Chapter 434

Their movements oscillated between rapid and slow, gentle and forceful, until neither could catch their breath.

Felicia momentarily forgot to breathe until Stephan released her. His loving, raspy voice held a hint of playfulness. "The pain relief works well, Doctor."

Felicia's face flushed. The "Doctor" was clearly a teasing jab, brimming with mischief that bordered on infuriating.

She glared at him, then resumed tending to his wound. She applied the Panax pseudo-ginseng before bandaging it. While wrapping the gauze, her fingertips brushed against his firm, muscular chest. His body seemed to ignite at her touch; his temperature rising rapidly. With her medical expertise, she knew it wasn't fever—it was a different kind of heat. She forced herself to ignore it.

"Mr. Russell, you'll be fine if you apply the cream for the next two days. I'm busy, so I'll leave now." Felicia wanted to escape immediately. Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her waist. She gasped as Stephan pinned her against the wall. "Felicia, you asked for it," he said, his raspy voice low. His dark eyes, reflecting her angry expression, gazed deeply into hers. Felicia was furious.

He had not only kissed her, but now he wouldn't let her go. She hadn't forgotten that Stephan had another woman in his life. What kind of tangled mess was this? Was it a fleeting distraction, a passing interest?

Felicia's expression darkened. "Mr. Russell, please have some self-respect. You wouldn't want your beloved to find out about our… messy relationship, would you?" Beloved?

Stephan was stunned. Then, he remembered: Johanna had answered his phone at the hospital without permission and had followed him to Khogend. Those incidents must have caused Felicia's misunderstanding. He chuckled softly.

Felicia felt disconcerted and tried to escape his hold, only to be patted on the head like a pet. She glared at him.

"That time you called, I was with Imogen, who was at the hospital. The person who answered was Imogen's fiancé's younger sister. I have nothing to do with Johanna. As for the other things…"

He explained Johanna's background and her reasons for following him to Khogend, though the details were complicated. Felicia listened intently. Moments later, she realized he was explaining himself, believing she had misunderstood or was jealous—perhaps both.

She froze. At that moment, she felt a sharp bite on her lip, making her hiss in pain. She looked at Stephan, who was giving her a teasing smile. "Felicia, tell me. Who's Maurice?"