A sense of familiarity washed over her.
Nina Thorne struggled to open her eyes. Through her blurred vision, Justin Kane’s handso face ca into view.
His expression was worried, and his grip on her shoulder tightened. "Nina Thorne, hang in there."
His deep, magnetic, and husky voice unexpectedly overlapped with the mory of the boy from her past.
"Is... is that you?" Nina Thorne’s body twitched from the pain.
Having been pampered since childhood, she couldn’t bear the pain and passed out.
"Nina Thorne!"
Fear flashed in Justin Kane’s bloodshot eyes. He roared at the driver, "Faster!"
...
「Hospital.」
Nina Thorne had a long dream, taking her back to the day she nearly drowned ten years ago.
The boy sat down beside her, teasing, "You’re useless. You almost drowned in such shallow water."
Nina Thorne caught her breath, lying on the ground and watching the sunlight fall on his head.
His hair was wet and he was barefoot, sitting with his knees bent. His young face was lean, and his eyes held a roguish glint.
That ray of sunlight seed to pierce right into Nina Thorne’s heart, and from that day on, a boy took up residence there.
That boy was today’s Cole Kane.
But later, Cole Kane caused her pain ti and ti again, making her feel as if she were trapped in a swamp, struggling desperately.
Lying in the hospital bed, Nina Thorne’s brows were tightly furrowed. Her head trembled restlessly, and pained moans escaped her lips from ti to ti.
"Nina Thorne, don’t be afraid. It’s okay now." Justin Kane held her hand tightly, his soft, low voice coaxing her over and over.
The reassurance seed to work.
Nina Thorne gradually cald down. Her brows relaxed, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Justin Kane’s heart tightened. The worry in his eyes lted away, replaced by a sparkle like a twinkling star. "You’re awake. Are you feeling any better?"
Nina Thorne had just woken up. Seeing him so anxious, she thought she was hallucinating.
Her gaze darted around the room as the mories from before she fainted slowly returned.
"What happened to ?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
"You have a cracked rib and a soft tissue contusion on your knee. You’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few days." Justin Kane’s voice was gentle as he adjusted the head of her bed and poured her a glass of water.
He perford the actions all in one fluid motion.
Nina Thorne watched him in a daze, his words echoing in her ears. She hadn’t realized her injuries were so severe.
Justin Kane placed a straw in the glass and held it to her lips. "Drink so warm water."
Nina Thorne tried to take the glass, but the arm Zane Jarvis had kicked was too painful to lift, and moving her other arm even slightly sent a jolt of pain through her ribs.
In the end, she had to give up.
She lowered her gaze obediently, opened her mouth, and took the straw, sipping a few mouthfuls of water.
The warm water soothed her throat as it went down, and the discomfort in her chest eased considerably.
"Thank you," Nina Thorne said after she finished drinking, recalling the thought that had flashed through her mind before she passed out.
Looking at his gentle features, she was again reminded of the boy who had saved her from the water ten years ago.
In a daze, it was as if he were the boy who had saved her.
But Nina Thorne quickly dismissed the absurd idea.
Justin Kane stared at her face and suddenly said, "Since when did you beco so useless?"
Nina Thorne’s heart sank.
She subconsciously thought he was blaming her.
Then she heard Justin Kane add, "When sothing like this happens, the first thing you do is ensure your own safety. The second is to hit back."
His deep eyes gazed at her as he added in a warm voice, "And also, call ."
Nina Thorne froze, staring at him in astonishnt.
She rembered the past. Whenever she needed support the most, Cole Kane would always bla her, calling her spoiled and willful.
Just now, she had thought Justin Kane was going to lecture her too.
In an instant, Nina Thorne’s eyes reddened. A stinging sensation filled her nose, and just as tears were about to fall, she quickly lowered her head.
"What’s wrong?"
Justin Kane noticed sothing was off and thought he’d said the wrong thing to upset her. His heart leaped into his throat.
He looked helpless, his raised hand frozen in mid-air, hesitating to lower it. "Was what I said that harsh?"
With her head down, Nina Thorne didn’t see his expression. After composing herself, she shook her head and said it wasn’t.
"Justin Kane, I thought you were going to scold ."
Nina Thorne suppressed the ache in her heart. When she looked up, her expression was calm, and she forced the corners of her lips into a smile.
But her words made Justin Kane frown.
「Five years ago.」
A seventeen-year-old Nina Thorne publicly announced that she was dating Cole Kane.
The proud, radiant heiress wore a blissful, boastful smile.
A twenty-three-year-old Justin Kane silently replaced the watch he had intended to give her for her birthday with an ordinary necklace.
Three years ago, a nineteen-year-old Nina Thorne declared in front of Old Master Kane that she would marry Cole Kane and get their marriage license as soon as she reached the legal age.
Without a word, a twenty-five-year-old Justin Kane booked a flight abroad for the very next day.
He was gone for three years.
But the feelings he had hidden deep in his heart finally erupted on the day he returned to the country, when he learned that Cole Kane had failed to get the marriage license with her.
Finally, he had made her—the woman he dared not think about, yet could never forget—his legal wife.
Justin Kane’s eyes darkened. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a husky voice, "You’re not the one at fault. Why would I scold you?"
"Used to being mistreated?" Justin Kane’s words were sharp, making Nina Thorne feel both awkward and bitter.
She stared at Justin Kane in a daze, realizing Cole Kane wasn’t even a fraction of the man he was.
’Even though Justin Kane doesn’t love , and we were once at each other’s throats like enemies...’
’...at least he respects . He’s responsible and dependable.’
’As a husband, he’s clearly a much better fit than Cole Kane.’
Seeing her fair little face, the corners of her eyes red, looking pitiful as if she had been terribly bullied, Justin Kane’s heart clenched.
His tone softened. "Stick to your principles of protecting yourself. Don’t let anyone bully you."
"Even if you’re the one in the wrong, your husband can make you right." He reached out and ruffled Nina Thorne’s hair, his gentle tone surprisingly commanding.
For the first ti, aside from her parents and grandfather, Nina Thorne felt what it was like to be protected.
A warm current spread from her chest throughout her body. Her nose stung with emotion as she nodded, deeply moved.
"I’ll rember."
’Even though Justin Kane is only saying this to out of a sense of responsibility... it’s more than enough.’
’If Justin Kane could always protect like this...’
’...it would be pretty good to let our marriage continue on like this.’
"Good girl." A satisfied smile curved Justin Kane’s lips, and he patted her head again.
Nina Thorne frowned and gave him a strange look.
’Oh well. There’s a six-year age gap between us.’
’It seems normal for Justin Kane to treat like an older brother treats his little sister.’
"Since you’re being so good..."
Justin Kane suddenly pulled a watch from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. "A gift for you."
Nina Thorne blurted out, "Why the sudden gift?"
In his hand was a ladies’ watch with a round, starry-sky dial. The design was unique, fashionable, and elegant.
It didn’t look like a recent model, though.
"An early birthday present," Justin Kane said, raising an eyebrow. "What, you don’t like it?"
His deep, dark eyes stared straight at her, and his fingers holding the watch tightened their grip slightly.
Seeing her silence, his deep eyes gradually dimd.
"I love it! But isn’t my birthday still a week away?" Nina Thorne asked with a delighted smile.
The knot in Justin Kane’s chest loosened, and a faint smile touched his lips. "This is a gift that’s been waiting for a long ti."
Nina Thorne’s eyes lit up with happiness.
It was the first ti she had felt the joy of receiving a gift soone had put real thought into.
Over the years, the gifts she received from Cole Kane and her grandfather were always just cards, jewelry, or bags—like they were just going through the motions.
It was a rare thing for Justin Kane to have prepared sothing in advance.
Forgetting the pain in her ribs, Nina Thorne imdiately held out her hand for him to put it on her.
The upward curve of Justin Kane’s lips never faded as he gently fastened the watch around her wrist.
She examined it closely, then looked up at Justin Kane’s eyes in confusion. "I don’t think this brand has this model. It does look a bit like one they released five years ago, though."
She paused, then glanced at the watch on Justin Kane’s wrist and said in surprise, "It also looks a lot like the one you’re wearing."
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