CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 171 - 145: What About What Happened Last Night?

Willow Summers was in a bind. How could she let Naomi Shaw back out now? Julian Donovan had a special surprise planned for her. So, she tried to persuade Naomi, "Naomi, the concert isn’t for another few days. Joy’s injury should be a little better by then, right? It’ll be a perfect chance to go out and shake off all this bad luck!"

Lillian Huxley chimed in from the side, "She’s right. It would be good to go out, have some fun, and relax. You must have been so worried about Joy’s injury all this time!"

With both Willow Summers and Lillian Huxley putting it that way, Naomi Shaw didn’t know how to refuse. Joy looked up at her too. "Mommy, I want to go too..."

In the end, Naomi Shaw had no choice but to agree. "Alright..."

She then put the two tickets away. Willow Summers and Lillian Huxley exchanged a glance. ’Phew, that was a close one.’

Ever since Julian Donovan returned from Juliet Jennings’ place, he hadn’t left Joy’s side. Naomi Shaw overheard him on the phone, canceling one meeting and social engagement after another. He personally handled everything for Joy. Changing her bandages was a given, but he also took care of feeding her, giving her water, preparing her fruit, and even taking her for check-ups. The only thing he didn’t do was bathe her, leaving Naomi feeling like a complete bystander.

He was called away for a major surgery that afternoon and was exhausted when he returned. But even so, he insisted on coming to see Joy and doing something for her. When she saw him like this, she tried to stop him, but he protested indignantly, "Naomi Shaw, don’t you dare take away my chance to make it up to my daughter! Unless you’re willing to admit that you’re only stopping me because you feel bad that I’m so tired!"

All Naomi Shaw could do was glare at him, fuming. ’How can he be so shameless?’

Joy, on the other hand, didn’t seem to reject him at all. She kept calling him "Daddy" right from the start, with no adjustment period needed. When Julian Donovan wasn’t around, Naomi asked her, "Joy, why do you like your daddy so much?"

Joy answered, calm and concise, "Because Mommy likes him." Naomi flushed. "How do you know Mommy likes him?"

Joy didn’t say anything. She just held out her little hand and pointed to Naomi’s bare wrist. At first, Naomi didn’t understand what she meant, but then it hit her. Joy was referring to the Sandalwood Bracelet she had worn for the past three years—the same kind Julian Donovan always wore.

She glanced at Joy, who had already lowered her head to continue playing. Naomi was both exasperated and amused. ’This girl... she probably figured it out the first time she saw Julian Donovan, but she’s been pretending not to know this whole time.’ Compared to her two clever children, she felt so dense.

Dinner, a spread of delicious and exquisite dishes, was delivered by Julian Donovan’s young, pretty assistant. Julian himself returned after dinner, but Dylan didn’t come with him. Julian had sent Dylan straight to Jean Coleman’s place. It was better for Dylan to stay there for a few days; neither he nor Naomi Shaw had the spare energy to look after him.

He walked over, bent down to kiss Joy, and asked softly, "What kind of fruit would you like?"

Joy pointed to an apple. He sat down by the bed, picked up a fruit knife, and began to peel it meticulously. Seeing there was nothing for her to do, Naomi Shaw said to Julian Donovan, "You stay here and watch her. I’m going to go home and grab some clean clothes!"

Joy would have to stay in the hospital for at least a week, so she needed to pack some daily necessities, along with a change of clothes for both of them.

Without looking up from peeling the apple, Julian Donovan said, "I’ll come pick you up in a bit!"

She agreed. "Okay, I’ll call you when I’m done packing!"

After leaving the hospital, she returned to her small, rented apartment. She quickly packed some clothes and other items. Seeing that it was still early, she decided to take a shower. In truth, this was the real reason she had come back. Julian Donovan had been glued to Joy’s side, making it too awkward for her to even try to bathe at the hospital.

After showering and blow-drying her hair, she emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed, wrapped only in a towel. As she stepped out, she came face to face with Julian Donovan, who was just letting himself in the front door. She glanced down at her attire, let out an embarrassed shriek, and clutched the towel tightly as she tried to dash back into the bathroom.

’How did he get here? I was supposed to call him when I was done! And... how does he have a key to my apartment? This is outrageous!’

But how could Julian Donovan pass up an opportunity to admire such an alluring sight? He strode forward and pulled her back. If she hadn’t been clutching the towel for dear life, he would have ripped it right off. He pinned her against the wall beside the bathroom, leaned in close, and greedily inhaled the fresh, clean scent of her skin. Then, in high spirits, he teased, "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Not long after she had left, Joy had finished her apple and grown sleepy. He had lulled her to sleep, then called Jean Coleman and asked her to come watch over Joy for the night. Both he and Naomi Shaw desperately needed to rest and get a proper night’s sleep.

Since the accident the previous night, they were not only physically exhausted but had also been in a constant state of high alert. Although they had both rested a little last night, they had spent the entire day watching over Joy and worrying about her condition, completely draining their energy once more—especially his. She was faring slightly better, but only because he had done nearly everything that day.

But even though she wasn’t doing the physical work, he still felt for her. He knew how much pain she was in watching Joy suffer. That was why he had decided to ask Jean Coleman for help. For the duration of Joy’s hospital stay, he and Naomi could watch over her during the day, and Jean could take the night shift. That way, everyone could get some rest.

He had given Jean Coleman a brief overview of the tangled history between him and Naomi Shaw, which earned him a thorough scolding. Feeling dejected, he hadn’t dared to face Jean in person, instead hiding and waiting until he saw her arrive at the hospital before rushing over to Naomi’s apartment.

Pinned against the wall, Naomi Shaw blushed furiously as his warm hand caressed her bare shoulder. "Who’s trying to seduce you? And more importantly, how do you have a key to my apartment?"