Chapter 32: She still cared.
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, his face tense with discomfort. A sharp ache twisted through his stomach, forcing a low groan from his throat. He pressed a hand to his abdomen, his other hand gripping the armrest as sweat beaded along his brow.
’I should’ve eaten something,’ he thought, regretting skipping his breakfast.
He gritted his teeth, trying to breathe through the pain. His mind drifted to Zara—how she always gently reminded him to keep his medicine within reach in case of emergencies, tucked neatly in the drawer beside his desk.
He reached over, yanked the drawer open, and rummaged through until his fingers brushed the white vial. He uncapped it quickly and shook a few pills into his palm. With shaking hands, he grabbed the glass of water on his desk and took a long drink, swallowing the medicine down.
Just then, there were two sharp knocks at the door.
Roberto stepped in but halted as soon as he saw Nathaniel’s pale, sweat-soaked face.
"Sir, what happened? Stomach pain?" he rushed forward, alarm flashing in his eyes. "Should I call the doctor?"
Nathaniel shook his head weakly. "I already took the pills. It’ll pass soon."
Roberto frowned, clearly not convinced. "It’s been a while since you had an episode. Why now?"
Nathaniel stayed silent. Mrs. Jules had reminded him to eat, but everything else had faded the instant he saw the divorce papers from Zara. He had dropped everything and rushed out to bring her back.
In his head, he had imagined sharing a meal with her later. But things spiraled into anger and heartbreak, and he came straight to the office on an empty stomach. And now, he was paying the price for it.