Chapter 283

Evelyn knew telling Rosalind would be useless. She reached for her phone to call Ryan instead.

With trembling fingers, she activated speaker mode and placed the device on the nightstand. A damp tissue crumpled in her other hand as she dabbed at Liam's feverish forehead.

"Hello?" Ryan's voice came through thick with sleep.

"It's me, Evelyn."

"I can see that. Do you know what time it is?"

"Has Liam been ill?" Her voice cracked with worry.

"For nearly a week now." A frustrated sigh crackled through the speaker. "He refuses medical attention, won't take medication, and keeps pushing himself. Adrian and I tried reasoning with him..."

"He collapsed at my place. What should I do?" Evelyn knelt beside the bed, her fingertips brushing Liam's burning skin.

"General Blackwood went to Wright Manor looking for you?" Ryan's tone sharpened instantly.

"Yes." The sight of Liam's ashen face made her chest constrict painfully.

A sharp slap echoed through the phone. "This is completely reckless! The General never acts like this. What is it about you that makes him lose all sense?"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Ryan, please. Should I call a doctor here, or can you come get him?"

"Absolutely not. If anyone at Wright Manor discovers the General came searching for you, our mole will be compromised."

"I understand." Her gaze flicked to the digital clock. 3:17 AM. Getting medical help now would raise too many questions.

"Do you have any medication?" Ryan asked.

"Yes."

"Give him fever reducers and cold medicine. Let him rest. He'll leave on his own when he wakes."

"Alright."

The call ended. Evelyn crept to the bathroom where she kept her first aid kit. Returning quickly, she locked the bedroom door behind her.

She carefully removed Liam's shoes and socks, lifting his legs onto the bed before covering him with the duvet. The pill bottle rattled as she shook out a capsule.

"Liam, you need to take this." She cradled his head gently. "Liam?"

When he didn't respond, she tried pouring water into his mouth. It trickled down his chin, soaking into the pillowcase. Panic clawed at her throat - every wasted second felt dangerous.

"Please wake up." Her voice broke.

After wiping his face, she steeled herself. Placing the capsule between his lips, she took a sip of water and leaned down.

Their mouths met. She felt the capsule dissolve as the water transferred. But she didn't pull away immediately.

Tears slipped from her closed eyes, splashing onto his stubbled cheeks. His warm breath mingled with hers in the quiet room.

When she finally drew back, her vision blurred. Her fingers traced the familiar contours of his face - the arch of his brows, the straight bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips.

Each touch sent electric currents through her fingertips, vibrating through her entire body with painful longing.