###Chapter 38: The Gilded Cage
Zachary Hawthorne’s face was grim, the chill in his eyes oppressive. "If you can’t do it, I’ll have Silas Sinclair do it. You just watch."
With that, he turned to leave.
Nina Wainwright rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Zachary, I’m begging you... It has nothing to do with Adrian Pemberton. I asked him. I was the one who had him give the card. If you’re going to bla soone, bla , okay? As long as you don’t drag him into this, I’ll do anything you want."
His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists. He pried Nina’s hands off him and strode away, his expression glacial.
Nina followed behind him, repeatedly grabbing for his hand.
Zachary Hawthorne ignored her and quickly descended the stairs.
Following behind him, Nina missed a step and tumbled down the stairs.
Zachary didn’t even have ti to grab her before she rolled to the bottom of the staircase.
Every part of Nina ached as if her bones were splitting. Lying prone on the floor, her exposed arms were scraped raw against the marble, leaving large abrasions.
"Nina!" Zachary rushed to her side, scooped her up, and shouted, "Silas! Get the family doctor over here!"
Nina was in excruciating pain. She grabbed Zachary’s collar and whispered, "Don’t be angry... okay? I was wrong. I won’t go to him again..."
"Where does it hurt? Let rub it." Zachary cupped her face, his eyes filled with panic.
Nina ached all over. She furrowed her brow and slowly lowered her hand. Seeing the panic in his eyes at that mont made her heart ache with a bitter pang.
’Is Zachary really worried about , or is this just guilt?’
By the ti the family doctor arrived, Zachary had already carried Nina to the bed.
She had several severe injuries. After examining them, the doctor applied so analgesic and anti-inflammatory patches and told her, "You need to stay in bed for three days. For the areas with patches, when you change them at night, have soone massage the area to stimulate circulation before applying the new ones."
Zachary, standing to the side, grunted in acknowledgnt.
Nina lay on the bed, too drained to speak. The doctor’s probing and massaging had been so painful it felt like she’d lost half her life.
As the doctor was leaving, he gave her a painkiller.
Once the pain subsided, Nina slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
Zachary sat by the bed, staring at her pale face, his mood grim.
Just then, his phone rang.
A special ringtone.
Nina, who had been sound asleep, was startled awake by the noise. She cracked her eyes open and saw him take his phone over to the window.
"What’s wrong?" His voice was as gentle and patient as ever.
"Yes, sothing ca up. Have them take you to dinner, okay? Go wherever you want. You have my card, what are you worried about?"
"I really can’t make it. Be good. I’ll have Silas take you to pick out a car later. What kind do you like? A limited edition is fine too."
His tone was filled with laughter, doting affection, and an incredible intimacy.
It was a tone Nina had never heard him use.
When he hung up, Nina closed her eyes. In that instant, jealousy surged through her. The wounds of the heart hurt far more than any physical injury.
’When Zachary gets angry with , he loses his patience within minutes and uses his authority to crush .’
’In the past, when I needed a card, it was always Silas who brought it over.’
’He never just... gave his card to use freely.’
’So that’s the difference. In his heart, only Luna Sterling is his equal.’
Zachary returned to her side.
When he took Nina’s hand, she flinched instinctively.
Zachary’s gaze imdiately snapped to her face. "You’re awake?"
"The ringtone was too loud." Nina opened her eyes but didn’t dare to look at him.
She was afraid he would get angry—angry that she had overheard his conversation.
Having understood her place, Nina wouldn’t try to challenge his authority again. ’He’ll divorce when he’s tired of , and since he likes Luna Sterling so much, he certainly won’t make her wait too long.’
Although she didn’t know why he insisted they couldn’t divorce right now, Nina had resigned herself to her fate.
"I’ll turn it down then." Zachary took out his phone and lowered the volu.
"It’s fine. I’m not tired," Nina said, trying her best to sound calm.
Zachary reached out and pinched her cheek. "Nina... Luna, she..."
Nina looked up at him, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
But Zachary stopped himself and said gently, "You just get so rest. I’m going to the office."
"Okay." Nina tried to act like she didn’t care, but her voice still trembled slightly.
Zachary felt no need to explain himself; his thoughts were still on the one he’d left to eat lunch without him.
After he left, Nina lay on the bed and was suddenly struck by the feeling that their marital ho was like a cold, empty birdcage. She, the captive bird, had no idea when she would be kicked out... or what would beco of her when the cage’s new mistress arrived.
At noon, just as she’d expected, Zachary did not return.
Nina was alone in the room. She needed to go to the bathroom, but her body was in too much pain. She fumbled for her phone several tis but couldn’t reach it.
Struggling with all her might, her hand finally reached the nightstand.
But in the process, her entire body slid onto the floor.
With a dull THUD, Nina nearly passed out from the pain. She lay trembling on the floor, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
She reached up toward the nightstand, grasping for her phone several tis without success.
Her eyes grew red. The overwhelming feeling of being wronged erupted in that mont. Biting her lip hard, she held back her tears, endured the pain, and gripped the edge of the nightstand, finally managing to grab her phone.
Once the phone was in her hand, a sob escaped her throat. She had wanted to call Silas Sinclair, but suddenly, she lost the heart to do it.
"Miss Wainwright?" Silas Sinclair’s voice suddenly ca from the foot of the bed.
Only then did Nina realize he had co into the room.
She looked at Silas Sinclair with her red-rimd eyes, suddenly feeling that her pathetic, wretched state was a complete joke.
Silas was taken aback by her appearance. He imdiately rushed forward, his voice tinged with self-reproach. "I should have co in to check on you sooner. What did you need your phone for?"
"Could you call a temporary maid to co and help , please?" Nina’s voice was pleading.
’If I don’t divorce Zachary,’ she thought, ’this is what my miserable later years will look like.’
"Let call Mr. Hawthorne." Silas Sinclair instinctively assud she’d been reaching for her phone to contact Zachary, likely feeling jealous that he was with Luna Sterling again.
"Assistant Sinclair, I need to use the restroom. Are you going to make him co back for that?" Nina said, full of sha as he helped her sit up on the bed. "There’s no need to trouble him with sothing so trivial. Just find a maid to help ."
’This was sothing she should never have had to say to a man.’
But she knew exactly what kind of person Silas Sinclair was.
’He was Zachary’s most loyal subordinate and, just like Zachary, looked down on her with equal disdain.’
"My apologies. I’ll find soone right away." Silas imdiately took out his phone to contact a temporary maid.
Zachary hated having too many people in the house, so even the cleaning staff were hired on a temporary basis.
In the past, Nina was always alone in the house, lonely and bored, her entire world revolving around him coming ho from work.
Back then, before Luna Sterling had returned, he would co ho on ti to watch TV with her... Now, she was alone in the house from morning till night. He only returned for brief monts when he had certain needs, and then she would be by herself once more.
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