Chapter 298: Another Round

Maggie hesitated, murmuring, "I can do it myself."

"Nonsense," he replied. "How could you manage it alone?"

Maggie bit her lip. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

Nathael gently made her sit on the sofa and began to unbutton her shirt.

Maggie reached out to stop him, a lump forming in her throat. Her breathing grew uneven.

Nathael chuckled. "I've never seen you so guarded before."

Nervousness washed over Maggie. The living room, though lit only by a warm nightlight, felt too bright, too exposed.

"It's different," Maggie defended.

Nathael gave her a peck, then asked in a husky voice, "Weren't you very bold just now?"

He hugged her to calm her. Her eyelashes fluttered; she bit her lip.

He resumed unbuttoning her shirt. This time, Maggie didn't stop him, but her hands felt awkward, unsure where to rest. She felt exposed. Lowering her head, she avoided his gaze, focusing instead on his fingers—pretty, but injured.

He swiftly unbuttoned her shirt with one hand, revealing the hickeys he'd left earlier on her collarbone. He silently counted them.

Suffocated, Maggie closed her eyes. Nathael swallowed hard, struggling to maintain his composure.

Maggie wasn't wearing any undergarments, intending to go to bed soon. The sight of her exposed skin, her shirt undone, aroused him.

"Are you done?" Maggie urged anxiously, acutely aware of his gaze. She wasn't usually shy, but his intensity was overwhelming.

Nathael briefly closed his eyes, reminding himself to apply medicine to her wounds. "Turn around."

Chapter 298 (Continued)

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned. She allowed her shirt to slip halfway off. In Nathael's eyes, she looked alluring.

He almost lost control, staring at her back. He wanted her badly.

Her back was healing, but the scars—from sharp gravel—still looked unsettling. The wounds were fresh, still wet from her shower.

Nathael gulped as he disinfected and applied medicine to her wounds. The coolness made Maggie unconsciously straighten her back, pulling away slightly.

"Bear with it," Nathael said. "If not, it will leave scars."

Maggie remained quiet, but flinched when the medicine stung. Thankfully, it didn't last long.

The living room filled with the scent of antiseptic. Suddenly, Maggie remembered Nathael's own injuries. "Have you tended to your injuries?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I can manage; it isn't serious." He looked at her wounds, his expression troubled.

Maggie said nothing. Isn't serious? she thought. Who does he think he is, Hercules? He hadn't even seemed to notice the pain from his broken finger. Her thoughts drifted to the arm he'd lost in his past life—a loss mirrored in this one. People would use her to threaten Nathael.

Maggie lowered her eyes. Am I that useless?

"I'm done!" Nathael said, putting away the medicine. "Let the medicine dry before putting on your clothes."

Maggie clutched her clothes, suspecting he wanted something more from her.

A few minutes later, he returned and kissed her shoulders. He hugged her from behind, making her tremble. He whispered against her neck, his words mostly unintelligible in the original text, so I've omitted them. He had let her be kidnapped. The thought caused a pang in his chest.

Maggie didn't mention Timothy. "How can you blame yourself for this?" she asked. "You can't follow me to the bathroom every time."

Nathael hugged her silently, her back pressed against his chest. He felt his heart overflowing, though no one knew how terrified he'd been. Timothy was unpredictable, and he'd truly feared he wouldn't arrive in time. His breaths came heavily.

Sensing his darkening mood, Maggie turned and kissed him. "Don't blame yourself," she said. "To be safe, you have to scheme. It's hard for you to do anything because you're grateful to his father." Timothy was a madman beneath his innocent facade, difficult to control.

Nathael swallowed hard as he laid her down. "Another round?" he asked, already touching her.

Maggie glared at him, noticing the lust in his eyes. She thought of his ten years of suffering in his past life, until death. Her heart ached for him. "Mhm," she agreed.

Chapter 299: I'm Innocent

The night was intense. Despite Nathael's attempts at restraint, he lost control.

The following morning, Maggie woke groggily, weak and dizzy. Nathael wasn't beside her. She sat up, wondering the time. The curtains were drawn back, sunlight illuminating the bed. She felt cold, her body aching. She recalled the events of the past few days. Checking her phone, she was shocked to see it was noon. Her legs were shaky as she struggled to get up.

After a quick shower and draping a shawl around herself, she left the bedroom. Nathael, having been busy with work all morning (after several days off), was sitting on the sofa, playing with the brooch she'd designed. She'd left it on the dining table, forgetting about it after their intimacy. "Do you like it?" she asked softly.

Nathael looked up. He noticed a small scab on her lip, and her tired appearance. He stood and embraced her. "Yes, very much."

Maggie smiled, whispering, "Nathael, I wish you happiness."

He kissed her, a quick peck, pulling away quickly for fear of losing control. He noticed she felt warm. He placed a hand on her forehead, frowning. "You feel warm." He checked her temperature. "101.5 Fahrenheit."

Maggie was surprised. "No wonder my head feels heavy."

"Come on," he said. "Eat something before you take your medication."

This is a significantly improved version with corrected grammar, punctuation, and improved flow. The ambiguous sentence about Nathael whispering was omitted as its meaning was unclear. The numbered sections at the end were also removed, as they seemed extraneous to the story itself.