Chapter 41: She Didn’t Come
Adam, typically accustomed to the comforts of luxury, felt utterly drained after climbing the numerous flights of stairs to Chloe’s apartment. By the time he reached the top, he felt like half his life had been exhausted. For once, he didn’t need to exaggerate his exhaustion–his body showed clearly that his fitness level left much to be desired.
Hearing the commotion outside her door, Chloe opened it and, seeing Adam’s condition, hurriedly fetched him a glass of water. She couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. She had also been out of breath when she first moved into this apartment. But now, seeing Adam so winded after a few flights of stairs, she realized how out of shape he truly was.
“How do you manage living up here?” Adam asked, still catching his breath. “I almost got lost trying to find this place!”
Sitting on her couch, Adam took a few more gulps of water before he had the strength to look around the apartment. Despite the worn–out exterior of the building, Chloe had made her space warm and inviting. It felt comfortable, unlike the rundown building outside.
Chloe had already prepared everything in advance. Seeing that Adam had arrived, she quickly packed up the food and handed it over to him. “This place is convenient for me, and I feel at ease here. I made a few extra things for you–be careful when you carry it.”
Adam leaned in to take a whiff of the food. It smelled incredible–better than any five–star chef’s dish. He could now understand why Julian was still fixated on Chloe’s cooking. Anyone who’d tasted this would find it hard to forget.
With a smile, Adam said, “Thanks, Chloe. I owe you one. Next time, I’ll take you out to dinner–you can’t say no!”
Chloe, amused, nodded. It wasn’t an unreasonable request. After all, they were friends, and sharing at meal was perfectly normal. She agreed with a smile.
As Adam prepared to leave, he paused for a moment. “Chloe, by the way-”
“I’m heading out too,” Chloe interrupted, gathering her things. “Let me walk with you for a bit so you don’t get lost again.”
Adam was about to say more but decided against it. They walked together in silence, and once they reached the street, Chloe waved goodbye as Adam drove off. Her expression, however, turned more subdued.
She had sensed Adam wanted to talk about something else but didn’t want to hear it.
Adam wasted no time driving to the hospital and delivered the food directly to Julian’s room.
“No–wonder you’re so picky,” Adam said, placing the containers in front of Julian with a smug smile.” Here, dig in. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with this.”
Julian, setting his phone aside, opened the container, As soon as the aroma hit him, he knew who had made it. His expression softened almost immediately.
So much for pretending to be tough, he thought. In the end, she still couldn’t bring herself to cut him off completely.
Feeling pleased, Julian started eating. Midway through he looked up and asked, “How come it’s just you? She made all this but didn’t come with you?”
Clappidi She Dubai Come
Adam hesitated for a moment, confused by Julian’s question. “Who else would come with me?”
Julian’s expression darkened slightly. “I mean Chloe. If she went to the trouble of cooking all this, why didn’t she come with you? Does she think that just making food is enough for me to forget everything?”
Before Adam could respond, Daniel, who had been nearby, burst into laughter. Adam, caught between embarrassment and confusion, didn’t know what to say
“Let it go, Julian,” Daniel chimed in. “Chloe’s not coming, no matter how much you wish for it. The only reason she even made this food is because Adam gave her a reason to. But she’s not going to show up herself, so stop imagining things
Julian’s face fell. The warmth in his expression disappeared as quickly as it had come. He glared at Adam. “I don’t remember asking you to go and do all this. What were you thinking?”
Adam sighed, knowing full well this was coming. “Look, you haven’t been eating well these past few days. Even the doctors were worried. Yeah, I came up with an excuse, but at least now you’re eating, right?”
Seeing that Julian was about to lose his temper, Adam quickly added, “And by the way, I’ve been to her place. It’s a far cry from where she used to live. She’s definitely having a rough time. That place is old, with no elevator, and she’s on the top floor, She has to climb all those stairs every day.”
Julian let out a low grunt but said nothing. Yet, if anyone looked closely, they’d see the subtle concern in his eyes. It was clear he still cared about Chloe, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.
Adam was about to continue when they were interrupted by a familiar voice outside the room.
“Darling!”
The overly sweet tone of Layla’s voice filled the room, making everyone, especially Adam, cringe. He quickly moved to stand behind Daniel, hiding from Layla’s view.
Layla had been trying to reach Julian for days but hadn’t been able to get through. It wasn’t until she asked William that she learned Julian had been hospitalized. She wasted no time rushing over to see him.
Entering the room, she saw Julian, pale and weak, with an IV in his arm. Her heart ached at the sight. He looked thinner, clearly having been through a tough time. “Darling. I’m so sorry I didn’t know you were sick! I rushed over as soon as I found out. How are you? Do you need me to ask the doctors about your condition? I’m so worried about you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes before she could even finish speaking.
The other men in the room exchanged glances, utterly speechless. Her over–the–top reaction was making them all uncomfortable. Adam and Daniel both looked at Julian, wondering if this was really what he wanted in a partner.
Julian, too, felt a headache coming on. One of the reasons he hadn’t told Layla about his illness was to avoid scenes like this. Still, seeing how concerned she was, his expression softened, though a hint of frustration remained. “I’m fine now. You don’t need to cry.”
If only Chloe were here, Julian thought. She wouldn’t cry or overreact. Instead, she’d calmly handle everything, making sure he didn’t have to worry about a thing.
Chopp
der to bring Food
