She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 44

Hulda stayed with Conrad at the sanatorium until noon. They ate lunch together, and she helped the nurse make sure he took his midday medication before the cranky old man finally shooed her out.

"Go, go, go! Get out of here! You're buzzing around like a fly! Go!" He shooed her away with a huff, a stray drop of water still clinging to the corner of his mouth from his pills.

She wasn't the least bit offended, knowing her mentor was just being childish. After giving the nurse a few final instructions, she left the facility.

Unsure if Bertram Sterling was still a patient at Aldercy Central Hospital, she decided to avoid the connecting corridor so she wouldn't bump into Nadia or anyone else from the Sterling family again. Instead, she took the long way around, exiting through the sanatorium's main doors to hail a cab on the street.

As she walked, she pondered buying a car. It would make getting around much easier.

The car she used to drive was under Herbert's name, so naturally, she had left the keys behind when she moved out.

Still lost in thought about car shopping, she stepped out into the open air without realizing it.

Going from the dim interior to the blinding afternoon sun left her momentarily dazed. She didn't notice the edge of the steps right beneath her feet. In a split second, she lost her balance and pitched forward toward the hard pavement.

Just as she braced herself for a brutal impact, a strong arm snaked around her waist, catching her firmly against a solid chest.

"Thank—" Before she could finish the word, a familiar, crisp cologne filled her senses. Shielding her eyes from the glaring sun, she recognized the face.

Even with the dark sunglasses shielding his eyes, she could almost feel the mocking glint in the man's gaze beneath the tinted lenses.

It was as if she had been electrocuted. She instantly jerked out of his embrace, stood upright, and tried to step around him to leave without a second glance.

An overwhelming wave of discomfort radiated outward from her chest.

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