Hearing Dylan’s intimate voice, Justin’s eyes burned with rage.
He patted Flora’s shoulder reassuringly, saying, “Whatever went down today, I got your back. Bowles doesn’t need to sweat it.”
With that, he turned and led Flora away.
Flora’s steps were shaky, and she glanced up at Justin’s striking profile. She had once fantasized about having the person she loved stand by her, and now it had finally come true.
The lingering fear in her heart morphed into happiness, and she clung to Justin’s waist more tightly. For her, happiness was now within reach.
At the same time, Dylan was still at the restaurant.
“Mr. Bowles, Mr. Bowles…” Tim, one of Dylan’s underlings, nervously called out to him.
Dylan fired up a cigarette, his gaze steady and his expression cool. After a few drags, he commanded, “Get the guy to the hospital, replace everything in the private room, and wipe the surveillance footage. Send someone to handle the situation at the hospital, and make sure the test results won’t show the drug he has taken.”
“But if the test results prove he was on drugs, it could save Miss Jone some trouble,” said Tim, as he had noted that Dylan seemed to really care about Flora.
Dylan snorted coldly, “I want her in hot water! Justin Norris wants to shield her, huh? Fine, I’ll give him that chance!”
Tim carried out Dylan’s orders, and Dylan stood silently at the club entrance for a moment before suddenly chucking his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out in frustration, cursing under his breath.
“Justin, I’ve made a mess,” Flora said after showering at Justin’s Clearwater Bay pad, sitting dazedly on the edge of the bed.
“Don’t sweat it. What happened? Tell me.” Justin had purposely held off asking earlier, waiting for Flora to settle down before gently pulling her into his embrace.
“At first, today was about hashing out the Wonda project…” Flora filled Justin in on everything that had gone down at the club, covering all the bases, “I don’t know what got into me. It was like I lost my mind…”
“Flora, chill.” Justin held her hand as he saw her emotions flare up again. “Don’t stress, I’ll handle this.”
“But…” Flora stammered as she closed her eyes, only to see the Lewis’s bloody face again. “Will… will he die?”
“I wish he would!” Justin blurted out.
Taken aback, he realized he had freaked her out with his tone.
Gently, he eased Flora down onto the bed, “You did good. That creep harassing you and getting his head bashed in is him getting off easy.”
She snuggled against his chest, and his hand rested on her waist, drawing her closer, “Catch some Z’s for a bit. Whatever happens, I’ll be right here.”
“Okay,” Flora nodded, her body faintly scented with jasmine from her bath. Her damp hair rested on Justin’s neck, and she drifted into a deep slumber.
Justin swept the hair off her forehead with a flick of his finger, propping himself up on one arm while he studied the face below him.
Flora was snoozing like a baby, and with Justin by her side, it seemed like not even a clap of thunder would stir her.
Little did he know, this was the best shut-eye Flora had caught since Justin had split one year ago.
Her usually furrowed brow was chill, and her sleeping face looked peaceful. Her lips, puckered up like she was dreaming of something sweet, curled into a smile. Even in this tranquil moment, her breaths couldn’t mask her never-back-down spirit.
Justin’s thumb stroked her cheek, feeling its softness. He pulled his hand back and laid down next to Flora, leaving a gap between them. After a beat, he reached out and pulled her into a hug.
When Flora woke up, the sun was already shining from the west. Afraid she might wake him, Flora stayed stiff as a board, taking shallow breaths. She stared at the man beside her, and a wild thought crossed her mind.
Without his eyes, Justin didn’t look a thing like his old self.
As her finger grazed his forehead, he snapped his eyes open, spooking Flora. After an awkward beat, she asked, “How’d your face end up like this?”
A cool breeze rolled in, carrying the scent of dawn and making the curtains dance. A crispy, yellow ginkgo leaf slipped through the gap and landed on the windowsill. Justin grabbed her chilly hand, sharing his warmth.
“It happened when I went overseas, not long after I left,” his voice echoed through the room. “Fornection ruffled a lot of feathers in the business world. My face got all sliced up.”
Even though Flora had thought of a bunch of possibilities, hearing it straight from him hit different.
Her throat tightened, and tears gushed down onto his arm.
“Don’t cry, Florrie,” Justin wiped her tears with the back of his hand, planting a tender kiss on her forehead while saying, “Ain’t I even more of a looker now?”
Florrie, his old nickname for her, made Flora wrap her arms around his waist, “No matter what you turn into, you’ll always be my Justin.”
“Flora, I’ll never, ever, let other people harm you again.” Justin thought of what went down at the club earlier and couldn’t help but get steamed, his face darkening as he declared, “If someone lays a finger on you, they’ll pay big time.”
“Justin,” Flora looked up at the wicked glint in his eyes she’d never seen before, “You’ve just taken over Fornection. Don’t go stirring up more trouble now…”
Justin softened his expression, putting her at ease. They laid there for a bit before getting up to grab dinner. Around nine, Justin drove Flora home.
At the foot of the apartment, he leaned against the car, looking all laid-back. With both arms wrapped around Flora’s waist, he said, “Do you have to go back tonight? Why don’t you stay with me?”
