Chapter 96
Teresa was feeling dizzy from the fever when Charles reached out. By the time she reacted, his hand had already slipped under her clothes.
So, when she tried to protect herself, she ended up grabbing not just her clothes but also his hand.
Her reaction was strong, and she used a lot of force, which inadvertently pushed his hand deeper, right onto her chest.
Charles’s hand was burning hot, searing against Teresa’s cold skin.
let go of
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She was totally out of it. By the time she tried to let go of his hand, Charles had already spoken first, “Teresa, don’t you have any shame?”
Teresa tilted her face up to look at him, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush, her eyes unfocused and dazed, like she still hadn’t fully
come to her senses.
Charles lowered his head, gazing into her eyes, mesmerized by the dark depths that seemed to draw him in.
Right then, a rush of heated, intimate memories flashed through his mind.
He pictured Teresa lying beneath him, pressing herself against him, her arms wrapped around his waist, breathlessly calling his name.
Except when they were in bed together, Teresa had never called Charles like that.
Lost in those memories, Charles didn’t even think about pulling his hand away.
Teresa blushed. Hearing Charles’s words and seeing he still hadn’t pulled away his hand, she frowned and snapped at him, “Are you going to let go or not? Have you no shame?”
As she spoke, she pushed his hand away and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
Charles came to his senses, yanked his hand back in a hurry, and blurted out, “I’ll go wake Yolanda up.”
Without a glance at Teresa, he all but sprinted out of the bedroom.
As he left, the tips of his ears were flushed red, as if they were burning up.
He’d just wanted to feel if Teresa was still sweating, but he never expected her to accidentally push his hand right onto her chest.
Usually, when they were in bed together, it was all about getting the job done. This was the first time he’d ever touched her like that by accident.
Even though he knew her body well, his mind went blank for a second the moment his hand landed on her chest.
After Charles left, Teresa was left dazed for a long while, the spot where he’d touched her still burning hot.
She had no idea why Charles had suddenly reached out to touch her, but she was certain that it wasn’t because he wanted her body.
No matter what he was thinking, one thing was clear. He didn’t love her.
Remembering she still had to go to work, Teresa dragged herself out of bed.
She barely managed to freshen up and get dressed before heading downstairs.
Downstairs, Charles was standing by the floor–to–ceiling window, on the phone. The rain was still falling outside, but it wasn’t as heavy as it had been the day before
Teresa glanced at his back. She’d wanted to ask if Yolanda was ready, but seeing Charles on the phone, she decided not to say anything.
He didn’t seem to notice her standing there. His voice was soft and gentle as he spoke into the phone. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle the wellness center arrangements.”
Just hearing how patient he was. Teresa instantly knew it had to be Naomi on the other end
Her head was still spinning, but since Charles was on the phone, she figured she’d go upstairs to check on Yolanda
Just as she turned to head up, Charles hung up and noticed her “Teresa, hold on,” he called out
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Chapter 96
He said her name in that cold, distant way, with not a hint of warmth.
Teresa gripped the banister and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
Charles walked over and stood in front of her, casting a shadow over her. He looked down and said, “Can you update me on Yolanda’s condition?”
When he rushed back last night, it was the middle of the night. He’d come to check on Yolanda, but she was perfectly fine. Instead, he found Teresa running a high fever.
So he ended up carrying her back to the bedroom.
When Teresa heard Charles ask about Yolanda, she felt like asking where he had been the night before. But she knew it would be pointless to ask.
The fact that he’d rushed back in the middle of the night just showed he still cared about Yolanda.
So, she swallowed her questions and kept them buried inside.
“Yolanda has a few swollen lymph nodes in her abdomen. Fortunately, there are not many and they’re quite small. Kids her age often experience functional abdominal pain. We’ve checked for any serious issues and ruled them out. So it’s nothing major, but we do need to keep an eye on her diet,” Teresa explained.
Charles frowned, “What triggers it?”
Teresa said, “Spicy food, junk food, cold drinks, overeating or drinking, and lack of sleep. All these can trigger it.”
Charles lowered his gaze. “Got it.”
Seeing the look on his face, Teresa suddenly remembered something.
“Charles, I was just about to talk to you about this too,” she said.
Charles glanced at her, his tone indifferent. “Go ahead.”
Her expression turned solemn. “It doesn’t matter who’s taking care of Yolanda. She’s just five years old. She shouldn’t be eating things that are bad for her or staying up late. She needs to keep an early hour and spend more time outside being active.”
Just thinking about Naomi’s concerts, Teresa couldn’t help but feel a wave of irritation.
Naomi always held her concerts at night, and Yolanda would stay up late just to show up for her.
‘How could a five–year–old possibly handle that?‘ thought Teresa.
Once Teresa finished, Charles shot back, “Then why don’t you just quit your job and stay home with Yolanda?”
Teresa stared at him, eyes wide. “Are you serious?”
Charles shrugged. “If you think I’m doing such a lousy job, maybe you should handle it yourself”
Teresa snorted, giving him a wry look, “So you’re really just going to take her side, huh?”
She obviously meant Naomi
Teresa knew all too well about Yolanda staying up late with Naomi and snacking on junk food.
She and Hector had even caught them together more than once
Maybe it wasn’t all Naomi’s fault, but she definitely had a hand in it.
But Charles never said a word about Naomi being at fault.
Isn’t that just him taking her side? thought “Teresa
Charles still didn’t mention Naomi at all. He just fired back, “If you really care about Yolanda, isn’t it your job to stay home and look after
her?
Teresa was really pissed. She tilted her chin up and stared Charles down, snapping, “Charles, I don’t care what you say. I’m not quitting”
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