Time was tight, the datasets immense. Everyone else had left hours ago, unable to keep up, but Khloe was a workaholic. Once she started, nothing else existed.
She had told others she’d leave at a reasonable hour, but tonight… it was long past late.
A sudden, sharp cramp twisted her abdomen. Checking her calendar, she realized her period was due. She brushed it off, doing a quick fix before returning to the computer.
But the pain refused to relent. It gnawed deeper, clawing into her bones, relentless.
By the time Khloe fully realized she couldn’t push through it, her body had given out entirely. Sweat soaked her clothes, and she couldn’t even move an inch.
This was bad. Khloe was in too much pain-so much that she felt herself about to pass out.
Khloe, dazed, fumbled for her phone, wanting to call someone for help…
She tried Charlotte, but there was no answer. Glancing at the time, she saw it was already two in the morning- everyone was probably asleep. Outside, the rain pounded relentlessly.
Somehow, her phone screen lit up with a message from Nick:
Nick: [What’s wrong?]
Earlier, while she had been trying to text Charlotte, her thumb had accidentally tapped Nick’s chat icon. Now, feeling like she couldn’t hold on any longer, her hand slipped, and she dialed him.
“Hello?”
He answered instantly. Nick hadn’t slept either-he’d just finished a video call at home. Remembering her message from this morning, he had absentmindedly opened the chat, never expecting a late-night ping from her … and now a call.
There was silence on the line at first, only heavy, uneven breathing. His brow furrowed, and he instinctively stood.
“Khloe. Speak. What happened?”
“…My stomach… hurts so much…”
Her eyelids drooped, her body trembling. Pain tore at her nerves so fiercely that even her voice was hoarse, barely audible.
“You’re in pain? What happened? Where are you now?” Nick’s tone tightened, laced with urgency.
“Morr… Morrison Group…” she managed to whisper.
The last words barely came out before another groan escaped her lips. Her breathing was ragged, and she couldn’t answer any further. Then, somehow, the call disconnected.
Without hesitation, Nick grabbed his phone and jumped into his car. He was still in his pajamas. He hastily threw on a coat as he left.
The car roared through the streets, speed climbing recklessly, as he continuously called her-her phone remained off.
“Khloe!”
Soon, he arrived at the Morrison Group building and sent a quick code to get straight inside. He raced up to her office floor, scanning one meeting room after another until he finally saw a light.
He pushed open the door. She was there, curled on the floor by the entrance.
“Khloe… what’s wrong?”
He scooped her into his arms. Even in her weakened state, she felt weightless, like a small cat. Her skin burned with fever, sweat dampened and slick. Instinctively, he reached for his phone to call an ambulance.
“No… it’s just… period pain…” she whispered, straining to speak. “No need for a hospital…”
Nick’s gaze swept over the messy office. Papers were scattered across the meeting table; her computer glowed, showing she’d stubbornly stayed late, working through the pain.
His jaw tightened. Taking a slow, deep breath, he held her closer and strode quickly out of the building.
He moved as smoothly as he could, trying not to jostle her. But her hands clutched at his waist, gripping tightly.
“Still hurting?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
Seeing her like this twisted something in him, a quiet ache of helplessness he couldn’t ignore.
“You really don’t take care of yourself,” Nick muttered. He had meant to soothe her, but the words came out edged with frustration.
She was enduring this much pain, and still insisted on working past midnight?
“I’m… sorry for troubling you…”
Khloe pressed herself against his chest, her breath shallow and weak. She had no strength left, but for some reason, being held by Nick-his body warm and steady-made the pain feel less unbearable.
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.