The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 1028

After finishing their meal, they stood up to leave, only to look through the floor-to-ceiling windows and realize it was pouring rain outside.

Katrina had originally planned to just grab a cab back, entirely unwilling to let him drive her home and risk another suffocatingly tense moment alone upstairs.

But this sudden downpour meant there was absolutely no escaping him now.

Predictably, as they stepped out of the restaurant, Naylor casually said, "Wait here. I'll pull the car around."

Perhaps sensing exactly what was running through her head, he threw a warning glance over his shoulder before walking away. "If you try to make a run for it, I'm going straight to your apartment."

Katrina: "..."

Moments later, his sleek car cut through the heavy rain and pulled up right in front of her.

Katrina didn't hesitate; she sprinted out into the downpour. But Naylor was faster. He had already shoved his door open and stepped out, holding a massive black umbrella over her head.

"What's the rush? What if you slip?" Naylor scolded softly as he pulled her under the canopy, though his tone was dripping with absolute adoration.

Katrina looked up at him, entirely unsure of what to say. She silently allowed him to wrap an arm securely around her shoulder and guide her into the passenger seat.

Once the heavy door slammed shut, it completely sealed off the sound of the rain, making the interior of the car feel overwhelmingly quiet.

Desperate to break the silence, Katrina blurted out, "This rain is so heavy. It came out of nowhere."

Naylor glanced at her. "The weather forecast said it would rain all week. Did you not check it?"

"..." Katrina went silent.

She was clearly just trying to make small talk, and he had to take it so literally.

Because of the torrential rain, traffic was crawling. The car inched forward, stopping and starting continuously.

Naylor was in absolutely no rush. In fact, he was intentionally driving at a glacial pace, desperate to drag out every second they had together.

It took a full hour before the car finally pulled up to her apartment building.

Naylor stared out at the flooded streets of the aging complex, clearly unimpressed by her living situation.

"How do you feel about living here? If it's too much, I can help you find a better place," Naylor offered quietly as he shifted into park.

Katrina unbuckled her seatbelt and shook her head. "No need, I like it here. The building might be older, but it's super close to the hospital and really convenient for everything else. My mom is actually leaving the hospital in a few days and coming to stay with me, so it'll be easier for her check-ups."

Naylor looked genuinely surprised. "Your mom is leaving the hospital?"

"Yeah. She doesn't want to suffer through the treatments anymore. She just wants to come home and enjoy whatever time she has left."

Just saying the words out loud sent Katrina's mood plummeting into an abyss.

Deep down, she knew that at this stage of the cancer, further treatment was practically useless.

But the thought of losing her mother was unbearable, so she had constantly pushed her, begging her to cooperate with the doctors and fight just a little longer.

She knew she was being selfish. She had completely ignored the excruciating physical agony her mother was enduring, solely focused on trying to extend her life by any means necessary.

Listening to her talk, a sudden wave of sorrow hit Naylor. Without even thinking, he reached over, grabbed her hand, and held it tightly in his.

Katrina's arm jolted, and she immediately looked over at him.

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