After he finished speaking, he barely dared to look at Julian Ford's expression, slipped out quickly, and gently closed the door.
The doctor stood in the corridor, wiping the sweat from his brow with lingering fear.
He had vaguely known before that this Miss Bennett had been chasing President Ford, but President Ford had always avoided her like the plague.
Who would have thought... the two of them were actually together, and President Ford was really... unusually fierce.
Silence returned to the guest bedroom, leaving only Elena Bennett's slightly rapid breathing.
Julian Ford's gaze fell on the small tube of ointment, and an unprecedented internal struggle raged within him.
He stared at it for a long time before finally bending down to pick up the tube of ointment.
He lifted a corner of the quilt, and his finger paused for a moment when it touched the tie of her nightgown.
Julian Ford took a deep breath, trying to ignore the delicate and smooth touch under his fingertips, as well as certain images that should not have surfaced in his mind at this moment, and moved carefully...
...
Throughout the process, his jawline was taut, and fine beads of sweat even seeped out from his forehead—this was more mentally draining than staying up all night handling a merger and acquisition case.
After applying the ointment, he quickly straightened her clothes and covered her with the quilt.
Then he stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to the big bed, and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the restlessness in his chest.
The sunlight outside the window gradually became glaring, leaving only the faint sound of intravenous drips falling in the room.
Time passed in silence. For the first time ever, he did not handle his official business, but silently guarded in the guest bedroom, his gaze occasionally glancing at the still pale face on the bed.
His phone vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID, walked to the corridor outside the room, and answered it.
"Speak."
The voice of his assistant came clearly from the other end of the phone: "President Ford, it's been clarified. Yesterday afternoon, only the new nanny Chen Sister handled your coffee."
"We checked the surveillance and found that she acted sneakily, pouring a packet of powder into the cup in the corner of the kitchen. Further tracking of her whereabouts and communication records confirmed that she had improper thoughts about you... hence this despicable act."
"Her original plan was to sneak into your room when the drug took effect and you lost consciousness, but she didn't expect you to go directly to Miss Bennett's place..."
The assistant paused, his voice lowering even more:
"She was guilty and afraid of the secret being exposed. She submitted her resignation to Arthur Coleman last night and booked the earliest flight abroad this morning. She should be on her way to the airport now."
Julian Ford's eyes instantly turned icy, and a chilling aura emanated from his body:
"Stop her, send her directly to the police station, tell Chief Nathan Cole that the evidence is conclusive, and handle her with the most serious charges. I never want to see this person again."
"Yes, President Ford!"
After hanging up the phone, Julian Ford gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
Sure enough, he had wronged her.
He rubbed his brow and turned to walk back to the guest bedroom.
However, as soon as he pushed open the door, he heard a very restless murmur coming from the bed.
Elena Bennett seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, fine cold sweat seeping from her forehead, her head shaking helplessly on the pillow, her brows furrowed tightly, as if she was in great pain.
"No... don't..." Her voice was choked with sobs, broken and vague, "Brother... please... don't do this to me..."
Julian Ford's footsteps froze.
"I was wrong... I know I was wrong..." She sobbed, tears sliding down from her closed eyes, "I will... never pester you again... never like you again... let me go... okay..."
Julian Ford walked silently to the bed. He had never comforted anyone before, but at this moment, he involuntarily stretched out his hand, stiffly patting her back gently, trying to dispel her nightmare.
Perhaps his comfort had worked, or perhaps the medicine had finally taken effect. Elena Bennett's breathing gradually slowed down, her furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she sank into sleep again.
Julian Ford withdrew his hand, paused for a moment on the spot, then turned around, quietly exited the guest bedroom, and gently closed the door.
Silence returned to the room.
At the moment the door closed, Elena Bennett, who should have been asleep, slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were clear, with no trace of drowsiness or confusion, only a hint of sharp calculation.
She tilted her head slightly, listening intently to the footsteps fading away outside the door, and the system interface emerged silently in the depths of her consciousness:
[Target 1: Julian Ford]
[Current Affection: -15% (Disgust)]
Elena Bennett looked at the Affection score that had increased by 15 points, and a faint arc curved at her pale lips.
I bet right.
Although it was still a negative value, this was undoubtedly a good start.
She had woken up when he went out to answer the phone.
Hearing his approaching footsteps, she instantly entered character, performing that nightmare filled with fear, grievance, and "heartbreak" to perfection.
Those repeated phrases of "I'll never like you again" and "I know I was wrong" were not only in line with the original character's breakdown but also the most effective way to retreat in order to advance, spoken for the man outside the door.
Dealing with a man as arrogant and controlling as Julian Ford, pestering him would only annoy him.
And once he had decided you had "ulterior motives," explanations and crying would be futile.
Only by showing weakness and pretending to be disheartened and letting go, even fleeing with fear, could he subtly touch the trace of guilt in his heart and break the existing negative impression.
These 15 points of Affection were the best proof.
Elena Bennett closed her eyes again, intending to figure out how to continue playing the "weak and helpless" role next time and seize the opportunity to brush up her presence in front of him.
But the severe pain in her body and the heavy exhaustion brought by the high fever overwhelmed her like a tide. She finally couldn't resist, her consciousness blurred again, and she sank into a deep, lethargic sleep.
She slept for an unknown amount of time, during which she vaguely felt someone come in to change the IV fluid and place a cold towel on her forehead.
When she finally struggled to open her eyelids again, the light in the room had softened.
She unconsciously turned her gaze, only to suddenly meet a pair of deep eyes.
Julian Ford was still there!
He was sitting on the single sofa not far from the bed, his legs crossed, a document held between his fingertips, seemingly handling official business.
His side profile was cold and sharp, but there seemed to be a hint of imperceptible exhaustion between his brows.
Elena Bennett's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly entered character.
She suddenly hugged the quilt tightly, trembling and shrinking to the corner of the big bed.
"Don't... don't come over..." Her voice was hoarse, thick with fear, her eyes wide open, filled with panic, "The... the medicine really wasn't given by me... Brother, believe me... I really don't know..."