Chapter 270

Maverick arrived swiftly. As Giselle had just reached the ground floor of the Nephrology department, she was intercepted by Maverick. "Giselle." He called her name from behind. Each step he took with his long legs was heavy, and when Giselle looked back, she appeared flustered. "Who are you here to see?" Maverick stood in front of her, fixing an expressionless gaze upon her. His voice was frosty as ice. "I...I..." He didn't want Giselle to lie or come up with an excuse for herself. Maverick said, "You're here to see Patrick." Giselle was stunned. "You knew." Of course. Maverick's thin lips pressed together into a straight line. Without uttering another word, he reached forward and took Giselle's hand, his fingers gradually tightening around hers until he held her securely in his grasp. Then he said, "Let's go home." At this moment, Giselle didn't dare to refuse. She was led by Maverick all the way and helped into the car. As he fastened her seatbelt, Maverick said,"In the future, if you want to go out, I will accompany you. The rest of the time, stay at home. I will arrange for someone to watch over you." "Are you planning to confine me?" Giselle couldn't believe it. Maverick looked at her indifferently, without a hint of warmth. "You could say that." With that, he sat upright, buckled his seat belt on, stepped on the gas, and the car sped away. Giselle sat in the car, taking a long time to recover. Maverick blatantly admitted that he intended to confine her. Giselle couldn't accept it, she refused to accept it. She wasn't some pet canary that Maverick kept, how could he restrict her freedom. She could accept Maverick getting angry, questioning, and blaming.... But she couldn't accept him confining her. "Maverick, you can't do this," she said. However, the only thing that responded to her was the howling wind in her ears. Maverick was driving with the window down, his hand holding onto the steering wheel, his knuckles prominent. He remained silent, simply pushing the car to maximum speed. Soon, the two of them returned to Shallow Bay. Maverick got out of the car, walked around to the front, and opened the passenger door, his hand once again wrapping around Giselle's hand. This time, Giselle didn't cooperate as she started to struggle, saying, "Maverick, you can't confine me here." She still took this issue up with him. But Maverick was obviously never one to compromise, "Don't even think about it." His certainty also provoked Giselle, and she increased her strength, shaking Maverick off. "Why do you think you can do this? Even if you're my husband, you don't have the right.", she said. "I don't have the right." Maverick gave a short laugh as he tore off his long-standing mask of restraint, looking coldly at Giselle, "Why are you so upset? Afraid of being controlled by me and not being able to see Patrick?" He lowered his voice, staring fixatedly at Giselle, "Do you even know whose wife you are." "Of course, I know." Giselle tried to explain to Maverick, "Patrick is very sick, I can't..." "Can't you ignore it, or can't face being with me calmly? Just because he's sick, you start to waver?" The hand that Giselle shook off now rested on her shoulder. Maverick gripped Giselle's shoulders tightly, staring at her without blinking, but he felt it wasn't enough. Taking a deep breath, he pulled her into his arms, "Giselle, I won't allow you to waver." "I'm not, I just want to..." "You're not allowed to think about anything." Maverick said, "You should stay home quietly, and not go anywhere." "Maverick!" Giselle raised her voice, her eyes fixed firmly on Maverick. "Be good." Maverick reached out and gently touched Giselle's face, avoiding her gaze, using his softest voice to deliver his toughest words, "Judd has gone to arrange for people, they will protect you well." Is it 'protection'? It's clearly 'surveillance'! Giselle had never imagined that one day Maverick would do this. He 'imprisoned' her at home, preventing her from seeing Patrick. "Do you know that he is dying?" "If he dies, it's his problem. What's it got to do with you?" ... Once Maverick gave his command, Judd's efficiency was truly impressive, with two guards positioned at the entrance of Shallow Bay by afternoon. They guarded the door, trapping Giselle inside the house. In one night, Giselle had been gifted a cage. She couldn’t accept, she was furious, she refused, she questioned… Yet, the more agitated she became, the more annoyed Maverick felt! Why was she trapped? Wasn't it clear to her? How many acts has she played out in front of him? How many times has she promised not to see Patrick but not only did she meet with him, she also found out about his illness. When she learned he was dying, couldn't she just stay put? If she's afraid he'll die and she can't bear to lose Patrick, how could Maverick allow her the chance to meet him? If she does see him, feels sorry for him, softens, rekindles old affection, can't get him out of her mindset... Then what did all the years he spent waiting and working hard amount to? She'd been increasingly leaning on him, growing closer and closer to him, to the point where she made him feel like she was almost his – wholly and completely, from heart to body. How could he allow anyone to snatch her away from his side at this point? If Patrick is going to die, let him. He would eradicate any possibilities of their old flames reigniting. If Patrick dies and Giselle feels sad, he'll accompany her through that. He'll stay with her as long as she grieves. He allows her to cry over her ex, but he won't allow her to see him. Maverick has witnessed their love. He can admit that! He lacked confidence! He didn’t believe he could win the game of winning her over. Once, he was but a backdrop in their love saga. Back then, even though he was unwilling, he was helpless. But now things were different. He was Giselle's husband, he was entitled, to hold Giselle's hand tightly, and forbid anyone else from laying eyes on her. Maverick had tucked Giselle in before leaving. He said he was going to work, but he didn’t have to. The truth is, he just couldn’t bear to stay at home, unable to look in the eyes of Giselle. Interrogation, anger...followed by desolation. It seemed like she had started to deny him because he had shut her out. So be it if she denied him. At the gate of Shallow Bay, Maverick sat in his car, with one side of the window down. He lit a cigarette. Where quitting the habit seemed like a continuous cycle--he would always stop midway, only to restart it eventually. Giselle used to chide him for not respecting her enough, alleging that he often treated her as a pet to tease at his pleasure. Now, she would probably feel the same way even more. Luckily, she was always able to be coaxed. Maverick thought, at worst, he would just need to coax her more in the future. Once this phase passes, he would respect her. She would eventually calm down, wouldn't she?