Chapter 6

At the same time, Stanley spotted Adeline as well. "Addie? What are you doing here?"

"I got injured in the fall, so I'm spending the night at the hospital." Adeline didn't hide the truth from him.

From the moment he abandoned her earlier this afternoon, she no longer expected anything from him. Even as she watched him hold Wendy now, she felt nothing at all.

Wendy's soft voice cut in. "It's all my fault, Adeline. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Adeline calmly replied.

Stanley looked remorseful. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were injured."

"It hurts for me to keep standing, so I'm going inside my room now," Adeline said.

So what if he'd known that she was injured? Nothing would've changed.

Adeline ignored his apology and walked into her hospital room. In the month since Wendy returned, he repeated the same apology almost every day. She'd had enough of hearing it.

He wasn't apologizing because he thought he'd done something wrong. It was just so convenient to throw those words out. The moment he apologized, she'd be the one who was being unreasonable if she continued to kick up a fuss about whatever it was he apologized for.

She sat on the couch in the hospital room and slowly removed her socks and flats. Then, she used the medicated spray the doctor prescribed.

Her ankle was even more swollen now—so swollen it couldn't even be touched.

Adeline silently prayed it wasn't a fracture. A sprain was already inconvenient enough for her, and a fracture was even harder to recover from. She couldn't afford to let anything get in the way of her work.

In the room next door, Stanley helped Wendy settle down on the hospital bed.

"The doctor said you shouldn't walk around. Be good and don't try to move about for no reason, okay?" Stanley said.

"Stan, am I being too much of a burden to you? Am I getting on your nerves?" Wendy's eyes reddened as she looked at him pitifully.

Seeing her this way instantly made the vexation in Stanley's heart dissipate. All that remained was his usual tender concern for her.

"Don't worry. You will never be a burden or get on my nerves."

Ever since Patrick died, Stanley kept feeling like he owed Wendy. He constantly thought he wasn't doing enough for her.

At that moment, the door opened, and Christian appeared in the doorway dressed in a doctor's coat.

"Did you need something?" he asked.

After speaking with Adeline outside the bridal boutique, he had been called back to the hospital for an emergency surgery. He'd only just exited the operating room when Stanley called him up to look for him.

"Wendy injured her foot. Could you get the best orthopedic specialist in the hospital to take a look?" Stanley asked.

Even though Wendy had already received all of the tests she needed, he still felt worried about her.

Christian glanced at their intertwined hands. "Every doctor at this hospital is already one of the best in the country. They're more than capable of treating her."

That put Stanley at ease. Since Christian was the expert, if he said it was okay, then he was probably right.

"I'll head next door to check on Adeline. Can you stay here to help me keep an eye on Wendy?" Stanley asked.

Christian frowned. "Ms. Wright is in the hospital as well?"

Stanley didn't notice Christian's unusual reaction as he replied worriedly, "She injured her ankle, so she's staying in the room next door right now."

He'd just barely finished speaking when Wendy grabbed his sleeve, saying timidly, "Don't leave me, Stan. I was so scared when I was lost in the mountains earlier this afternoon. I still feel extremely jittery right now."

Stanley paused. After seeing how pale she was, he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her.

Expression darkening, Christian said. "You stay here. I'll check on Ms. Wright on your behalf."

Stanley exhaled in relief and said gratefully, "You're the best! Thanks."

Christian let out a low chuckle and walked off without saying anything. He went to the room next door and opened the door.

Adeline was hopping awkwardly on one foot toward the bathroom, looking both disheveled and pathetic.

Hearing the sound, she turned her head—and before she could even react, she was suddenly lifted off her feet. Startled, she instinctively wrapped her arms around the person's neck.

When she saw it was Christian, she frowned. "Put me down!"

Ignoring her, he carried her into the tiny bathroom before setting her down. With the two of them squeezed into the narrow space, they were close enough to hear each other's breathing.

Adeline looked up at Christian. The faint scent of disinfectant lingered on him.

She suddenly remembered the first time she met him back in Ellovia. It'd snowed heavily that day. The world had been blanketed in white, making him stand out in his all-black outfit.

Even though he wore the darkest color, he'd looked striking enough to dazzle her.

That day, he'd pulled her back from the cusp of death, becoming her light and source of warmth. But now, there was only coldness in his eyes.

Christian looked down at her, his voice flat and cold as he said, "Stanley is right next door. You can shout louder if you want."

"What are you trying to do?" Adeline's voice trembled.

"Just doing what I was asked to do," he replied, his tone somewhat amused.

He swiftly exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Adeline was baffled. She couldn't figure out whose request he was supposedly fulfilling. He was not really the warm-hearted type. In fact, not messing with someone was already a gesture of kindness from him.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she assumed Christian had already left. But after she'd only taken only two steps, that familiar figure appeared again.

She backed away in a panic, only to accidentally put too much weight on her injured ankle. The pain shot through her body, and she lost her balance.

Christian shot forward and placed his arm firmly around Adeline's waist, holding her steady. Her hands were squished against his chest.

She could feel her ears heating up, and memories that she shouldn't be clinging onto anymore came flooding back.

Countless mornings had been spent with her in his arms, just like she was now. She'd heard his heart beating in her ears time and time again.

That fleeting sense of security felt like it could last forever. It was intoxicating, and she'd grown addicted to it.

"Thank you," Adeline said.

She swallowed hard before trying to push Christian away.

"I didn't hear you."

Instead of letting go, Christian tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her slightly closer.

At that moment, the door opened. Stanley appeared in the doorway just in time to see them seemingly in an embrace.

Adeline shoved Christian away at once, saying, "I almost fell, so Dr. Shaw caught me to save me from falling."

It sounded like she was going out of her way to hide the truth, but Stanley didn't doubt her at all.

He helped her to the bed before smiling at Christian. "It's rare to see such a kind side of you, Dr. Shaw. I'll treat you to a meal another day."

Even without Adeline's explanation, Stanley wouldn't have suspected anything. He always believed that Christian was a proud man with impossibly high standards. He'd never seen Christian drawn to any woman, and there was no way he'd go after his friend's fiancee.

"Normally, I wouldn't bother, but Ms. Wright is different," Christian replied nonchalantly with his hands in the pockets of his coat.

His gaze seemed to flit over Adeline, and his lips curved into a faint smile. That look in his eyes grazed Adeline's heart like a knife, and she lowered her head to avoid that sense of predatory desire in them.

Stanley patted Christian's shoulder before saying to Adeline, "See? I told you Christian and I are good buddies."

"It's late. I'd like to get some sleep."

Adeline didn't want to keep this conversation going, so she got both of them to leave.

"I need to do my rounds to check on my patients," Christian said after checking his watch.

When he turned to leave, Stanley escorted him out before coming back to Adeline. "Do you need anything? There's a convenience store downstairs."

"Just give me a few bottles of water."

She had originally planned to ask the nurse for water, but she'd forgotten about it thanks to Christian's appearance.

Since Stanley was offering, she didn't stand on ceremony. They were still engaged right now. If Wendy could get him to run errands for her, so could she.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked.

Adeline shook her head. "Nope."

"Okay. Give me a few minutes."

The door closed, and the room was finally quiet. Adeline lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her head.

Why did Christian come back? With what he'd accomplished abroad, it'd be far more advantageous for his career if he stayed there.

But then she remembered that he was the Shaw family heir. The Shaws commanded a great deal of power and influence in Southcrest, so he would definitely have a lot more freedom back home.

She could only lament how small the city of Southcrest was—so small that she couldn't avoid running into someone she'd encountered by chance in Ellovia.

It just so happened that he was also good friends with Stanley. There was just no avoiding him, no matter how much she wanted to.

The ward Adeline was in was on the 8th floor. Even if there was a queue somewhere, 20 minutes should've been enough time to return from the convenience store on the 1st floor with a few bottles of water.

She kept waiting, but even after 40 minutes had passed, no one came back with the two bottles of water she had asked for.

By now, she felt extremely sleepy and could barely keep her eyes open. Her only choice was to limp to the water dispenser out in the hallway and cup her hands to drink some to ease the parchness in her throat.

As it turned out, when the person wasn't hers to have, even asking him to run an errand for her was a luxury.

Adeline went back to bed and curled up. Soon, the sound of even breathing filled the room.

The door was gently nudged open.

Standing in the doorway, with the light illuminating from behind, Christian stared at the bed with an unreadable expression. His still gaze was fixed on Adeline, who seemed to be sleeping fitfully. Her tiny face was scrunched up in a frown, and her lips were downturned.

How many times had he woken up in the middle of the night to see this sleeping visage that made his heart ache?

Yet, the woman responsible for that tender ache in his heart had said the most cruel and heartbreaking words to him.

So what if she was now his friend's fiancee?

As long as his hatred remained, things between them weren't completely over yet.