Chapter 6

The photo attached to the message showed two hands clasped together, with a tiny mole on the back of the lower hand.

The timestamp was 5 p.m., the exact time I had sent Hendrick out to get the chicken noodle soup.

I deleted the message without a second thought and put my phone on silent.

A dull ache flared up in my stomach again, and I curled up, tucking myself into the corner of the bed.

The mattress dipped on the other side as Hendrick’s damp arm wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest.

He paused when he felt how thin I had become, then held me tighter, almost too tight.

To be honest, it hurt a little.

“Why have you lost so much weight?”

I didn’t tell him about my latest test results.

“Hendrick, you said you’d make it up to me. Does that still stand?”

I sat up and looked at him. Hendrick followed, his arm still around me.

“Of course it does. Chloe, have you decided what you want?”

“I want to attend next month’s company bidding meeting as the chief designer.”

I f