Seeing that the boy had woken up, Ethan Caldwell lowered his voice to give Helen Lloyd a few more instructions before ending the call. Afterward, he climbed onto the bed and gathered Julian Sterling into his arms. Julian buried his face in Ethan's chest, rubbing against it a couple of times in discomfort. The sensation of those soft cheeks brushing back and forth against his chest made Ethan's blood stir significantly more than usual.
However, it seemed he had used a bit too much force, affecting the wound on his cheek, causing Julian to let out a very soft "ah." Ethan Caldwell hurriedly lowered his head to look at the person nestled in his chest: "What's wrong, dear?"
Julian shook his head, once again presenting his slightly swollen and red cheek for him to see. He said nothing, only pouting his lips. Seeing this, Ethan Caldwell felt endless heartache, and could only plant a gentle kiss on the boy's cheek.
