Chapter 164 - The Pain Was Unbearable

Merry sat back in her chair with a sullen face. However, her anger did not last long and was soon replaced by an expression of pain. All her movements earlier made the pain in her stomach even worse.

Meanwhile, Clifford drove as fast as he could and arrived at the hotel in a few minutes. He intended only to drop Merry off before returning to the studio as soon as possible. After all, Clifford's main job here was to escort Lilia. Jean would skin him alive if anything happened to her.

Clifford stopped the car in front of the lobby and got out of the car. Then he opened the door for Merry. The young woman's condition seemed even more severe than before. Her forehead was covered with beads of cold sweat. There were several strands of hair that had fallen from the braid and stuck to her forehead.

"Can you come down? We've arrived at the hotel." Clifford said in a gentler tone than usual.

But Merry frowned and crossed her arms, "Why are you ignoring my wishes?" Merry protested. "I have repeatedly said that I will accompany Sis Lilia to shoot in the studio!"

Though she said that, Merry herself knew that her condition would get worse if she insisted on accompanying Lilia. Not only did she suffer period cramps, she was also not used to the cold weather here. Merry caught a cold because she wandered with Clifford all night without wearing thick clothes.

Clifford stared at Merry for a moment, then sighed, "Mrs. Lilia asked me to take you back to the hotel. Don't worry, I intend to return to the studio as soon as you feel better."

Merry's annoyed expression softened a little when she heard that, "Then, don't forget to prepare hot water for Ms. Lilia. She always drank it whenever she was done with a job. Ah, the thermos bottle is in my little bag. Also, chewing gum, towels, a small fan, and… " Merry started to mention one by one the items she always carried.

However, as time went by, Merry's voice grew smaller. Her facial expression was filled with pain as she clutched her stomach. The pain was unbearable!

"I understand. I'll take care of it, so you don't have to worry." Clifford said as he helped Merry get out of the car.

The pain in her stomach made Merry's footsteps unsteady. She walked up the stairs to the lobby door with Clifford's help. But Merry woke up and pushed Clifford away.

"I can go back on my own. You have to go and look after Big Sis Lilia for me." Merry insisted.

The young woman pressed on against Clifford until the man had no other choice. Merry could be very stubborn when she already knew what she wanted.

Merry cursed her fate today, which made her have to rest at the hotel even though this was Lilia's first day shooting a movie. She's constantly worrying that something bad might happen to Lilia.

Pushing Clifford away, Merry continued up the stairs, clutching her stomach. But with each step Merry took, her tears continued to flow without stopping. Her stomach felt like it was being pricked by thousands of needles and she could barely walk.

For a moment, Merry hoped that someone would come and accompany her through this pain. However, she bit her lip while shaking her head vigorously. If she asked Clifford to accompany her, she knew the man wouldn't refuse. But that meant Lilia would be filming alone. If anything happened to that model, Merry would not be able to forgive herself.

Because of that, Merry forced herself to go step by step, while enduring the stinging pain.

Behind Merry, Clifford stood there, watching the young woman walk away. The man was caught in an extraordinary dilemma. His boss sent him all the way to Jakarta to protect Lilia. But he also could not leave Merry who was suffering just like that.

Clifford looked at the car parked at the bottom of the steps, then his gaze shifted to the figure of Merry walking upstairs. Clifford's right foot landed on Merry's direction, but he immediately stopped himself. No, he reminded himself that he was here as Lilia's bodyguard, not to escort Merry. Clifford hardened his heart and turned around, then started stepping down the stairs.

But seconds later, there was a sound of sobs coming from behind Clifford. The man's body suddenly turned stiff and his steps stopped. Clifford knew he had to leave immediately, but his body refused to move.

Clifford closed his mouth tight and closed his eyes for a moment, then he turned over. He hurried up the stairs to the lobby. Clifford asked the security officer manning the lobby's door to park the car before walking in.

He immediately saw Merry, who was squatting in the middle of the lobby pressing her stomach. The young woman sobbed regardless of the passersby in the lobby. The staff and tourists passing through the lobby gave Merry questioning gazes. They also glanced at the man in black who was standing behind the young woman.

Clifford felt uncomfortable with all the attention. Increasingly, more people in the lobby stared at them.

On the other hand, Merry did not realize that Clifford was following behind her. The young woman dragged her steps into the elevator and crouched in a corner. She continued to hold her stomach while occasionally wiping her tears.

Suddenly, a large shadow fell over Merry. She looked up and met the head of Jean's bodyguard team.

"…Don't cry." Clifford handed Merry the box of tissues he had taken from the reception desk.

For a moment, Merry was so shocked that she stopped crying. She stared blankly at the flat face of the man in black. Then Merry's eyes began to fill with tears and small sobs escaped her tightly closed mouth. She showed no sign of taking the tissue Clifford had offered her.

Clifford sighed and knelt before the young woman. He began to wipe Merry's tears with great patience and tenderness.

Merry closed her eyes and let Clifford wipe her face. This was the first time anyone had taken care of it since Merry ran away from home. The warmth of Clifford's hands and the softness of his touch almost made the young woman shed tears again. But Merry held back with difficulty. She didn't want to waste Clifford's efforts by crying again.

The elevator reached the floor of Merry's room and the door slid open. Clifford glanced at Merry, waiting for the young woman to get off the elevator first. But Merry did not move from her position.

Lilia's assistant stretched out both hands and said in a small voice, "I-I can't stand up ... p-please ... carry me ..."

Clifford stared at Merry for a moment before sighing again. Even though he always put on a flat face, Clifford actually felt sorry for Merry's messy and pitiful appearance. He bent down and slipped his hands under Merry's knees, then lifted her easily. He could barely feel Merry's tiny weight.

Merry put one arm around Clifford's neck, the other still rubbing her stomach. They walked out of the elevator in that embarrassing position. A hotel staff member who was cleaning the hallway stood frozen and stared at the two of them with a gaping mouth.

However, Merry did not have time to notice the stares of the hotel staff. She was busy scolding Clifford, "Slow down! Go slow, Clifford! My stomach still hurts…!"

The hotel staff quickly stepped aside and watched the two of them walk by. The middle-aged woman shook her head while muttering, "Young people these days are really shameless, showing off their affection in public!"

Clifford clenched his mouth shut as he slowed his steps. He wanted to stop and explain to the staff that she had misunderstood him, but Merry was his top priority right now.

The man led Merry up to her room before descending back into the lobby. Clifford stopped one of the hotel staff and asked to prepare hot ginger soup for Merry.

After taking care of that, Clifford stood silently in the lobby. He hesitated for a moment, then finally decided to check Merry's condition again. The man was just turning toward the elevator when the lobby door slid open, revealing a familiar male figure.

The handsome young man pulled the suitcase in his left hand, while the other hand pressed the cellphone to his ear. He wore a black jacket made by a foreign designer and matching jeans.

Clifford turned and his eyes widened as he recognized the man.

Why was he here?!