Unprovoked Anger

Only after a while did she vaguely remember what Julian Sterling had said. Hadn't he told her that if she ever ran into a problem she couldn't solve, she should call him?

When something happened, Claire Bennett had hesitated for a moment.

Later, she hadn't wanted Julian Sterling to owe anyone a favor, so she hadn't notified him. She hadn't expected that the person who ended up rescuing her would still be him.

Claire Bennett gave a light cough and said, "This time you went to ask Mr. Sterling for help again, didn't you? Sorry, I made you owe him a huge favor again."

Hearing Claire Bennett's words, Julian Sterling's icy expression didn't change. If anything, it grew even gloomier. His thin lips pressed into a pale line, and he clearly looked to be in a very bad mood.

Under his severe gaze, Claire Bennett actually felt momentarily at a loss.

She asked tentatively, "Y-you... did you have to pay a huge price?"

If Julian Sterling had paid an enormous price to save her, she would feel terrible about it. That was exactly why she hadn't wanted to go to him.

Seeing the guilty look all over Claire Bennett's face, the anger in Julian Sterling's chest only flared higher.

What made him angry was that she'd clearly already changed her mind that night, yet the instant something happened, she still hadn't gone to him and had only thought of Sean Shaw.

In her eyes, there was only Sean Shaw!

When Julian Sterling thought about how even after using underhanded means to drive Sean Shaw away, he still couldn't drive him out of Claire Bennett's heart, an inexplicable irritation rose inside him.

He stood up directly and turned to leave without saying a word.

When Claire Bennett saw Julian Sterling turn to leave, she panicked instantly.

She immediately threw off the blanket and got out of bed to grab him, but she had overlooked how weak her body was. The moment her feet touched the floor, they suddenly gave out, and her whole body pitched forward.

Julian Sterling reacted fast and scooped her back up, preventing her from making intimate contact with the floor.

His tall body tightly enclosed Claire Bennett in his arms. She felt somewhat flustered, and her mind went blank for an instant.

"Be careful," Julian Sterling said in a low voice.

After saying that, he let go of Claire Bennett and set her down steadily.

"Julian Sterling, wait!"

Claire Bennett reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes, afraid he would leave.

She felt like he seemed angry, but she didn't know what exactly he was angry about. She just wanted to clear things up.

Julian Sterling simply stood there quietly, seeming to wait for Claire Bennett to speak.

Claire Bennett asked carefully, "Julian Sterling, are you angry? Is it because helping me took a lot out of you?"

Hearing that, Julian Sterling narrowed his eyes.

Even now, she still didn't know why!

Feeling a kind of helplessness toward Claire Bennett, he took a deep breath and asked, "When you were being detained, did you ask Sean Shaw for help first thing?"

"Uh... yeah..."

What was the problem with that? Besides, didn't he already know about it?

Claire Bennett looked at Julian Sterling in confusion, not knowing what he meant by suddenly saying that.

Seeing the innocent look in her eyes, Julian Sterling felt even more powerless.

He said coldly, "Did it never occur to you to ask me?"

Claire Bennett froze and lifted her eyes to look at Julian Sterling.

Wasn't it because she hadn't wanted to drag him into it that she hadn't gone to him? Could it be that this was why Julian Sterling was angry? Because she hadn't asked him for help?

"I... I just didn't want to drag you into it..."

Julian Sterling curled his lips in sarcasm. He really had been screwed over by his identity. Claire Bennett thought he couldn't solve this problem?

So in other words, she was worried about him?

The anger in his heart seemed to be smoothed away by a pair of invisible hands, and he completely calmed down.

Claire Bennett was still standing in front of him. She was wearing a hospital gown that one of the hospital aides had changed her into. Because she'd gotten out of bed in too much of a hurry, she wasn't wearing any shoes, and her white, glossy toes were planted on the floor.

Julian Sterling walked over and scooped her up in one motion.

Caught off guard by the sudden move, Claire Bennett let out a startled cry and could only wrap her arms around his neck tightly.

Julian Sterling gently set Claire Bennett on the bed and pulled the blanket over her properly.

Claire Bennett stared blankly at what he was doing. She hadn't expected he was only carrying her back to bed. When she saw Julian Sterling straighten up, she was afraid he was going to leave again.

But unexpectedly, he only pulled over the chair beside the bed and sat down. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.

Julian Sterling looked at her with gentle eyes. "How are you feeling now?"

Claire Bennett nodded and answered honestly, "My head's a little dizzy, and my mind's a little foggy."

"Get some good rest."

How could Claire Bennett possibly get some good rest? Just now, he had seemed angry.

She bit her lip lightly and said in a muffled voice, "Are you angry because I didn't go to you? I really just didn't want to drag you into it. This wasn't something minor."

"Ethan Sterling was even able to use the Sterling family's connections to keep Sean from coming to help. You probably wouldn't have been able to help, and it wouldn't have been appropriate to go to Mr. Sterling either. After all, he and Ethan Sterling are both members of the Sterling family. Maybe he wouldn't turn against Ethan Sterling..."

Julian Sterling narrowed his eyes. "You think Mr. Sterling would help Ethan Sterling?"