Chapter 229
Nick let out a low chuckle.
His fingertip traced lightly along the corner of Khloe’s mouth, slow and deliberate, as if he enjoyed the way she reacted to his touch.
“Want to see if I can protect you?” he murmured. “You can try. But I might end up making sure not even a strand of your hair ever gets touched.”
The words sounded half like a joke.
But when Khloe looked into his eyes, the faint chill that crept up her spine told her otherwise.
There was something beneath his calm—something too focused, too absolute. Possessive in a way that didn’t feel playful at all.
She didn’t respond.
That night, Khloe was jolted awake by the vibration of Nick’s phone.
It kept ringing.
Again and again.
She nudged him slightly. His arms were still locked around her waist, unmoving, until he finally reached over with his eyes half closed and silenced the phone without even fully waking. The screen went dark in his hand.
“Is it urgent?” Khloe mumbled sleepily.
Nick pulled her back into his arms immediately, his voice low and steady.
“Sleep.”
That was all he said.
By morning, he was gone.
Khloe sat up alone and reached for her phone.
It was flooded with messages and missed calls.
Charlotte had told her to check the company group chat—everyone was discussing the sudden suspension of the Keller family project, with rumors that the collaboration might be terminated entirely.
Before Khloe could make sense of it, a breaking news alert popped up.
“Keller Family Heiress Hospitalized After Suicide Attempt—Now Out of Danger.”
Khloe froze.
She opened the article.
Michelle had been rushed to the hospital overnight after a suicide attempt. The report also revealed her identity as the Keller family heiress and her past in the public eye as a commercial model and short-lived entertainment figure.
The news spread quickly.
Comment sections exploded with speculation—lost career, sacrificed love, years of emotional pain, heartbreak tied to an unresolved relationship.
Khloe’s grip on the phone tightened.
Last night… Michelle had been with her family. She had looked stable. Even calm.
So what happened after she left?
Her mind drifted back to the phone calls that kept interrupting Nick in the middle of the night.
Was that related?
She got dressed quickly and walked out.
Nick was already in the living room.
Sitting straight-backed on the sofa, he looked composed, but his expression was darker than usual. A phone rested in his hand, though he wasn’t actively using it.
“Nick…” Khloe stepped closer, unease tightening her voice. “Michelle… something happened to her.”
He looked up at her and gave a slight nod.
“I know.”
His tone was flat—but not indifferent.
“Do you want to go see her?” Khloe asked carefully.
Neither of them needed to spell it out. They both understood how this incident would be interpreted.
Nick lowered his gaze again.
“I’ve already checked. She’s out of danger.”
Khloe exhaled slowly, studying his face.
“If this is because of me,” she said softly, “don’t worry about it. Michelle’s family has helped you before. I won’t hold anything against you.”
Nick didn’t respond immediately.
His fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
After a moment, he spoke.
“She made her choice. No one can stop that.”
A pause.
Then, quieter:
“But tell me… do you think I’m being too cruel?”
The question surprised her.
Khloe softened instantly. She moved closer and sat beside him, just as he had once done for her. Gently, she lifted his face so he would look at her.
“What you’re doing isn’t cruelty,” she said firmly. “It’s clarity. Boundaries. You didn’t mislead her—you simply refused to cross lines that shouldn’t be crossed.”
Her voice softened.
“And you’re doing it because it’s the right thing for Michelle too, even if it hurts now.”