment, he'd hurt himself worse.
"Nathaniel, please wake up!" she sobbed, trying to rouse him.
Her palms came away sticky, and the metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. She was falling apart, overwhelmed by helplessness and heartbreak, feeling as though the sky was collapsing.
Finally, Nathaniel's awareness returned and his condition stabilized.
"Aurelia, don't cry," he whispered weakly, blood still seeping from his forehead. The physical pain had once again conquered the craving—he'd survived another episode, though this one had been more vicious than before.
Aurelia's sobs were heartbreaking, and hearing his voice only made her hold him tighter, her heart clenching with pain so intense she thought she might die.
Nathaniel was still trembling, not fully recovered, as he reached for her hand. Her palm was stained with his blood, but she gripped him tightly, as if loosening her hold even slightly might cause her to lose him forever.
"Nathaniel, tell me the truth—is this your old condition acting up? I'm booking flights right now. We're going back to Imperick tomorrow to see Dr. Bryant."
Nathaniel wanted to wipe away her tears but lacked the strength, so he simply let her hold him. "Aurelia, it's nothing. Just let me rest for a moment."
"You're bleeding, you fool. What are you so afraid of? That I'll leave you?" Her voice was thick with tears.
Nathaniel remained silent, feeling her chest heaving with sobs. He could imagine how devastated she looked without even seeing her face.
"Aurelia, it's really nothing—just minor injuries."
Gradually, he calmed in her arms, the battle having drained half his spirit. Once he appeared stable, Aurelia finally turned on the lights and went downstairs for the first aid kit.
He'd broken the skin on his forehead—the wound wasn't deep but covered a large area. As Aurelia cleaned and disinfected it with cotton swabs and iodine, she was already planning to take him to see a psychiatrist at first light. This couldn't be delayed another moment.
She didn't ask what had happened—he would only give her evasive answers anyway.
After helping him change into clean clothes, she led him to bed like she would Dorothy, staying until he fell asleep. Then she texted Zack to cancel all of Nathaniel's work for the next three days and used an appointment app to book time with Coral Bay's most respected psychiatrist.
No matter what it took, she was going to pull him back from this abyss.
Nathaniel was exhausted both mentally and physically, sleeping heavily until he woke to find Aurelia quietly watching him.
"Are you awake? Do you still feel terrible?"
Nathaniel rubbed his sleepy eyes as memories of the night slowly returned. Seeing Aurelia's swollen, red eyes, he could tell she hadn't slept at all. His heart ached, and guilt weighed on him for making her worry and care for him.
"Aurelia, please tell me you didn't spend the entire night just watching me."
Her voice was hoarse from crying and anxiety had caused her tonsils to swell, though she barely noticed the discomfort. "Get up and wash first. Breakfast is ready."
Nathaniel stretched his legs and noticed the obvious bite marks on his arm. His head throbbed terribly, his scalp felt tight, and several large bumps had formed on his forehead.
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