###Chapter 45: Protecting Another Woman
Nina Wainwright didn’t know how long she had slept. By the ti her stomach stopped hurting, it was already dark.
She struggled to get up and pulled back the covers, only to find a large bloodstain on the bed.
Realizing her period had probably started, she got up to get out of bed, but then she rembered it was nearly half a month late.
But she didn’t pay it much mind. Ever since she started taking contraceptive pills, her periods had never been on ti, and they were sotis excruciatingly painful.
Nina got out of bed, went to the bathroom for a shower, and ca out to deal with the bedsheets. Feeling a bit hungry, she went downstairs, taking the cold soup with her.
As soon as the maid saw her, she imdiately asked, "Ma’am, you didn’t drink this?"
"No, I was too tired. I didn’t wake up," Nina Wainwright answered quietly.
"The kitchen has dinner ready for you, but Assistant Sinclair said that once you woke up, you should go to the hospital." After speaking, the maid discreetly watched her expression.
’I knew it,’ Nina thought. ’Zachary Hawthorne wouldn’t let off so easily. After how I talked back to him this morning, he was sure to retaliate. Once things cald down, who knows what kind of sche he’d cook up to deal with .’
"I know," she replied faintly.
"Ma’am, you look very pale. You should go to the hospital for a check-up," the maid said worriedly. After all, they had called a doctor that morning, but she had refused to see them.
"It’s nothing, I just got my period. Could you please take care of the sheets, the bloodstains on the bed, and my clothes?" Nina had originally planned to wash them herself, but since Zachary wanted her at the hospital, she wouldn’t have the ti.
"Of course, Ma’am. It’s my job," the maid said.
After finishing her dinner, Nina took a car to the hospital.
Although Raymond Wainwright was also in this hospital, he was on a different floor, and it was quite a walk, so she didn’t go looking for them.
Besides, it wasn’t like her being there would do any good.
When she reached Zachary Hawthorne’s room, she walked inside.
Zachary, who had been chatting with Luna Sterling, stopped talking the mont he saw her. His tone was cold as he asked, "I told you to co to the hospital. Did you have to wait until dark?"
Nina didn’t want to explain. She just asked impassively, "What did you want for?"
"Luna is injured. Do you really have the nerve to let her stay here and take care of all night?" Zachary said nonchalantly.
Nina said nothing and silently moved to the side.
"You should go back to your room and rest," Zachary said to Luna Sterling, his expression suddenly gentle.
Luna Sterling stood up, shifting her leg carefully. "Could I trouble her to walk back to my room?"
"It’s what she should do," Zachary said, his tone as light as if he were discussing sothing trivial.
Nina remained silent. She walked quietly over to Luna Sterling and took her arm to support her, her grip tight.
Luna Sterling frowned involuntarily. "Could you be a little gentler?"
"I’m afraid you’ll fall." Nina was, in fact, a little afraid of her.
Although she couldn’t sense any malice from Luna Sterling, the incident from that morning had made Nina wary.
"It’s fine," Luna Sterling said gently. "You’re gripping so hard, it really hurts."
Zachary, who had been watching, issued a warning. "Nina Wainwright, if you’re unwilling, you can say so directly. You don’t have to resort to these petty tricks!"
He only ever used her full na when he was extrely angry.
But for the sake of his "white moonlight," he had called her by her full na today.
Nina looked at him, her voice calm. "Zachary, why don’t you find soone else to help her? Silas Sinclair could do it. I can’t do it any other way. If she accidentally falls again and hurts her burns, and I’m uninjured, won’t I be held responsible again?"
"Are you deliberately trying to defy ?!" Zachary asked, frowning.
Nina looked at him with a placid expression. "I’ve said it before, I’m in no position to go against you. I have to hold on tight to protect my own innocence. Is there a problem with that?"
She would insist on doing it this way to protect herself from being slandered again.
And it wasn’t like Zachary could actually get out of bed and do anything to her.
"Forget it. I’ll just have my friend co. Please, don’t fight," Luna Sterling said, trying to pull away from Nina.
"Then let help you sit down." Nina didn’t let go.
A look of resignation crossed Luna Sterling’s face.
Zachary’s face was grim, his eyes dark and sullen.
He called Silas Sinclair in. Only after Silas had taken Luna Sterling away did Zachary abruptly sweep the water glass from the bedside table, smashing it onto the floor. "You’re angry with , so what are you taking it out on her for?! You squeezed her wrist until it was red—did you think I couldn’t see?!"
Nina lowered her gaze and said calmly, "I’m sorry."
Her obedient apology left Zachary with a belly full of anger and nowhere to vent it.
He stared at Nina intently. After a mont, he curled his lip into a smirk. "Are you provoking like this because I can’t move?"
"Zachary, I got my period today. My emotions have been unstable these past few days. Can you please not be like this?" Nina was exhausted. She really didn’t want to argue with him, nor did she want to face Luna Sterling.
She didn’t have the energy to deal with all of this.
Seeing her pale face, Zachary’s simring anger suddenly dissipated, but his expression remained stern as he said, "Be more polite to Luna."
"Okay," Nina replied, not bothering to argue with him.
Zachary beckoned to her. "Co here."
Nina walked over obediently.
Zachary reached out and placed his hand on her lower abdon, rubbing it gently. "It was half a month later than last ti. Is sothing wrong? Did you get it checked?"
"No, it was probably caused by all the stress lately." Nina wasn’t that delicate; there had been tis before when her period was delayed for two months.
When she was under a lot of psychological stress, her cycle would beco irregular. It had been like that even before she married Zachary. On top of that, she frequently took contraceptive pills... She herself had no idea what state her body was truly in.
Zachary lifted his eyes to her face.
Nina’s features were cold. She looked obedient, but she had lost her forr vivacity.
Zachary rembered how captivating she had been when she loved him, like a red rose brimming with life.
But the woman before him now was utterly lifeless.
She was still obedient, but she no longer held any anticipation for him.
Zachary realized how different she was. He reached out and squeezed Nina’s hand. "About today... I was too rash. Nina, I just want you to see her good side and understand that there’s nothing between us."
Nina looked at him instinctively.
’An explanation like that is worse than no explanation at all.’
’If he really cared about , he wouldn’t have treated that way.’
’An apology after the fact is just a sweet morsel offered after a slap in the face.’
Nina had loved him for three years and had already lost all her dignity, but that didn’t an she would imdiately forgive him and make up just because he said a few nice words.
"You told not to forget my place. I’ll always rember that," Nina said, smiling at him.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and there was no sincerity in it.
Zachary grew irritated. "I just said that because I was angry. Why do you have to keep bringing it up?"
Nina stood up and said softly, "I was in a hurry when I ca and forgot to bring any pads. I’m going to go downstairs to buy so. If you need anything, just call for Silas Sinclair."
Zachary watched her with cold eyes.
"Then have Silas Sinclair go buy them for ," Nina anded.
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