Chapter 556 Found a Good Protector
Phoenix's inexplicable need to be coddled suddenly evaporated, and he turned around to wait for Aurelia to catch up.
Aurelia caught onto his little sulk and smiled inwardly—who would have thought Phoenix could be such a drama queen, needing to be appeased when he felt neglected?
"Want me to come with you for the tests?" she offered.
Phoenix paused, caught off guard. "No need. You go handle your business."
Aurelia's lips curved into a warm smile. "Nathaniel's back, so I don't have anything pressing today. I'll keep you company."
Phoenix scratched at his brow. "Alright then."
The battery of tests was extensive, and Aurelia followed him from floor to floor, weaving through various departments until they reached the final and most dreaded procedure—blood work.
Despite his imposing frame, Phoenix was surprisingly sensitive to pain and had been terrified of needles since childhood.
As a kid, every cold or fever had been a personal catastrophe for him. Back then, being small and scared, he'd inevitably cry—which seemed perfectly normal to him since he wasn't the only child sobbing in the lab.
But unlike other parents, Dominic had never been good at comforting children. While other kids had both parents cooing over them, one holding up a phone with cartoons while the other brandished a new toy as distraction, Dominic's approach was starkly different.
"Boys don't cry. Aren't you embarrassed?" was his standard response to Phoenix's tears.
Phoenix had stopped crying after that, but the envy lingered—he'd always yearned to be one of those children who had someone to comfort them.
Now, sitting with his arm extended, Phoenix's heart hammered against his ribs. The thought of the longer needle required for bone marrow donation made sweat bead on his forehead.
Aurelia stood beside him, holding his stack of test forms, watching his obvious anxiety. "Scared?" she asked gently.
"No," Phoenix denied, embarrassed by his own cowardice.
The cool touch of the alcohol swab made Phoenix's heart leap into his throat. The nurse had already prepared her equipment, and Phoenix stared transfixed at the needle until suddenly a hand blocked his view.
Aurelia's voice came from above him, soft and reassuring. "Don't look. It'll only hurt for a second."
Phoenix's nose stung with unexpected emotion, tears threatening to spill.
Someone was actually taking care of him!
The mix of feeling both pitied and comforted was overwhelming, so much so that he didn't even notice when the needle entered his vein. Only when the nurse finished drawing blood and Aurelia moved her hand away did he snap back to reality.
Having someone there really did make it painless—this must be the legendary power of comfort.
Outside the lab, Aurelia walked ahead while Phoenix followed behind her like a puppy. "When I have the bone marrow procedure, will you stay with me then too?"
Aurelia suppressed a smile. "Of course I will."
He was her only brother—what else could she do but spoil him?
"Can you take me for Mexican food?" Phoenix asked hopefully.
"Absolutely."
"I want to go right now!"
"Then we'll go right now."
Aurelia felt like she was indulging a child, agreeing to Phoenix's every request.
Phoenix quickened his pace, practically bouncing as he caught up to her, his mood soaring.
It was nearly lunchtime anyway, so by the time they found a restaurant, it would be perfect timing.
Aurelia chose the location, driving halfway across Coral Bay to find an elegantly appointed Mexican place. She'd developed a passion for Mexican cuisine during her time in Imperick, though Coral Bay's dining scene wasn't quite as enthusiastic about it. Fortunately, Phoenix had also grown up in Imperick, so their tastes aligned perfectly.
They ordered a feast spread across the table and were happily digging in when Nathaniel called.
"Aurelia, are you still at the hospital?"
"I took Phoenix out for a bite to eat."
"Good. Send me the address."
After hanging up, Aurelia texted Nathaniel their location.
Nathaniel arrived quickly. Normally he wasn't thrilled about Aurelia eating such food—pregnant women were already prone to constipation, and she wasn't fond of vegetables to begin with.
But seeing that she'd ordered some non-spicy dishes and hadn't touched anything with heat, he said nothing. Instead, he asked the server for another place setting and ordered additional items from the menu.
Phoenix shot him a sideways glance, thinking irritably, 'Here we are, just siblings having lunch together in the middle of the day, and instead of making money, he rushes over to crash our meal?'
Nathaniel knew Phoenix well enough to read his thoughts. "What are you staring at? I'm your brother-in-law!"
Phoenix choked slightly. He'd essentially grown up under Nathaniel's shadow as a child. This demon had protected him from other kids' bullying, but that hadn't stopped Nathaniel from tormenting him personally. Even after Phoenix had grown up and escaped his clutches, he still referred to Nathaniel as "the demon" behind his back.
Now Nathaniel was casually claiming to be his brother-in-law—wasn't this just taking advantage?
Phoenix didn't know that Aurelia and Nathaniel had secretly remarried and assumed they were just dating. "Are you two even married? Don't get ahead of yourself!"
Nathaniel's brow furrowed dangerously, his expression suggesting violence. "Not acknowledging it, huh?"
That look still intimidated Phoenix, conditioned by years of Nathaniel's threats. Phoenix licked his lips nervously, a stubborn energy building in his chest, but he neither confirmed nor denied the relationship.
Aurelia set down her fork and pulled Nathaniel toward her. "What are you doing? Don't be so harsh with my brother!"
Phoenix lifted his chin with a sense of the tables turning.
Nathaniel laughed coldly. "Great, you've found yourself quite the protector!"
Aurelia warned him again, "Don't intimidate him!"
Nathaniel sighed in exasperation. "Him, afraid of me? If he were really scared, would he be calling me a demon behind my back?"
"I saw you about to hit my brother just now!"
Nathaniel rubbed his temples. "If we actually fought, it's unclear who'd beat whom. Look at his muscle mass, then look at me. If it came to blows, would you side with him?"
Phoenix had been hitting the gym religiously lately, carving out two hours daily no matter how busy he was, and had indeed built up an impressive physique. By comparison, Nathaniel had lost over fifteen pounds recently.
Aurelia glanced at Phoenix's imposing frame, but still couldn't shake the image of him as fragile and needing protection—essentially a child requiring comfort.
Besides, Nathaniel's question was ridiculously juvenile, no different from asking "If your mother and I both fell into the ocean, who would you save first?"
"Fighting? If you two want to fight, you'll have to go through me first!"
Nathaniel fell silent and ate quietly, outnumbered two to one and unable to argue with people he couldn't afford to offend.
Phoenix, meanwhile, watched gleefully as Aurelia scolded Nathaniel. The world really did operate on checks and balances—who would have thought that the seemingly invincible Nathaniel could be rendered speechless by just a few words from Aurelia?
After years of being dominated by Nathaniel, Phoenix felt a perverse satisfaction. Aurelia had put Nathaniel in his place, which by extension meant Phoenix had triumphed over Nathaniel. From now on, he'd never have to fear him again.
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