Billionaire's match novel

---- Chapter 607 Just then, a cup of warm water was pressed into Nick's hand. The fingers holding the cup were slender, and the familiar ring on them caught his eye. The moment Nick accepted it, his expression froze. His gaze followed that hand upward, and at last he saw who was standing beside the bed For an instant, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him Was this an illusion...? How could Khloe be here? Shouldn't she be with Henry right now...?

Khloe's face was pale, her lips pressed tightly together, her eyes locked on him without blinking, Inside her, emotions surged like a raging tide, and she forced herself to steady her breathing. "Kh... Khloe? How did you-" Only after a long moment did Nick manage to speak, disbelief thick in his voice. It was hoarse and dry. Khloe didn't answer. Her gaze moved from his bloodless face, to the corner of his lips still stained with blood he hadn't wiped ---- away, then down to the shocking dark red on the floor. Finally, it met his eyes, widened in stunned disbelief.

The next second, before Nick could recover from the shock, Khloe suddenly dropped to her knees beside the bed and grabbed the front of his thin shirt. Her movement was rough-nothing like her usual composed, restrained self, even when angry. Nick had never seen her like this, furious and out of control. "So this is what you meant by... being 'a little unwell'? So this is what you meant when you told me not to worry and said you'd take care of yourself? Nick! Why did you lie to me again?!" Her voice shook violently. She could no longer hide her emotions.

Anger, heartache, fear, panic-too many feelings crashed together in her chest, leaving her unable to decide how to react. The hand clutching his collar went from tight to limp, trembling uncontrollably. Nick was speechless. He frowned as he watched her eyes redden instantly, yet she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall. The pain in his heart struck him a hundredfold. ---- In his memory, she had always been calm and rational, even distant at times.

He had imagined that if one day she discovered he had hidden his illness, she would be angry-but she would also restrain her sorrow and face it with strength. But now... she left him completely at a loss. As soon as her words ended, Khloe threw herself into his arms and broke down in tears. Nick felt as if his throat were blocked. Any comfort or excuse sounded hollow at this moment. After a long pause, his hand finally came to rest on her shoulder. "Khloe, don't be afraid. I'm fine." She had heard those words too many times. Khloe no longer believed them. "Fine? Vomiting blood is 'fine'?

Then what would count as not fine?" Her voice was thick with pain. She forced down her emotions and looked again at his ashen face. Choking back sobs, she demanded, "Nick, what do you take me for? A porcelain doll you have to protect with self-sacrifice? Or ---- do you think that if | knew you were sick, | would abandon you?" "No! Khloe, | never-" Nick hurried to deny it, but a violent coughing fit suddenly seized him. He bent forward at once, his face turning even worse. Seeing his distress, Khloe's hand on his collar jerked back as if burned.

The fierce resolve she had forced herself to hold shattered like a pricked balloon, replaced by a deeper, more helpless panic. Instinctively, she reached out to help him-but her hand froze in midair. In the end, she only clenched it tightly into a fist, her nails digging deep into her palm. She turned to call for a doctor, but Nick grabbed her hand before she could move.