Before long, their breaths came in sync, a quiet connection growing between them.
Linsey closed her eyes, and then, as if by instinct, she felt his long fingers gently threading through her hair, his touch tender and lingering.
The cool air outside blended with the warmth between them. Tentatively, Linsey reached out, her fingers brushing against him, only to pull back immediately, as if jolted by an electric shock.
A low, husky chuckle escaped him, his breath warm against her ear. The heat between them flared, undeterred, and her body instinctively curled in response to the intensity.
She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, anchoring herself to the overwhelming presence he exuded.
He quieted every sound she made, his entire being opening to her without hesitation.
With a slow, careful motion, Linsey opened her misty eyes, brimming with unspoken emotion, and met his gaze.
His eyes, dark and intense, held her captive. The force of them quickened her heartbeat, making her feel as though she might be swept away by the storm brewing within him.
His low, breathy moans lingered in the air, making Linsey glance at her palm in confusion. The warmth there grew, gradually intensifying, until it felt as though she could barely control it.
She had expected everything to be over quickly, but it wasn’t until an hour had passed that she found herself pushing Collin’s wheelchair toward the car parked at the entrance of the villa.
For some reason-though she couldn’t tell if it was her imagination-she couldn’t shake the lingering sensation of warmth, her hands and arms still faintly tingling.
Later that day, when Collin arrived much later than usual, his assistant, noticing his condition, stepped forward with concern. “Mr. Riley, are you feeling alright? If you’re not up to it, we can always reschedule the meeting.”
Collin shot Linsey a look that was both knowing and satisfied, as if he had just indulged in the most exquisite meal.
“I wasn’t feeling my best earlier,” he said, his voice casual, almost nonchalant. “But my wife took good care of me.”
Linsey froze, her mind struggling to catch up with his words. Meanwhile, the assistant, clearly impressed, couldn’t help but comment, “Wow, Mrs. Riley, you really have a way with things. I had no idea you were also skilled in… healing.”
Whether or not Linsey was truly a doctor, the assistant couldn’t be sure. But one thing was undeniable-Collin’s admiration for her was unmistakable, and praising her was always a safe bet.
Linsey’s thoughts quickly drifted back to the heated moments from earlier. Embarrassed and irritated, she stamped her foot down on Collin’s, hoping to release some of her frustration. She knew he couldn’t feel anything below his knees, so it was a harmless way to let off steam. But to her surprise, he gasped sharply, causing her to freeze in shock.
“Are you alright?” Linsey rushed over to Collin, her face etched with worry. After a moment of stunned silence, she asked in confusion, “Are you in pain? Can you feel anything in your feet?”
Collin’s heart skipped a beat. He realized he had accidentally revealed something he shouldn’t have. Linsey hadn’t actually stepped on his foot that hard. But in a moment of spontaneity, he had instinctively decided to tease her, briefly forgetting that he was still pretending to be unable to walk.
He furrowed his brows slightly, unsure of how to explain this to her. Should he tell her the truth now? But if Linsey found out, it would only put her at greater risk.
Linsey, unaware of his inner turmoil, noticed his conflicted expression and suddenly had a realization. Her face lit up with excitement. “You can feel something! Does this mean there’s hope for your legs to heal?” She grinned, grabbing his hands earnestly. “Collin, it seems like there’s a chance you might be getting some feeling back in your legs!” Linsey didn’t overthink it. She simply assumed Collin was just as surprised as she was by the unexpected sensation. After all, he had been struggling with his disability for so many years, it was only natural that he would long to stand on his own two feet again.
Collin looked at the uncontainable joy on her face, and his emotions became incredibly complicated. He knew without a doubt that her happiness stemmed entirely from her concern for him. However, there were too many urgent issues to deal with, and he had no choice but to continue the charade.
Pressing his lips together, he regained his composure and offered a small smile. “It’s just a faint sensation. Don’t get your hopes up just yet. My doctor once mentioned there was a possibility I could recover, but it’s been almost ten years, and there hasn’t been any real improvement. So, I try not to get my hopes up.”
Linsey’s smile wavered, and she softly said, “I understand.” A pang of sympathy resonated within her, but she recognized that the weight of this burden must be far heavier for him than for herself.
Therefore, she resolved to steer clear of the subject, unwilling to inflict further distress upon him. With this intention in mind, she summoned a smile and said gently, “It’s alright. Go attend to your work.”
Collin nodded in acknowledgment, bid her farewell, and, with the assistance of his assistant, settled into the car before swiftly departing. Observing the car vanish into the horizon, Linsey felt a spark of hope rekindle within her heart. Perhaps, one day, Collin would indeed be back on his feet.
Fueled by this resolve, she made up her mind to seek out Collin’s doctor and delve into the intricacies of his condition. Wasting no time, she returned to the villa and inquired with Josh about the doctor’s contact details and whereabouts.
To her astonishment, she discovered that the doctor attending to Collin’s legs was none other than Dominic-the very same doctor she had encountered during her prior hospitalization. Swiftly collecting her belongings, she hailed a taxi and headed straight for the hospital.
However, as fate would have it, just as she set foot inside the hospital, a middle-aged woman came hurtling toward her, resulting in a harsh collision. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she looked up to find the woman sprawled across the floor.
Disregarding her own discomfort, she hurried to the woman’s aid. “I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. “I really didn’t mean for that to happen. Are you alright?”
“Oh, dear! Just my luck!” The middle-aged woman, her face etched with a sickly pallor, frowned in displeasure. Then, unleashing a torrent of expletives, she shrieked, “Are you blind? What in the world is wrong with you?”
Still muttering under her breath, she unceremoniously propped herself up using Linsey’s arm.
“Honestly, you…” The woman’s verbal onslaught screeched to a halt as she raised her eyes to meet Linsey’s gaze. “You?!” she gasped in disbelief.
Linsey was momentarily taken aback, registering the flicker of fear that danced in the woman’s eyes.
Linsey was puzzled by the middle-aged woman’s reaction. Did she recognize her?
Before Linsey could ask, the woman turned abruptly and fled, disappearing into the crowd.
“Ma’am, are you alright?” A nurse approached Linsey with concern. “Did you get hurt?”
Linsey shook her head, her gaze fixed on the path the woman had taken, a frown creasing her forehead. “Who was that woman? It was as though she’d seen a ghost when she looked at me.” The feeling was unmistakable.
The more Linsey thought about the encounter, the more baffling it seemed. She had no connection to this woman. Could it be that she was mistaken for someone the woman feared?
The nurse paused for a moment before offering, “Maybe it’s because she has cancer. That can sometimes make people act strangely. It’s alright, though. Try not to dwell on it.”
Linsey nodded, understanding dawning on her. The woman’s pale complexion could be explained by her illness. Compassion stirred in her chest.
Meanwhile, Alexa Sanderson-the middle-aged woman who had collided with Linsey-was running as if her life depended on it, terrified that Linsey might be following her. She eventually stopped, gasping for breath, only then realizing that no one was chasing her.
Clutching her chest, her complexion now ghostly pale, Alexa took refuge in a secluded corner. She replayed the encounter in her mind, anxiety gnawing at her.
“How can they look so similar?” she murmured, her lips dry and her eyes shadowed by a deep, consuming fear.
Seeing Linsey’s face had sent her thoughts hurtling back more than two decades.
“You’re Alexa Sanderson, right? I heard you’ve just had a baby, so you must know what you’re doing. I’m entrusting my daughter to your care. Remember, be very careful. If anything happens to her, it will be on you.”
Alexa had nodded meekly, her eyes falling on the infant in the crib. The baby was lovely, with the promise of a privileged life etched into her very being.
Perhaps it was greed, or perhaps a lapse in judgment, but one day Alexa had made a fateful decision. She swapped her own daughter with her employer’s child.
The babies, mere newborns, were indistinguishable to most. Alexa dressed her biological daughter in the employer’s child’s opulent garments.
As for the employer’s child, Alexa hesitated briefly before leaving her in a dumpster on the city’s outskirts.
Jolted back to the present, Alexa pressed a hand to her throbbing head. She had briefly thought Linsey was her former employer, back to exact revenge. But reflecting on it, over twenty years had passed. Her own daughter had been living a life of affluence with the employer’s family, unsuspected all this while.
Moreover, the employer’s child had perished shortly after being discarded-Alexa had seen it herself.
It seemed impossible for any of this to come back to haunt her. Alexa allowed herself a moment of relief, a faint smile breaking through her worry.
She then glanced at the medical record she was holding. Previously, fear of implicating her daughter had kept her at bay. Now, facing her own mortality, she was driven by a desire to see her biological daughter before passing.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.