To get a better grip of Marcus's hand, Cornelia intentionally positioned herself to his right, while Ben was to his left. This way, even when he turned on his phone's flashlight, the light was half-blocked by Marcus's towering figure, preventing Ben from seeing their tightly-clasped hands.
Swinging his phone around to survey their situation, Ben finally concluded, "President Hartley, seems like we're stuck around the 35th floor. This ain't good but it ain't that bad either. But if the elevator decides to take another nosedive, we might be in for some real danger."
Though what Ben said was a long shot, Cornelia instinctively tightened her grip on Marcus's hand. If something did happen today and they couldn't become a real couple in this world, they could still be together in heaven. That didn't sound too shabby.
But Marcus remained silent. Cornelia could hear his rapid breathing and feel his hand getting sweatier and colder.
His hand was as cold as ice. Cornelia asked, "President Hartley, can you talk to me?"
Marcus's reaction seemed like claustrophobia.
Cornelia knew about this. She knew that claustrophobia was often related to traumatic experiences in childhood. Marcus had had some rough patches in his childhood and had been psychologically hurt. His mental issues might have always been there, and he just suppressed them with a strong will, making him appear no different from anyone else.
Like now, he was just standing there, rigid and cold, like a piece of ice sculpture.
Patients with this condition might experience fear, anxiety, rapid breathing, accelerated heart rate, and cold sweat in confined spaces. Some might even have hallucinations of being harmed, and in severe cases, might suffocate. If his symptoms weren't relieved in time, the consequences could be dire.
Cornelia wouldn't allow this to happen. She had to find a way to help him.
Without thinking about blowing her cover. She lunged at Marcus, hugging him tightly, trying to warm him with her own body temperature and reassure him with her presence that he had nothing to fear.
But Marcus's symptoms didn't seem to alleviate. Cornelia called out in a panic, "President Hartley, hold me!"
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