568 Fraying Tempers
He made his way toward the ward, his mind consumed with worry—not about Quinn this time, but about Julius. Today, Julius had endured more than just a minor shock; he appeared like a live wire, exposed and crackling with tension.
Outside the hospital, Laura stepped into the cool air, raising her arm to hail a cab. Suddenly, a hand shot out, gripping her wrist firmly and pulling her back into the shadow cast by a nearby column.
She blinked, surprised, and looked up at the man holding her. “Weston?” The name slipped from her lips, barely more than a whisper, tinged with disbelief.
Weston’s eyes flicked to the reddish bruise marking her throat. “I heard about what happened at your company,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with concern. “Your neck—”
Laura quickly shook her head. “It’s just a scratch. I’ve already treated it myself. I’m fine.” She twisted her wrist, attempting to pull free from his grasp.
But Weston’s hold didn’t loosen. Instead, his other hand reached out, as if to gently touch the tender skin.
Startled, Laura jerked backward. “Weston, let go!” she demanded, her voice sharp.
His lips pressed into a thin line. “So you’ll let Gavin tend to it, let him apply ointment, but I can’t even touch you?” His tone was bitter, edged with hurt.
“You saw that?” Her surprise was evident, eyes widening.
“I did,” he admitted softly.
From the moment his assistant had brought him the news, Weston had driven straight to the hospital, urgency propelling him forward.
Throughout the drive, he had called Laura repeatedly, his thumb sore from tapping her number, but each time, he was met with silence.
When he finally stormed through the hospital doors, the first sight to greet him was Gavin, bent close to Laura, carefully smoothing ointment over the delicate bruise. The closeness between them was palpable; Weston could almost feel the warmth radiating from their connection. Laura, usually sparring with him in sharp retorts and guarded glances, sat completely still, lips parted slightly in quiet trust.
That image burned into his mind, igniting a raw, unsteady panic deep within him—as if she might slip away from his orbit at any moment, disappearing into another man’s world.
“Why didn’t you answer?” he burst out, voice rough and strained. “Has it come to this already? Does seeing my name on your screen disgust you so much that you’d rather let it ring endlessly?”
“My phone?” Laura frowned, then her expression softened as she remembered. “It’s still on my desk at work. I left in such a hurry, I didn’t even think to bring it.”
Quinn had been injured, and Laura had dashed after the medics without a second thought, leaving her phone forgotten among scattered project files.
Weston felt a thin thread of relief unwind inside him, though it barely eased the storm raging beneath.
“What happened to your neck? Did someone strangle you?” His words tumbled out, thick with alarm.

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