Chapter 61: Keep an eye on him.
Slowly, Charles’s fingers curled around the edge of Augustine’s boxer briefs, his touch featherlight yet deliberate.
His lips remained pressed against Augustine’s ear, each exhale sending a wave of warmth down Augustine’s spine.
The heat of Charles’s breath, made Augustine’s body tense.
His grip on the bedsheet tightened, his knuckles turning white as he bit down on his lower lip, struggling to suppress the shiver threatening to escape.
Charles lifted the band of Augustine’s boxer briefs, slipping just his index finger beneath the fabric, his touch agonizingly slow.
His lips hovered near Augustine’s ear as he whispered, "You want me to touch you, right?"
His voice was low, almost teasing.
Augustine, breath hitching, nodded without a second thought—his movements instinctive, almost submissive, as if surrendering to an unspoken command.
*Knock knock!*
The sudden knock at the door made Charles scoff in frustration as he slowly withdrew his index finger from beneath Augustine’s boxer brief.
He lingered for a moment, his breath still warm against Augustine’s skin, before finally pulling away.
"I need to get the door," Charles purred, his voice laced with reluctance as he leaned back, breaking the intimate tension between them.
"Plea... please come back," Augustine stuttered, his voice rasp and hoarse.
His grip on the bedsheet tightened as he gazed at Charles with desperate eyes. "Let’s continue our business... I want you to touch me down there." He shamelessly uttered.
Augustine was already painfully aroused, his erection straining against the fabric of his boxer briefs.
The sudden withdrawal of Charles’s touch felt like pure torture, leaving him frustrated and aching for more.
*Knock knock!*
"Augustine, I need to see who’s at the door. Once I handle it, we can continue where we left off," Charles insisted, his voice firm yet reassuring.
Augustine let out a heavy sigh, his frustration evident, but after a brief hesitation, he gave a reluctant nod, allowing Charles to step away.
Charles opened the door, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Standing before him was Mr. Wales, holding a large bouquet of flowers.
"Is Augustine awake?" Mr. Wales asked, his tone firm.
Charles hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly, then stepped aside to let him into the room.
Mr. Wales shut the door behind him, then extended the bouquet toward Charles. "This is for you," he murmured, his voice almost hesitant.
Charles blinked in surprise but took the flowers without a word, his gaze following Mr. Wales as he strode deeper into the room.
Stopping at the bedside, he looked down at Augustine, his expression unreadable.
Augustine sigh!
"Dad, where’s Mom?"
Mr. Wales frowned. "Is that how you welcome your father?" He questioned with a cold tone.
Augustine exhaled, forcing a smile onto his lips. "Good day, Dad," he greeted, his tone casual yet tense.
Without waiting for Mr. Wales to respond, he pressed on. "So... where’s Mom?" Augustine questioned with a cold tone.
"Umm, Mr. Wales, have you had your lunch?" Charles asked, his smile bright yet forced as he hurried over, attempting to ease the tension hanging in the air.
Mr. Wales, however, remained unfazed.
Without so much as a glance in Charles’s direction, Mr. Wales slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, his silence speaking louder than words.
"When do you plan on leaving this hospital?" Mr. Wales asked, his tone firm.
Augustine scoffed, his eyes dark with resentment. "When I’m healed. I’m still recovering—all thanks to your wife, who sent her men to beat the hell out of me and my lover," he spat coldly.
His father turned around, walking over to the door with a serious expression.
Standing by the door, Mr. Wales turned back to glance at Augustine one last time. "The board members of Gyapm Corporation are starting to suspect something’s off. You were supposed to attend the meeting to discuss the upcoming event in two weeks, but you didn’t."
He paused, his expression darkening with displeasure. "Your mother is the reason for your injuries, so I’ll allow you to stay here for the rest of the day. But tomorrow, you will attend the rescheduled meeting." His voice was cold and unwavering. He coldly spat.
Augustine scoffed. "Are you afraid the public will find out what your wife did to me?" Augustine questioned, his tone was laced with bitterness. "And where is Mom? Shouldn’t she at least visit the child she nearly killed?" He pressed, his gaze unwavering as he awaited his father’s response.
Mr. Wales ignored Augustine and with that, he stepped out of the hospital room.
Charles glances at the already closed door of the hospital room before averting his gaze back to Augustine. "I thought you and your dad were on good terms?" Charles’s curiously questioned.
Augustine nodded. "Yes, we do," he murmured. "We’re always teasing and bickering, but deep down, we really care about each other. Besides, Mom can be nice too—when she’s not busy trying to control everything." He explained.
Charles nodded in understanding, but deep down, he couldn’t shake the urge to ask if Mrs. Wales was truly Augustine’s biological mother—her treatment of him felt far from maternal.
Exhaling...
Charles kept the question to himself as he sat on the bed, carefully placing the bouquet of roses from Mr. Wales on the bedside table. "So, when do you plan on leaving the hospital?" he asked, his tone laced with quiet concern.
"We should both get discharged from the hospital tomorrow," he suggested, the hint of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "What do you feel like eating? You haven’t had anything all day."
Following Augustine statement, he lie down on the bed with painful hiss rolling out of his mouth as he awaits Charles respond.
Charles wrapped his arms around Augustine’s chest with a sigh. "I have work tonight from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.," he murmured, tightening his hold on Augustine’s broad torso as he rested his head against his chest.
"Can’t you skip your work? You skipped your cleaning work for today..."
"Augustine, I didn’t skip my cleaning job. I told you I quit because I can’t provide the apology letter that you requested." Charles uttered, cutting Augustine off from completing his phrase.
Augustine scoffed. "Can I kiss your forehead?" He suddenly inquired and Charles didn’t bother to think twice before nodding his head.
Slowly, Augustine turned, and Charles mirrored his movement until they lay face-to-face, their eyes locked in silent understanding.
"You’re so damn beautiful," Augustine purred, his voice rich with sincerity as he leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to Charles’s forehead.
Charles’s breath hitched, his eyelids fluttering shut as warmth spread through his chest.
Charles heart pounded, each beat echoing in his ears, while a rush of nervous excitement coiled in his stomach, making him feel weightless.
The gentle pressure of Augustine’s lips lingered, sending a shiver down his spine, and for a fleeting moment, the world outside the bed ceased to exist.
The simple gesture of Augustine made Charles feel so warm within himself as he held his breath for a while.
Five seconds later, Augustine slowly leaned away, his lashes fluttering as a playful smile curved his lips. "You’re still a worker at my company, and I don’t care about any stupid apology letter," he whispered.
Augustine held Charles’s gaze, the warmth in his eyes deepening before he winked. "You can resume your cleaning duties whenever you’re ready. I already took an off day for you," he added, his tone dipping into something dangerously seductive, sending a shiver down Charles’s spine.
"So... so what about the letter?"
"It’s not necessary," Augustine murmured, his touch gentle as he ran his hand along Charles’s back in slow, soothing strokes.
Pausing for a moment, he tilted his head slightly, his brows knitting together in concern. "By the way, what do you want to eat?" he asked, his voice softer now.
He had noticed how Charles had gone the entire day without eating, and the thought unsettled him.
"I want... I want to eat something spicy, and... is it alright if I leave the hospital to grab something for myself? I heard that there are nearby shops after the hospital building."
Charles felt the need to leave the hospital building because he needed some fresh air.
Augustine nodded. "You’re free to get dressed and head to your new job, pookie," he murmured, his tone light but laced with warmth. "I won’t tie you down... your life is yours to live."
Yet, as he spoke, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, betraying the words he tried so hard to mean.
The reply of Augustine made Charles become a bit taken aback but he didn’t bother to say anything.
With a smile, Charles stepped down from the bed. "See you around six o’clock then." He mumbled, waving his hands at Augustine before proceeding to head back to his hospital room.
There, Charles noticed that a pair of blue jeans trouser and a green shirt were placed above the bed.
’It seems Augustine already knows I plan on leaving the hospital,’ Charles mused, his cheeks warming as a soft blush crept across his face.
He walked into the hospital bathroom, took a quick shower, then slipped into the clothes laid out on the bed before making his way toward the door to leave the room.
Meanwhile, Augustine stood by the window of his hospital room, his expression serious as he held his phone to his ear. "Make sure you keep an eye on him," he ordered, his voice low and commanding.