Chapter 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
The doorbell rang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet was wrapped in a blanket, curled up on the couch. She thought it was Ariane and struggled to get up and open the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But standing outside was Zachary. He went wearing a light gray trench coat, standing tall and refined, holding several thermos containers in his hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZach?\u201d Juliet looked genuinely surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t sound right on the phone. I was worried, so I came to check on you.\u201d Zachary\u2019s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before a gentle smile spread across his lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He walked in naturally, set the containers down on the dining table, then turned back and lightly touched her forehead with the back of his hand. \u201cYou don\u2019t have a fever. Why do you\u00a0<\/p>\n
look so bad?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine. I just caught a mild cold that triggered gastritis.\u201d Juliet stepped back a little, lowering her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGastritis?\u201d Zachary studied her pale face for a few seconds, and a flicker of darkness flashed in his light gray eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was lying. But he didn\u2019t press her. Instead, his smile softened even more. \u201cThen you must\u00a0<\/p>\n
rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He opened one of the containers, and the warm, comforting scent of chicken soup instantly filled the room. \u201cI made you some chicken noodle soup. It\u2019s easy on the stomach.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He ladled out a bowl and pushed it toward her. It was a hearty, appetizing bowl of golden soup speckled with various colors of different vegetables.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEat it while it\u2019s still warm,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet took small spoonfuls. The warm soup slid into her stomach, easing some of the chill she felt earlier. The noodles were soft yet chewy, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor. For some\u00a0<\/p>\n
reason, it didn\u2019t trigger her nausea at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Zach, for coming all this way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still being so polite with me?\u201d Zachary sat across from her, resting his chin on one\u00a0<\/p>\n
S Sh\u00a0<\/p>\n
ShortMax\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0627\u0644\u0627\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
hand, smiling as he watched her eat. His gaze was focused, not invasive, yet impossible to\u00a0<\/p>\n
ignore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet grew a little self-conscious, her cheeks warming as she lowered her head and ate faster.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZach, I\u2019m really sorry about the work.\u201d She couldn\u2019t help but apologize.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour health is more important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bowl was soon empty. Zachary immediately scooped her a second serving. Like the most considerate older brother, he took care of her meticulously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After she finished eating, he stood up and began clearing the dishes, carrying them into the\u00a0<\/p>\n
kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can do the dishes!\u201d Juliet hurriedly got up, only to be stopped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still sick. Sit down,\u201d Zachary said as he moved around the kitchen with ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feeling awkward about lying down, Juliet leaned against the doorway to keep him company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sunlight streamed in through the window, outlining him in a soft glow. His tall, straight back radiated an invisible sense of security.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After washing the dishes, Zachary even picked up a mop and started cleaning the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet couldn\u2019t stop him. She could only sit on the couch, watching his long legs move back and forth through her apartment. Slowly, her eyelids began to droop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she opened her eyes again, she saw her clothes being folded by his slim fingers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZach, you really don\u2019t have to!\u201d Blushing, Juliet tried to get up, but a sudden wave of dizziness sent her tilting sideways. She let out a small scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCareful!\u201d Zachary reacted instantly. His long arm shot out, pulling her unsteady body straight into his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her soft frame collided with his solid, warm chest. Her world spun, and her breath filled with that clean, woody scent again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hurt yourself?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet\u2019s cheek pressed against the fine fabric of his shirt. She could hear his steady heartbeat, thudding once after another. The sound reverberated in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She tried to stand, but her limbs felt like cotton, completely soft and weak. She was practically hanging off him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
S ShortMax\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0627\u062f\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 23\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zachary didn\u2019t give her a chance to struggle. His arm tightened around her waist, the other slipping under her knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next second, Juliet gasped as her body lifted off the ground. He had swept her bridal carry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
up\u00a0<\/p>\n
in a\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instinctively, she looped her arms around his neck, and her heartbeat fell completely out of rhythm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
S ShortMax\u00a0<\/p>\n
K\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 23\u00a0 The doorbell rang.\u00a0 Juliet was wrapped in a blanket, curled up on the couch. She thought it was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-save-your-pleas-im-with-your-best-friend-now-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":442,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403\/revisions\/442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}