Chapter 400: The Spineless Nephew and the Brave Sister
Dean stood in front of his little uncle’s hospital room, cursing his bad luck. Why did he volunteer to bring breakfast for them? Now he was stuck in the middle of a scandal.
"Miss..." Dean cleared his throat. "This is a private room. It belongs to my uncle. I think you should double-check it again." Dean lied, trying to send this girl away, buying time to wake Micah up. If what he guessed was right, he didn’t think Micah would want his family walking in on...that.
Aria paused, her brows furrowing. The way this man talked with confidence made her doubtful. She nodded, pulling out her phone. She gave him one last suspicious glance before turning around, calling her mother to ask again.
Dean felt relieved. He didn’t waste another second; he slipped back into the room quickly and walked over to the bed. "Uncle!" he whispered, leaning down.
Clyde’s eyes snapped open in alarm. But the moment his gaze fell on Micah’s face beside him, his heart calmed down. His hand lingered against Micah’s side, reluctant to move.
Then his head turned sharply toward Dean. His eyes, still groggy from sleep but no less piercing, locked into him. They were cold, full of hostility. "What are you doing inside?" His voice was low, dangerous. He positioned himself to cover Micah’s body completely from Dean’s eyes.
Dean’s lips twitched helplessly. "Little uncle, the door is open. This is a hospital," He cut himself off with a frustrated hiss. "No, wait. That’s not important. Wake up, Micah. I think his sister is out there."
Clyde tore his eyes away and nodded. "Alright. Go out."
Dean didn’t argue. He turned on his heel and left the room quickly.
Clyde exhaled softly, warmth filling his face as he looked back at Micah. His fingers brushed gently over the younger man’s eyelashes, lingering for a moment before he carefully entangled himself and sat up. He pulled the blanket higher over Micah’s body, tucking it in lightly. Then, rising to his feet, he straightened his own clothes. By the time he lowered himself into the chair by the bedside, his expression returned to its usual cool mask.
A few minutes later, a soft knock echoed.
"Uncle?" Dean’s voice carried through the door. He cracked it open slightly, his tone deliberately casual. "Is young master Micah here?" he asked, pretending not to know anything.
Aria, standing just behind him, glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, thinking this young man was odd. Elina clearly said Micah had not left the room, staying with that man. But his nephew didn’t know Micah was here?
"Good morning," Aria said, looking at the man with the bandaged head sitting in the chair. His pale blue eyes lifted to meet hers, cold and unreadable. She didn’t flinch. She offered a polite smile instead. "Is my brother here?"
Clyde nodded. "Yes. He is asleep."
Aria’s gaze darted toward the only bed in the room. Micah was sound asleep. "Is he okay? Didn’t the fever stop?"
"Yes. He was just exhausted." Clyde spoke calmly.
Aria walked over to the bed, placing her hand on Micah’s forehead. The skin was cool. No fever. Her lips curved faintly.
Satisfied, she turned back toward the table. She placed the bags she had been carrying onto it with a small thud. "My mum sent his favourite food," she explained, her voice light. "Tell him he can take it easy. Mum had already taken leave from university for him. She will come before noon. There was this annual meeting at their department she couldn’t just miss." Aria rambled on, listing instructions with ease that suggested she was used to being the messenger.
Dean, standing at the door, gaped at her. His jaw nearly hit the floor. This girl...Why didn’t she fear Clyde? She was speaking as if he were any ordinary man. Most people would be tongue-tied the moment Clyde so much as glanced at them. What a brave girl!
He stared at her with sparkling eyes, full of admiration.
*******
Micah could hear Aria’s voice drifting in from the other side of the blanket. His heart gave a startled lurch. Immediately, like a small partridge burying itself under snow to shield from harsh weather, he ducked lower, pulling the blanket over his head and curling up into a ball. He tried to stay perfectly still, pretending that if he didn’t move, reality wouldn’t find him.
Moments earlier, he had been having a sweet, indulgent dream, warm, cocooned, and pressed into Clyde’s solid arms. The comfort of that embrace was something he hadn’t wanted to let go of, even in sleep. But the second his sister’s voice penetrated his dream, it shattered like a glass.
Shock jolted through him. His first panicked thought was that he had been caught red-handed, sleeping in Clyde’s arms. He felt mortified. His sister saw that? He would rather evaporate on the spot than face her.
But then his senses cleared, and he realised that he was alone on the bed. He felt his heart settle back to his place. Still, he had no desire to face Aria like this. From her point of view, he was being utterly shameless, occupying a patient’s bed when the injured man was sitting elsewhere. He could already imagine her sharp tongue calling him a bully, berating him for taking advantage.
What excuse could he possibly give? He couldn’t practically say he was sleeping with the patient, could he?
So he stayed perfectly motionless, like a stone hidden under moss, waiting for his sister to leave. But no. His sister was not one to leave things alone. Once her caring sister instincts were triggered, she went all in, hovering, fussing, and asking questions.
Micah cursed Dean silently in his head. This big softie. Wasn’t this his chance? Take away your woman already! Don’t you want to get to know her? She is your future wife. Why are you letting her talk to Clyde this much? Micah wanted to throw a pillow at him. Didn’t Dean care that Aria might be charmed by Clyde’s presence?
Of course, deep down, Micah knew the chance was practically zero. Clyde belonged to him. End of story. But still... Dean was such a spineless wuss.
Author’s note:
Wow! 400 Chapters! 🥰🥰
I can’t believe I wrote so many. It is all thanks to your support. Thank you for being with me on this journey. 😘❤️