<h4>Chapter 410: A Heartwarming Moment</h4>


    "Foolish girl, I didn’t hit my head. The bullet just grazed me," Eric said with a softugh. E’s heart clenched at his words, an indescribable pain almost overwhelming her. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he had endured over the past four days and three nights.


    If Eric had been just a fraction slower, she might never have seen him again.


    "I’m fine, really. Just a superficial wound. My luck has always been this good. Remember the fire? I was injured so badly, but I still made it through, didn’t I?" Eric said as he sped her hand tightly, a yful yet confident smile gracing his face. That unshakable self-assurance lit up his features.


    E bit her lip, her tears now apanied by a soft, relieved smile. Her man always seemed to have incredible luck—though it wasn’t really luck. It was his strength and resilience forged through countless hardships that carried him through.


    The two of them held hands tightly, the silence between them more powerful than any words.


    ...


    As they stepped out of the car at the hotel, they were immediately swarmed by reporters.


    "Mr. Nelson, it’s said you were kidnapped. Can you share the details?"


    "Mr. Nelson, are you injured? Were you just rescued by the police?"


    The reporters, already tipped off about the incident, had been unable to get close at the police scene and had instead crowded the hotel to corner Eric.


    Eric cast a cool nce at the throng before speaking in an icy tone. "Yes, I was kidnapped by Barry and Leonard of the Miller family. Thanks to the brave and capable police of Country W, I’m alive today. Otherwise, I’d have died at Barry’s hands."


    The reporters erupted into a frenzy. The Miller family—aristocracy—implicated in something so vile? The revtion was explosive.


    "That’s all I’m saying for now," Eric added with a wicked curve of his lips. "In a few days, you’ll have more detailed information. Thank you all for your concern." With that, he wrapped an arm around E and headed into the hotel.


    Their bodyguards blocked the persistent reporters from following. shbulbs lit the lobby like strobe lights, and the sheer number of reporters turned the grand entrance into a chaotic sea of people.


    Though Eric had emerged rtively unharmed, the blood on his forehead and clothes painted a harrowing picture that left those who saw it uneasy.


    ...


    Finally back in their room, E wasted no time asking John to fetch antiseptic and other supplies. She insisted on treating Eric’s wounds herself.


    Eric sat on the couch, watching her intently. Her delicate features, once radiant, now bore signs of exhaustion. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and red veins streaked the whites. Her once-rosyplexion was dull with fatigue.


    Clearly, the past few days had been agonizing for her too, each moment dragging on like an eternity.


    "E, I’m sorry," Eric said softly, taking her hand in his and pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, his voice low but sincere. "I made you worry again. I promise I’ll be more careful from now on."


    Eughed through her tears, her voice a mix of scolding and relief. "As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters. Now let me tend to your wounds."


    Eric’s breath was warm against her cheek as he kissed it gently. He had wanted to pull her into a full embrace the moment he saw her, but with so many people around, it hadn’t felt right. Now, with the tension of thest few days catching up with him, he felt the exhaustion in his bones.


    "This is nothing," he said, brushing off the injury as minor. "I shouldn’t have trusted my aunt so much..." His voice trailed off with a sigh. "She’s always been greedy. Even if she wasn’t acting under someone’s orders, she..."


    "She’s the type to take advantage of small gains," E interjected gently. "She epted free seasoning packets and used them to cook, not knowing they’d been tampered with. We let our guard down too, but it’s not entirely her fault. She had no way of knowing she was part of someone else’s n."


    E smiled softly as she reached out to touch Eric’s face, her fingers tracing the sharp contours of his features.


    Her touch was tender, her voice soothing. In that moment, the room felt lighter, as if the weight of thest few days had started to lift.


    Eric chuckled softly, his voice light and teasing. "Tell me, littledy, what have you been up to these past few days?"


    E’s nose tingled as tears threatened again. "What could I do? I... I’m not like you, Eric. I don’t have a hugework of connections. Even David showed up in person! I heard he’s the nephew of the president of Country W. Eric, you really are incredible, roping someone like him in."


    "What do you mean, ’roping him in’? We’re very good friends, thank you," Eric said, smirking as he yfully nuzzled her hair. His gaze, however, darkened slightly, a glint of cold fury flickering in his eyes. "Bowan’s overstepped. Many within Country W are already dissatisfied with him, using him of tarnishing the nobility’s reputation and disgracing their image."


    E smiled faintly, her tension easing slightly. "It’s a relief you made it out. I was so worried these past few days—I couldn’t sleep, my head hurt constantly. I was terrified I’d never see you again... If that had happened, I swear I’d have blown up Bowan’s house."


    Eric burst outughing. "Bowan deserves worse. That’s why I exposed the mastermind behind this. Bowan’s life won’t be easy from here on out. With both his sons dragged down, someone will inevitably find an excuse to take him out."


    E shivered at the thought. The battles between nobles and Country W’s political factions were always brutal, leaving no room for fairness or mercy.


    That was why these past days had been so torturous for her. Though she constantly reminded herself to stay calm, she still spent many nights crying silently, overwhelmed by helplessness.


    But she had endured. She had held on without asking Lucas for help.


    That determination had finally paid off—Eric’s sess was proof enough, pping Lucas’s skepticism in the face.


    Her choice of a man this time was wless.


    ...


    The two sat quietly, leaning against one another, lost in thought. After a long while, Eric finally broke the silence, scooping her up in his arms with a mischievous smile. "Let’s take a shower together."


    Eughed and nodded, amused. She didn’t believe for a second that someone as exhausted as Eric would have the energy for anything beyond teasing.


    True to her instincts, Eric was too drained to do more than joke around in the shower. He let her help him clean up before copsing into bed, fast asleep.


    E noticed his damp hair and grabbed a towel, carefully drying it as much as she could.


    "I’ll use the hairdryer to dry it a bit more, okay? You can stay lying down," she said, her voice filled with tenderness as she rested her chin on his chest and poked at his sleepy face with her finger.


    "Mmm... Thanks, love," Eric murmured, barely managing the words before his eyes drifted shut.


    After several sleepless nights, his body finally gave in to the extreme fatigue. His even breaths signaled that he had already fallen into a deep sleep.


    E quietly climbed off the bed, retrieved the hairdryer, and sat beside him. Looking at his peaceful face, his sharp, handsome features softened in slumber, she couldn’t help but smile. There was something so precious about these tranquil moments with him.


    Her thoughts drifted back to the image of him standing amidst the chaos, blood trickling from his forehead. In that moment, she had thought he was the most heroic, most powerful man in the world. Her heart swelled with a strange but undeniable pride.


    This was the man she had chosen, and he would never let her down.


    E set the hairdryer to its lowest setting and gently dried his hair. Thankfully, Eric’s hair was short; otherwise, the task might have taken forever. Even so, just a few minutes in, her wrist began to ache.


    It struck her how Eric would blow-dry her hair every night, neverining. The simple act of care felt even more meaningful now, a testament to the steady and unwavering love between them.


    E finished drying his hair and ced the dryer aside. She leaned closer, brushing a hand softly over his cheek before tucking herself in beside him. In this moment, with Eric by her side, the world felt right again.