Chapter 23
Justin didn’t offer any explanations, and Emma didn’t ask for any. They both understood the unspoken things between them, and as long as Justin chose her, that was all that mattered.
Over the past few days, Justin had been by her side almost constantly. Aside from necessary work obligations and sleeping separately at night, they had spent nearly all their time together. However, there was one thing that left Emma feeling unsettled.
Despite being together, they hadn’t made any real progress physically. The most they had done was hold hands or share a few light embraces.
It wasn’t that she was in a rush to take things further. She still had other matters to address first. What truly bothered her was that Justin hadn’t clearly defined their relationship.
Without an explicit confession or being officially declared as his girlfriend, she felt like she was stuck in a gray area. To her, it was essential to secure a defined role as his partner. Only after Justin acknowledged her publicly as his girlfriend, proposed to her, and they were legally married would she feel completely secure.
The car came to a stop, interrupting her thoughts.
They had arrived at Regal Estates, the most luxurious residential complex in the coastal city. When Emma was discharged from the hospital, Justin arranged for her to live here.
It was a two–story penthouse with a sprawling terrace, worth millions, and on the very first day, he had given her the property deed with her name on it. Emma was quite pleased with this gesture.
Justin carried her white suitcase in one hand and held her hand with the other as they took the elevator from the underground parking to her apartment. He accompanied her all the way to her front door.
“You’re leaving already?” she asked, pouting playfully.
Justin placed her suitcase in the living room. “Yeah, I’ve got things to handle at the office this afternoon. I need to head straight there.
“These past three days with you were nice, but there’s work that couldn’t be managed remotely. It’s been waiting for me to get back,” he said calmly.
Three years ago, he had promised Emma that he would make it up to her when she returned. Now that she was back, it felt like he was just following through out of obligation.
Obligation?
She was supposed to be the one he genuinely cared for, and spending time with her should have felt natural. Why was he even thinking of it as an “obligation”?
It felt almost like he was checking off a box, just fulfilling a duty. He was frustrated with himself for seeing it that way, for letting that word creep into his thoughts. He silently reprimanded himself for using such a term with her. He shouldn’t feel this way about Emma, he thought.
Emma, oblivious to his inner turmoil, interpreted his attention as a sign of her special status. She thought to herself that she must still hold an important place in his heart if he was willing to spend time with her despite his busy schedule.
Emma felt even more confident about her place in Justin’s heart.
She wrapped her petite frame around his lean, muscular waist, looking up at him with a playful glint in her eyes. Make sure you take care of yourself, okay? Don’t overwork
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Chapter 23
+15 BONUS
Justin maintained his usual calm expression, neither rejecting her sudden display of affection nor pulling away. Only he could feel the stiffness in his own body, a bit awkward from their closeness, perhaps because he wasn’t used to it after three years apart.
He kept any hint of discomfort or unexpected emotion carefully hidden behind his gaze.
“I’ve asked my assistant, Sam, to hire a housekeeper and a nutritionist for you. They’ll look after your meals and daily routine,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “Make sure to listen to the nutritionist, no picky eating. You need to get your strength back.”
Chapter 24
