CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 163 - 141: If You Love Her So Much, How Could You Bear to Kill Her? (2)

The way his voice rose on the final two words—"Isn’t it?"—was thick with fury. Hearing him, Naomi Shaw, who was only pretending to be asleep, couldn’t help but flinch. Realizing she couldn’t keep up the act, she opened her eyes and snapped, "What do I have to feel guilty about?!"

He could do his worst for all she cared, but did he have to be so damn sarcastic? ’Still, she had to admit he was right. The only reason she couldn’t face him was... guilt.’

BANG...

Just as she was cursing him in her head, a dark shadow lunged toward her. A loud BANG echoed from the headboard above her as he slammed his fist down, startling her so much she trembled. Then she saw him, hands planted on either side of her small hospital bed, leaning over her with bloodshot eyes as he roared, "Naomi Shaw, do you have any idea how badly I want to strangle you!"

Naomi was scared half to death by his punch. He was so ferocious that her own temper flared, and she lifted her chin to face him. "Go on then! Strangle me if you have the guts!"

’If he hadn’t hurt her so badly back then, would she have been forced to go to such extremes?’

Julian’s anger finally erupted. His chest heaved as he reached out, grabbed her delicate chin, and said viciously, "Tell me! Why were you so cruel as to lie to me?"

’How could she be so heartless as to lie and say Joy was Sean Donovan’s daughter? How could she just stand there and watch him with Joy, completely unmoved!’

A flash of panic crossed Naomi’s eyes. She turned her head away and said stubbornly, "There is no reason!"

’What other reason could there be? Wasn’t it because I was afraid of getting tangled up with him again over Joy? Wasn’t it because I was afraid that if we got involved, I’d fall deeper in love and be unable to pull myself out? Wasn’t it because I was afraid of falling for him again, only to get hurt? What other reason could there possibly be!’

Julian forcefully turned her face back toward him and snorted. "No reason? Are you just afraid I’d use the kids to keep you tied to me? Naomi Shaw, is being with me really that repulsive to you?"

’Even if he’d made mistakes in the past, even if he’d wronged her, was he really so irredeemable in her eyes? So much so that she wouldn’t even let him acknowledge his own daughter?’

"So what if I am? Don’t think for a second that our relationship is going to improve just because you know Joy is your daughter!"

Naomi pushed his hand away from her chin and pulled the blanket over her head, making it clear she was done with the conversation. With one of them at the peak of his rage and the other’s anger fueled by his, their verbal sparring only made the atmosphere more strained.

Julian took control of the conversation again. His tone was no longer as fierce, but his eyes held a dangerous glint that she couldn’t see from under the covers. He asked coldly, "So, what you’re saying is, you still have no intention of coming back to me?"

She remained silent under the blanket. He strode forward, ripped the covers off, and ruthlessly pinned her beneath him, his lips pressing against her face. "Fine. Then I’d like to see how far you can run."

"Julian, you’re a lunatic!"

"That’s right! I am a lunatic! And you’re the one who drove me crazy!"

Panting, Julian wiped a fleck of blood from his lip. Naomi threw off the covers and tried to get out of bed. "Get away from me! I’m going to see Joy!"

’She’d threatened him before, vowing to scratch up his face if he ever forced himself on her again, but how could she bring herself to actually mar that handsome face of his?’

To her surprise, he simply scooped her up by the waist. She struggled, and Julian’s severe expression finally softened. He sighed in resignation. "Your foot is injured. I’ll carry you."

’The only reason he’d gotten so angry was because he cared so much, which was why her deception had infuriated him.’

Something seemed to strike Naomi’s heart. She stopped struggling but averted her gaze and grumbled, "You weren’t saying that when you were bullying me a minute ago!"

’When he was pinning me down, biting and gnawing on me, he didn’t seem too concerned about my injuries then, did he? Still, it seemed he hadn’t actually hurt her hands or feet; he’d only bitten her lip until it was sore.’

Julian looked down at her averted face, his voice softening. "I was wrong just now. Can we please stop fighting like this? Okay?"

Naomi hadn’t expected him to switch gears so suddenly after being so furious with her, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She could stubbornly fight back against his cold indifference, but she was powerless against his tenderness.

Julian said nothing more, simply carrying her in long strides to Joy’s room. The moment he set her down in the chair by the bed, Naomi’s tears began to stream down. She grasped Joy’s little hand, kissing it through her tears, her heart aching. "Joy..."

Seeing her like this made Julian’s heart ache even more. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his embrace, comforting her softly. "Her wound’s been treated. I stitched it myself. Don’t worry, I won’t let it leave a scar on her leg."

Naomi felt a little relieved, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Her heart was breaking for her daughter. The memory of Joy falling from that barrel, of the metal sheet piercing her, made her own heart ache so badly it felt like it was spasming. ’That’s my princess, the one I’ve cherished in the palm of my hand since she was a baby. She’s my treasure, a child I could never bear to see suffer even the slightest injury.’

Julian held her close, kissing her forehead and apologizing over and over. "I’m sorry, Naomi. It’s my fault you and Joy got dragged into this. Let me make it up to you both from now on, okay?"

Naomi said nothing, simply burying her face in his chest and sobbing. ’Right now, her heart had no room for love or romance; there was only her Joy.’

In a dark, secret room, a tall, thin man roared in fury at a middle-aged man writhing in pain on the floor. "Who gave you permission to send people after her? When did my business become any of your concern?"