Chapter 23

The doorbell rang. Juliet was wrapped in a blanket, curled up on the couch. She thought it was Ariane and struggled to get up and open the door. But standing outside was Zachary. He went wearing a light gray trench coat, standing tall and refined, holding several thermos containers in his hand. "Zach?" Juliet looked genuinely surprised. "You didn't sound right on the phone. I was worried, so I came to check on you." Zachary's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before a gentle smile spread across his lips. He walked in naturally, set the containers down on the dining table, then turned back and lightly touched her forehead with the back of his hand. "You don't have a fever. Why do you look so bad?" "I'm fine. I just caught a mild cold that triggered gastritis." Juliet stepped back a little, lowering her eyes. "Gastritis?" Zachary studied her pale face for a few seconds, and a flicker of darkness flashed in his light gray eyes. She was lying. But he didn't press her. Instead