Then, endless darkness swallowed her once again.
Sunlight seeped through the thick gap in the curtains, casting a narrow strip of light across the carpet.
Julian Ford woke from his deep slumber, a hangover-like headache and bone-deep exhaustion washing over him at the same time.
As soon as he moved, a faint weight on his elbow made him freeze abruptly.
He looked down, and the sight of Elena Bennett curled up in his arms met his eyes.
She slept restlessly, thick eyelashes still dotted with undried tears, trembling slightly with each shallow breath.
Her pale cheeks were crisscrossed with tear tracks, and her lips were red and swollen from being bitten.
Her snow-white shoulders were exposed, covered in shocking purple bruises and hickeys, like a delicate doll that had been violently ruined and discarded.
It was so pitiful that it made one's heart clench.
Julian Ford rubbed his swollen temples, and the chaotic memories of last night flooded back.
The heat and anger of being drugged, her powerless struggles, her tearful grievances, and her intermittent explanations...
"The coffee was from Sister Mia... Sister Mia asked me to bring it..."
Could it be... that he had really wronged her?
This thought made his heart tighten inexplicably, and he immediately prepared to get up to verify it.
Just as he was about to pull his arm away, his palm accidentally brushed her exposed shoulder—and the scalding temperature made him freeze violently.
Why is she so hot?
He immediately pressed his hand to her forehead—his touch met a terrifyingly high fever! She really had a fever!
Right, last night in his rage, he had shown her no mercy, brutally possessing her, and then taken her again and again...
How could her fragile body endure this? Adding to the shock and grievance, her illness surged violently.
An unspeakable irritability seized him in an instant.
Julian Ford immediately rolled out of bed, found his phone amid the mess, and quickly dialed the family doctor, his voice tinged with urgency: "Come over right now, someone has a high fever."
After hanging up, he glanced around the room.
The air was thick with ambiguous warmth, clothes scattered everywhere, and the sheets were in a terrible state.
And that glaring, dried dark-red bloodstain crashed into his sight without mercy, as if silently accusing him of his brutality the night before.
Julian Ford's gaze lingered on that red stain for a moment, his eyes as dark as night, flashing with an extremely complex emotion.
If... if she really wasn't the one who drugged him...
Then not only had he wronged her, but he had also forcefully possessed her in that state?
The thought of her eyes last night—brimming with tears, fear, and grievance—made Julian Ford feel an unprecedented dilemma.
This situation was even harder to fix than the collapse of a hundreds-of-millions business deal.
He collected himself, looked away from the chaotic scene, bent down to carefully wrap the delirious girl in the soft cashmere blanket, then lifted her into his arms.
Her body was unnaturally light, curled up in his arms, letting out faint, pained whimpers unconsciously from the high fever.
Julian Ford's body stiffened, his movements unconsciously gentler, as he carried her with long strides toward the guest bedroom next door.
He laid Elena Bennett gently on the large guest bed; she sank into the down pillows, looking even more delicate and fragile, as if she would break at the slightest touch.
He stood by the bed, his gaze complicated as it fell on her abnormally flushed face from the fever.
That glaring red, and the image of her trembling and crying beneath him, replayed uncontrollably before his eyes, carrying silent condemnation.
He had always been ruthless and decisive in his actions, never feeling guilt toward anyone.
But at this moment, a strange, heavy emotion pressed on his chest like a boulder, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Cold..."
A faint whimper from the bed cut through his tangled thoughts.
Her brows were tightly furrowed; even in her slumber, she seemed to be enduring immense pain, her body trembling slightly.
Julian Ford leaned down instinctively, pulling the fluffy down duvet beside her, and tucked the corners around her with somewhat stiff movements.
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
Butler Arthur arrived on the second floor in a rush, accompanied by the family doctor carrying a medical kit.
Julian Ford walked out at the sound, gently closing the door to the guest bedroom.
"Young Master, are you unwell?" Arthur Coleman's face was etched with anxiety.
"It's not me." Julian Ford's tone was cold, with no further explanation. "It's fine, Arthur Coleman, you may go down. Also, issue an order: no one is allowed on the second floor for the next two days without my permission."
Arthur Coleman froze, keenly sensing the unusual atmosphere. But at the sight of Julian Ford's dark, grim expression, he refrained from pressing further, only bowing slightly: "Yes, Young Master."
Julian Ford watched Arthur Coleman descend the stairs, his eyes darkening slightly.
He couldn't let Arthur Coleman find out what happened last night. If he knew, he would report every detail to his father without fail.
His father held Aunt Bennett in high regard, and by extension, had doted on Elena Bennett like his own daughter ever since she entered the Ford household.
If his father were to find out... that he had forced himself on Elena Bennett, with his father's old-fashioned temperament and protectiveness toward her, he would most likely force him to take responsibility and marry her.
At the mere thought of that possibility, the veins at Julian Ford's temple throbbed violently. He would never allow his life to be bound like this.
He led the family doctor into the guest bedroom, gesturing for him to examine Elena Bennett, then turned and walked to the study.
Julian Ford dialed his assistant, his voice icy enough to freeze water:
"Find out who handled my coffee yesterday afternoon before I went to the study. Focus on the new nanny named Mia. I want a full record of her whereabouts and everyone she contacted yesterday. Get me the results as soon as possible."
He hung up and sat quietly in the study for a moment, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his eyes dark and unreadable.
By the time he returned to the guest bedroom, the doctor had already hooked Elena Bennett up to an IV drip.
The cold medicine was trickling into her veins, and she seemed to be sleeping more peacefully, though her face remained pale.
"How is she?" Julian Ford's voice was low and heavy.
The doctor paused, his face awkward, but spoke carefully:
"Mr. Ford, Miss Bennett's main issue is... severe lacerations to her lower body, which have caused inflammation and a high fever. There are also some bruises on her body. It will take time for the fever to break, and she must rest thoroughly afterward."
He hesitated for a moment, then added awkwardly: "That... Mr. Ford, you should be a little more... restrained in certain aspects..."
Before he could finish, Julian Ford cleared his throat sharply, cutting him off.
The doctor broke out in a cold sweat and immediately fell silent.
"I understand. I'll call you when the drip needs changing. You may leave now." Julian Ford's tone was unreadable.
The doctor fled the room in relief, but paused at the door and pointed to a tube of ointment on the bedside table:
"Mr. Ford, this ointment is for external use. It needs to be applied to... the injured area to aid recovery and reduce inflammation."