Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

It was a restless night.
Hallie had countless dreams—memories, really—of her childhood when her mother was still alive. She saw her father putting on his act. He would be the doting, gentle father whenever Hallie's mother was around.
But the moment her mother turned away, he would shove Hallie aside as if she were nothing.
"Daddy, I hurt my foot." Little Hallie rubbed her knee, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at Tucker, hoping he'd scoop her up and lift her high into the air like before.
But Tucker just stared down at her coldly, his patience worn thin.
"You're just like your mother, so damn dramatic and entitled!" With his wife absent, Tucker finally unleashed all his pent-up frustration on little Hallie. "Ever since I married her, I've had to grovel and serve you all, and what do I get in return? Nothing!"
Tucker glared at Hallie's pink dress with disgust and spat, "What's the point of having a daughter? You'll just be married off and gone for good in the future.
"Damn it, I wanted a son, but your mother refuses to bear me one! She's clearly trying to end my bloodline."
The seeds of resentment had been planted long ago. But little Hallie, innocent as she was, remained oblivious to it. Hallie had once tried everything to win her father's approval, longing for him to acknowledge her as his daughter.
It wasn't until her beloved mother passed away, and Natalie, along with that other woman, moved into their home, that Hallie finally realized the truth. Day after day of silent coldness and cruel neglect taught her everything she needed to know.
From a darkened corner of the bedroom, the low sound of Hallie's sobs drifted softly through the air, which woke Nelson up.
Nelson threw off the covers and strode over, a mocking smirk on his face as he sneered at Hallie, who was curled up in the corner. "Ms. Levine, what a drama queen you are.
"Are you doing this because I woke you up in the middle of the night? What's the point of being so damn difficult?"
As he spoke, he was about to yank her up from her supposed act. But just then, a sliver of moonlight spilled through the window and landed right on Hallie's tear-streaked face.
"You..." Nelson's voice caught in his throat as the mockery in his eyes faded. He frowned, studying her, then brushed her cheek, where his fingertips came away warm and damp.
'She's actually crying,' Nelson realized.
Hallie bit down hard on her lip in her sleep and frowned unconsciously. Beneath that tightly controlled expression, her sorrow still showed through. Even the sound of her breathing betrayed her pain.
Nelson rubbed his fingertips together absent-mindedly.
The tear had evaporated from his fingertips in an instant, yet something else had etched itself deeply into him. It was something that wouldn't disappear, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off.
After a moment of silence, Nelson bent down and carefully lifted Hallie from the corner, where she was curled up like a frightened animal. Step by step, he carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down.
Just as he started to rise, he felt a small hand clutching the hem of his shirt.
"Don't go, Daddy. Look at me," Hallie murmured unconsciously in her sleep.
Nelson's face turned solemn when he heard Hallie call out Daddy. 'Daddy?' he scoffed inwardly. 'I'm not nearly old enough to be her father.'
For a split second, he couldn't help but wonder who was really taking advantage of whom in this situation.
He looked down at the delicate hand stubbornly gripping his shirt.
After a few gentle tugs that failed to free him—and not wanting to wake her up—he let out a resigned sigh and eventually lay down on the other side of the bed, keeping as much distance as possible between them.
The next morning, Nelson was jolted awake by a sharp, stinging slap across his face. As a result, his cheek burned with pain.
As Nelson opened his eyes in fury, he was met with Hallie's horrified expression. His gaze traveled downward to where her hands were tightly clutching her collar.
Her hands were clenched tightly around the collar of her pajama top, as if he'd done something unspeakable to her while she slept.
Before Nelson could even say anything, Hallie bombarded him with questions. "How did I end up in bed? What did you do to me last night?"
A muscle at the corner of his eye twitched. Meeting her wary, accusing gaze, he forced out a cold, mocking laugh. "Ms. Levine, you're a doctor. Don't you think you'd know perfectly well if I'd done anything to you?"
Meeting his mocking gaze, Hallie gradually regained her composure. The wariness in her eyes slowly softened into something calmer.
When she'd first woken up and seen Nelson lying right beside her, the shock had been too much. Despite usually being cool-headed, she'd instinctively reacted like a drama heroine by slapping him straight across the face.
Now that she'd calmed down, Hallie realized her body showed no signs of anything unusual.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely misread the situation." She glanced guiltily at the vivid red handprint on Nelson's cheek and asked carefully, "Mr. Blair, does your cheek hurt? Would you like me to apply a cold compress and some ointment?"
"Whether it hurts or not is beside the point. What really stings is my pride. Since you so generously gave me a slap, Ms. Levine, why don't you turn your face and let me return the favor?" Nelson rubbed his cheek and shot her a mocking look.
Hallie knew he was joking, yet after hesitating for a few seconds, she actually leaned in and offered her cheek. "Alright then. Go ahead. Hit me."
Nelson was so startled that he immediately stepped back, frowning at her like she'd grown a second head. "What are you up to now?"
After all their dealings, he knew Hallie wasn't the type to take jokes literally.
She said, "You've got five seconds, Mr. Blair. If you're not going to slap me, the offer expires. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!"
When the countdown ended, Hallie hopped off the bed, forcing a crooked, awkward smile at Nelson. "Now we're even."
Nelson was still half-sitting on the bed, frozen in place. He watched as she darted into the bathroom and slammed the door shut with a sharp thud, which confused him.
He thought, 'Something about her reaction felt... different today.'
Inside the bathroom, Hallie stood staring at her reflection for five whole minutes. Her hair was a little messy, her cheeks still burning pink, and those usually bright eyes shimmered faintly with unshed tears.
The softened glow made her look unexpectedly delicate and more alluring than usual. She shook her head, banishing those distracting thoughts.
The moment she'd opened her eyes this morning and seen Nelson so close, her heart had jolted wildly in her chest.
As a cardiac surgeon, Hallie knew better than anyone—this wasn't some random arrhythmia. It wasn't a medical problem, but something else entirely.
After lingering in the bathroom for nearly half an hour, Hallie finally pushed open the door and stepped out slowly.
She had no idea how to face the man who'd just made her heart race so strangely. But as she stepped into the room, she realized that it was empty, and Nelson was already gone.
Hallie let out an involuntary sigh of relief, pressing a hand to her chest. She could still feel her heart pounding from that fleeting moment.
Nelson's annoyingly handsome face—always wearing that lazy, mocking smirk—kept flashing before her eyes. He was exactly the type she swore she'd never fall for, yet somehow, he'd started giving her butterflies.
At the hospital, after signing in at her department, Hallie packed up for her outreach visit.
"Dr. Levine, I've packed this raincoat for you," said the logistics staff member, tucking a raincoat into her bag and checking it off the supply checklist.
Hallie paused in surprise. "Is it supposed to rain today?"
The sky outside was perfectly clear, and the forecast had shown no rain across Callopston, so Hallie had only brought her usual umbrella.
"Not sure. It's just standard procedure," the logistics staff replied casually while double-checking the list. "But it's supposed to rain in the next couple of days, so you'll probably need it anyway."