Chapter 817 Some Delayed Business

She was an expert cardiac surgeon, but her repertoire did not include proficiency in medical microbiology. Mandy's head was plagued with the unwanted imagining of the bacteria spreading throughout Adrian's body. It was a nightmare that did not leave even in her waking hours.

Her thoughts turned towards the worst and would not leave her be. She didn't dare to tell anyone, not even Nathan.

"How is the company? Is everything going well?" she diverted the subject of the conversation, breaking her gaze from Nathan's eyes.

"Everything's running smoothly. You needn't worry about it," Nathan replied leisurely.

Mandy sensed his eyes on her. In her head, she was desperately trying to find words to fill the silence of his wordless gaze, but she found no suitable phrase. "Nathan, you can go to work now. I'm fine. My parents will come here soon," Mandy said instead, her eyes still turned away from him. She made a motion of tidying up her long hair just to have her hands occupied, but her disposition was the exact opposite of her smooth locks. Her heart was a tangled mess, and the weight of Nathan's piercing stare only grew heavier by the second.

But he was adamant on not letting her escape. Reaching out, he clasped her hand in his and squeezed softly, silently offering her reassurance. "Fred is at the company now, so you don't have to drive me away. My people are more than capable of running the company. I do not doubt that JS International will make it through this crisis… and so will Adrian."

Another squeeze. Leave it to Nathan to pry her worries from her and dissect it until her insides were all out in the open. Her eyes trembles as she finally looked at him. Mandy let out a long breath, half-defeated at his incessant prodding. "Listen to me, Nathan. I can do it myself," she said, her words meant for herself as much as it was for him. "You'd better go back. Your company needs you. "

Perhaps she could not read him as well as he can read her, but Mandy did know a few things. She had watched Nathan furrow his brows for the past two days. Her gaze had lingered on the dark circles under his eyes, and she had listened to the heavy fall of his breath as he spoke on the phone with his employees. No, it was only the middle of the storm. If Nathan's words were true, and the company had already safely made it out of tumultuous waters, he would have called for a press conference. But he hadn't.

"As stubborn as always," Nathan huffed out, even as his eyes softened with fondness.

Mandy looked at Adrian, who was lying on the bed, his eyes closed in peaceful sleep. Now, even the sight of her son in slumber scared her. As he lay there unmoving, she could not ward off the image of caskets, replacing the hospital bed, of burning candles in place of the room's cold light. It was all too similar.

"Nathan, what if…what if something terrib

lashing against her. He understood perfectly the anguish that ate at her because it was the same for him. His blood boiled at the thought of Eve and what she had done to Adrian. He had already planned his vengeance, but it seemed that he would have to do it earlier.

When criminals are let off the hook, it makes them braver.

Without saying a word, he stood up.

Mandy became anxious at his sudden movement. Nathan wore a harsh expression on his face. Was he angry at her? She stood up quickly and grabbed him with a desperate hand. "Nathan, it was a mistake. Where are you going?"

This was the first time Mandy had seen him with such a murderous air. He was level-headed even in his anger, and she did not know how to approach this side of him.

It was frightening. The coldness in his silence was like a different person's.

Nathan turned around slowly, shadows dancing across his face. Mandy's hand was trembling. It was just like her. Unlike him, Mandy was not cold. She had not been steeled against cruelties that he was only all too familiar with. Even in her devastation, she forgot herself and didn't accommodate him. Nathan's eyes softened as they fell on her, and his touch was as gentle and light as a butterfly's wing as it caressed her cheek. "Honey, I'm not mad at you. I just remembered that I have something to deal with."

"What is it?" Mandy asked, still anxious. She did not know what to make of his words, but she knew he was not telling her everything.

Instead of answering, he just smiled and gradually loosened his grip.

"Nathan, tell me! What on earth do you want to do?" Mandy caught the sinister light in his eyes. He had carefully masked his anger with calmness, but she pressed for answers, even if she felt fear for what he might tell her.

"Nothing too important. Just something I should have done earlier," Nathan said, the calm, impenetrable mask fixed on his face.