Chapter 458
Chapter 458:
The thought knotted Maia’s heart, wrapping it in quiet anguish. She tugged him toward a chair and guided him down with gentle insistence.
Without a second thought, she reached for the buttons on his shirt.
Chris caught her hand with a mischievous curve to his lips. “You told me you didn’t miss me, and now here you are, hands all over me the moment we meet again p>
Maia’s lips pressed into a tight line, the memory of their earlier kiss still lingering like the last warmth of sunset.
Seriously? It was evident that he was taking advantage of her! She batted his hand away and unbuttoned his shirt with decisive fingers, tugging the collar aside in one swift motion.
A wide swath of his torso was mummified in bloodstained gauze. The wrappings stretched from his left rib cage across to his right shoulder, a grim sash of suffering.
The sight of fresh crimson blooming against the white cloth made Maia’s stomach churn, twisting like a vine around her ribs.
She stared, her heart a battlefield of emotions — shock, sorrow, anger, and fear.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Chris said, tilting his head with a crooked grin. “You’re going to make me believe you actually care p>
For reasons she couldn’t name, Maia felt a weight pressing down on her chest. Seeing him so gravely wounded, yet still grinning through the agony, felt like watching someone smile while they drowned.
“Don’t move,” she commanded, her voice sharp as a snapped branch. She whirled away and vanished into her room, pulling a first-aid kit from under her bed — a quiet soldier she’d kept ready for just such moments.
Returning swiftly, she didn’t waste a heartbeat. Her hands flew to the soaked bandages.
Chris caught her wrist again, his voice a murmur. “Don’t look. It’ll frighten you p>
Your source:
Though no physician by trade, Maia had earned her doctorate from Norwyn Medical School — no stranger to broken bodies or blood. She shot him a look, cold as a winter gust. “I told you not to move. Are you going to defy me now p>
Her tone wasn’t loud, but it rang with authority — a spell that stilled his hands. Inside, Chris was torn. How could he not obey his wife’s words? He always listened to Maia.
After a beat of hesitation, he let go.
As she peeled away the sodden wrappings, a savage wound came into view — angry and raw. Judging by its breadth and depth, the shot had come from a high-caliber sniper rifle — no street weapon, this. Such sniper rifles were rare even on the black market, and those who could obtain one were no ordinary people.
Who had Chris’ boss crossed to earn the wrath of such an enemy? What kind of predator would go to such lengths to kill? Maia’s thoughts whirled as her hands trembled ever so slightly.
She kept her emotions shackled, moving with calm precision as she tossed the bloodied bandages aside and began cleaning and dressing the wound anew.
Chris remained silent, his gaze fixed on Maia’s face. Her expression was focused, tender, yet clouded with unspoken worry.
He wanted nothing more than to gather her close and hold her until the world faded away.
“I didn’t know you were this good at treating wounds,” Chris said quietly, almost to himself.
Maia didn’t look up. Her hands stayed busy.
After a long pause, she spoke — her voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe you should think about changing jobs. Or… taking some time off. I can p>