Boss, Your Ex-Wife is Unreachable Now! novel Chapter 196

Seeing the shock flicker across Willow's face, Ian was certain now—something bad had happened to her.

But whatever it was, it was personal. He didn't have the right to pry, nor did he want to push unless she was willing to open up.

Willow, for her part, definitely wasn't about to confide in Ian. And, as it turned out, he was a little off the mark.

It wasn't that she was afraid of being around men. What unsettled her was the sudden closeness, the forcefulness, the chase.

She'd spent a lot of time lately observing herself, analyzing, even testing her reactions, and she'd come to this conclusion.

Determined to set Ian straight—and to do one more test—Willow decided to act.

She reached out and gently took Ian's hand in hers, her gaze calm and steady. "Is this the kind of contact you mean, Dr. Lockwood?"

Ian hadn't expected her to do that. He was caught off guard, surprised.

To make her point, Willow didn't just brush his hand and pull away. She kept holding on, her voice composed as she continued, "Back in the parking lot, when I pulled away from you, it was just a gut reaction. I'd just been dragged into the hospital by that man, and I was still shaken up. But now I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

With that, she released his hand, offering a quiet apology. "I'm sorry, Dr. Lockwood. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

As Willow let go, the warmth of her touch faded from the back of Ian's hand.

He didn't look the least bit annoyed. If anything, he seemed momentarily stunned.

Snapping back to himself, Ian shook his head. "It's all right. But… that man said you fainted for a couple of minutes back there—"

Even though she'd just held his hand calmly, without the slightest sign of distress, people don't just pass out for no reason. He couldn't help but worry.

Meanwhile, tucked away in a parked car in the garage, Beasley sat listening to urgent updates about Stormhawk Drones from his VP over the phone. Out the windshield, he spotted two familiar figures returning.

He watched as they walked toward a white compact car not far away. The man opened the passenger door for the woman, waited for her to get in, then circled to the driver's side and got behind the wheel. A moment later, the car pulled away.

Beasley's brow furrowed, his gaze turning cold.

"President Windsor, you really need to come down and assess the situation yourself before we make any decisions," VP Farris was saying in his ear.

Beasley tore his eyes from the departing car and replied mildly, "All right, I'm on my way. I'll be there in about forty-five minutes."

He ended the call, started his car without another glance back, and drove out of the hospital garage.