La Novels
Chapter 1595
Jamie had a habit of waking up in the middle of the night.
When she stepped into the dimly lit living room, the faint silhouette of someone startled her. She froze for a moment before realizing it was Ben. "Ben, why are you sitting here instead of sleeping?" Ben let out a low grunt, his voice so faint she thought she had imagined it.
As Jamie approached, the sheen of sweat on his forehead and his unusually pale face came into view.
"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, her tone laced with concern.
"Could you get me some antacid?" Ben replied, his voice carrying a subtle weakness that was uncharacteristic for him.
It clicked. Ben had always struggled with stomach issues. His workaholic lifestyle often made it worse.
Her worry spiked. She paced the living room, trying to recall where she might have stored some medicine. "Wait here. I think I have some in my room."
She hurried back, returning moments later with the medication and a cup of warm water. Ben took the medicine, his tightly furrowed brows easing slightly as he drank.
"Feeling better?" Jamie asked anxiously.
Ben gave a faint nod, barely perceptible.
Relieved, she prepared another cup of warm water and fetched her own hot water bottle, a pink one with a cute pig design.
"I read somewhere that heat helps. Try holding this against your stomach," she suggested, holding it out to him.
Ben stared at the pink water bottle, visibly hesitant. "You want me to use this?"
Without giving him a chance to protest, Jamie pushed it into his hands. "Now's not the time to worry about appearances. Just use it. It'll help."
His illness had chased away her drowsiness. Jamie stayed with him, keeping an eye on his condition until the early hours of the morning. Eventually, exhaustion caught up with her, and she dozed off on the couch.
*
When she woke, she found herself covered with a blanket.
Startled, she sat upright, her first instinct to check on Ben.
To her alarm, his skin was burning hot. He had developed a fever.
"How could you be this sick and not say anything?" Jamie muttered, pulling her hand away from his forehead. His temperature shocked her, and a mix of anger and worry surged through her.
She was upset that he hadn't mentioned feeling worse and heartbroken seeing him endure so much in silence.
Ben was too feverish to respond coherently. There was no point in scolding him now. Jamie resigned herself to the task of caring for him.
She wiped the sweat off his forehead with a cool, damp cloth and coaxed him into taking some fever medication.
When Ben finally opened his eyes, they were clouded with confusion. His usual sharpness was nowhere to be seen.
"Jamie... Am I dreaming?" he murmured, his voice thick with delirium.
"No, you're not. You've got a fever. Here, take your medicine," she said, her heart aching at the sight of his vulnerability.
Jamie rarely saw Ben in such a state. His strength and composure were like a shield he never lowered. It seemed only the haze of a high fever could reveal this side of him.
After ensuring he swallowed the medicine, she tried to get him to lie back down and rest.
But Ben clung to her hand, refusing to let go.
"Why are you holding onto me? I need to get some rest so I can work for you tomorrow. What if I can't get up in time? Who's going to
ve
compensate me?" she teased gently, trying to coax him.
"I'll compensate you. Just stay," he said, his tone surprisingly clear despite his condition.
Jamie couldn't help but wonder if he was faking his illness.
But the thermometer readings didn't lie. He was genuinely sick. It was likely a combination of his gastritis and the stress from overworking himself for Lucas Corporation. The thought only made her heart ache more.
She had seen firsthand how hardnovelbin
Ben had been working for the
company over the past few days. Knowing how much he had endured, especially after discovering his father's betrayal, Jamie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow and affection for him.