Chapter 368: Chapter 367: Christina Lynch Faces a Prison Sentence

She tried to move her other hand, but it was still numb.

Sophia Zobel’s vision went black, and she nearly fainted. “Tell me the truth. Is my hand crippled for life?”

Lucy Summers tried to comfort her. “Mom, the doctor said you’ve injured a nerve. Maybe it’ll get better after some time…”

“How long?”

Lucy Summers fell silent.

“Is Nathan okay?” Sophia Zobel asked urgently.

“He’s fine. He’s with Victor Vance right now.”

Sophia Zobel breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I’m just an old woman with one foot in the grave. It wouldn’t matter if I died. But not my grandson. He’s still so young. For me to have to bury him… that would be more painful than death itself!”

Lucy Summers couldn’t hold back her tears. “You don’t understand, Mom. So much has happened to the family recently. I’m afraid we won’t be able to stay in this VIP room for much longer. We’ll have to move to a general ward.”

“What?! How could this be?”

“Nathaniel was accused of aggravated assault and has been taken into police custody. His trial is coming up soon, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to avoid prison time.”

Sophia Zobel began to cough violently. “No, no!” she gasped. “How can Nathaniel go to jail? You have to find a way to save him!” She looked around frantically. “My son, where’s my son? Go get my eldest son! I need to have a word with him. How can he just abandon his own brother?! Nathaniel… Nathaniel was just confused! He wasn’t in his right mind!”

After the incident, Nathaniel Lynch had locked himself away, alternating between fits of laughter and tears, often clutching a bottle of liquor and crying until dawn. Then one day, he suddenly stopped. He even put on a tie and appeared full of energy. It was only later that Sophia Zobel discovered he had somehow gotten his hands on drugs. She immediately sought a doctor’s help, but quitting wasn’t easy. When the cravings hit, Nathaniel would clutch his head and scream in agony, saying it felt like his head was about to explode. After seeing that, Sophia Zobel no longer had the heart to stop him.

Ever since he started using drugs, Sophia Zobel could feel Nathaniel’s mental state deteriorating. He became violent, irritable, and erratic—a completely different person. Then, by chance, Sophia Zobel overheard Nathaniel hiring a hitman. The targets included Victor Vance, on the very day Victor had come to take Nathan away. Sophia’s heart hammered in terror, and she had rushed out of the house in a panic.

“We can’t help Nathaniel. We can barely fend for ourselves,” Lucy Summers said with a bitter laugh, her voice laced with resentment. “I warned him a long time ago, but he refused to listen. This time, he not only nearly killed someone, but he also made a powerful enemy of the Shaw Family.”

“The company’s investments have gone sour. A lot of capital is tied up in failed ventures and can’t be recovered, and we’ve lost the properties we mortgaged.” She gave another bitter smile. “If that was all, it would be one thing. But our company was exposed on national television for having excessive levels of carcinogens in our personal care products. The stock price has been plummeting…”

Overwhelmed by the flood of terrible news, Sophia Zobel swayed, and in the next moment, she went rigid and collapsed onto the bed, unconscious.

*

Naomi Kenway had just learned of Nathaniel Lynch’s arrest today, and she couldn’t help but find the news deeply satisfying. She had seen it on her phone, since Ethan Shaw had forbidden her from going out, ordering her to stay home and recuperate.

Naomi Kenway got out of bed. She felt she had mostly recovered, and the wound on her back had already formed a scar.

There was a mirror in the bedroom. Naomi Kenway lifted her shirt and got a clear look at the scar on her back. It was about the size of a fist, located just below her shoulder blade.

Naomi strained to touch the scar, a wave of melancholy washing over her. She liked to look her best and didn’t want an unexpected blemish on her body. ’I wonder how long it’ll take to fade.’

CLICK. The bedroom door opened, and Naomi Kenway hastily pulled her shirt down.

“Why didn’t you knock?”

“I thought you were sleeping,” Ethan Shaw said, his grip on the tray tightening slightly. The image of her fair, half-bare back was vividly seared into his mind. Even though he had seen it while applying her medicine a few days ago, his throat still felt dry, as if he desperately needed a drink.

“Are you here to put on my medicine?”

Naomi Kenway glanced at the various bottles and jars on the tray Ethan was holding.

Ethan Shaw nodded, closing the door behind him as he walked in.

“Just two more days of this, and it should be fine.”

“Will it really heal?” Naomi Kenway asked, her spirits low. “I don’t want a scar like this when I wear a dress. It’s so ugly.”

“It’s not ugly.”

“It is,” Naomi Kenway insisted. “A scar this big is ugly.”

Ethan Shaw set the tray down on the table and comforted her, “Don’t worry. The ointment will help it heal.”

Naomi Kenway sat on the bed, her mood still sullen.

“Are you getting bored from being cooped up at home? How about I take you out tomorrow?”

Naomi Kenway nodded.

“Trust me, it will definitely heal,” Ethan Shaw said. He then asked, “Do you remember the wound on my shoulder?”

Naomi Kenway nodded. Of course, she remembered. She was the one who had applied the ointment for him back then.

“It’s all healed now. I’ll show you.”

Ethan Shaw looked as though he had just rushed back from the office. He first took off his suit jacket, then began to unbutton his shirt. His movements were slow and deliberate, possessing an indescribable elegance.

For some reason, Naomi Kenway found the scene inexplicably alluring. She averted her gaze, feeling flustered as her heart began to race.

“Look.”

Ethan Shaw’s voice pulled Naomi Kenway from her thoughts. His chest was bare, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his well-defined abs. Naomi found herself staring.

“What are you looking at?” His voice was teasing, laced with amusement. “Weren’t you supposed to be looking at my shoulder?”

“Who takes off their shirt like that…” she muttered.

A large, warm, dry hand took hers, guiding it to his firm, strong chest.

Naomi Kenway could hardly describe how good it felt beneath her palm. His skin was smooth and radiated warmth, with a texture like the finest polished jade, yet somehow more delicate.

“See? The scar’s gone, isn’t it?”

Naomi Kenway snatched her hand back. “It is,” she said stiffly.

Ethan Shaw watched her with a smile. After buttoning his shirt, he picked up the medicine bottle from the table. “Now, let me help you with your medicine.”

Naomi Kenway lay on the bed and exposed her back. The location of the wound was a bit awkward, and she couldn’t bring herself to take her shirt off completely. The thought filled her with a strange sense of shame, so she insisted on keeping it on.

Naomi felt Ethan lift the hem of her shirt. The air conditioning was on in the room, and a slight chill washed over her.

She waited a moment, but when nothing happened, she couldn’t help but urge him, “Hurry up and put the medicine on. I’m a little cold.”

“Cold?” Ethan Shaw tentatively touched Naomi’s back. It was, indeed, cool to the touch.

Ethan’s hand was very warm—unusually so for being indoors. Naomi flinched from the sudden heat of his touch. She coughed twice to cover her discomfort. “I feel a little chilly. Could you turn the temperature up a little?”

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