La Novels
Chapter 1626
Jamie felt a sting in her nose, barely holding back the tears threatening to fall.
Linda grew anxious, sensing Jamie's growing sadness. She repeated softly, "Don't cry. Jamie, don't cry."
Hearing those familiar words brought Jamie back to her childhood. Her mom had always comforted her the same way.
With tears glistening at the corner of her eyes, Jamie managed a smile. "I'm not crying."novelbin
She quickly wiped her eyes and put on a brave face.
Only when she composed herself did Linda relax and release her grip.
"Mom, if I sent you to a place where you couldn't see Charlie and me as often, would you be okay with that? Would you blame me?" Jamie asked cautiously.
"What place? Where would I go?" Linda's anxiety grew, her tone turning uneasy.
The sight of her mother's distress instantly made Jamie abandon the thought. She quickly backtracked, "It's nothing, just kidding. Don't worry about it. Go back and play with Charlie."
Linda returned to playing with Charlie, their cheerful voices echoing through the house. Jamie sighed helplessly.
"Forget it. I'll figure it out when I get back," Jamie thought to herself.
*
Early morning, they arrived at the airport. Their flight was scheduled at dawn, and while they had a lot of luggage, others handled it, so it wasn't too troublesome.
Soon, the plane took off.
Before the flight, Jamie had spent a long time on the phone with Charlie. She had already explained the night before that she would be away on a business trip to Bay City for two days, and while Charlie had been upset, he eventually accepted it. Still, she couldn't help but worry about him.
After the call, reassured that Charlie wasn't too sad, Jamie finally relaxed.
As she gazed out at the blue skies and clouds through the airplane window, she rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of discomfort. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ben massaging his stomach.
The realization hit her. She had completely forgotten about his gastric issues.
Jamie's brows furrowed as she rummaged through her bag. She distinctly remembered packing some antacids before leaving.
"Excuse me, could I trouble you for a cup of warm water?" she asked the flight attendant.
The attendant, with the polished demeanor of business-class service, promptly brought her a cup.
Jamie carried the water and medication to Ben. "Ben, take this for your stomach."
Ben lifted his gaze slightly, his brows hinting at his discomfort. His icy demeanor wasn't so much an effort to appear cold as it was a way to discourage anyone from approaching him.
But as Jamie approached, the frost in his expression melted. "You brought this specifically for me? I didn't realize you carried medicine around."
Jamie sighed, her arm growing tired from holding out the cup. "It's because of your stomach issues. Are you taking it or not?"
Ben's gaze lingered on her for a
moment before the last trace of chill vanished from his face. He took the water and medicine, setting them aside before, to Jamie's surprise, briefly clasping her hand.
She froze.
Just as quickly, he let go, as if the fleeting warmth had never existed. "If it's my secretary's advice, I suppose I'll listen," he said nonchalantly before swallowing the medication. The medicine was mild, so it took a little time to take effect, but Ben visibly felt better afterward.
Jamie couldn't shake her concern, so after speaking briefly with the flight attendant, she decided to move to the seat next to Ben.
Originally, their seats had been assigned randomly within the same cabin, placing them apart. Ben had clearly been displeased about this arrangement earlier. Now, it seemed, he got exactly what he wanted.
As they sat in silence, Ben leaned against her shoulder. Jamie gently nudged him away. "Mr. Lucas, wake up," she said, her tone deliberately cool and distant.
They had spent months carefully
maintaining the appearance of a standard boss-secretary relationship under the watchful eyes of their colleagues. Even on a business trip, Jamie felt it was essential to keep up that pretense.