"Control yourself." Grace smacked the back of Archer Rhys’s hand away. "A little propriety, please."

She still wasn’t quite used to this level of intimacy.

Although she was certain she had feelings for Archer, they had just gotten together. All this hugging and holding felt a bit too fast.

Archer knew you couldn’t rush a good thing. They were a couple now; he could just take things slowly from here on out.

He had already waited so many years; waiting a little longer was nothing.

He raised his hands, looking at Grace with an innocent expression. "My bad. Are you heading straight home later, or do you have other plans?"

"You’re discharged and back for good now. What are you doing for work?" Grace didn’t answer his question, instead sizing Archer up.

She’d felt something was off with him just a moment ago. Looking closely now, she realized his face was unnaturally pale.

"Your face..."

Before she could finish, Archer swayed. Startled, Grace rushed forward to steady him.

Archer forced a smile. "Don’t worry, the work I’m doing now that I’m back is completely safe. You won’t have to be at home worrying sick about me. But... you might need to worry a little right now. Get me to a hospital, and don’t tell anyone."

An hour later, Grace stood in the hospital room with a dark expression. On the bed, Archer’s face was pale as he kept his head down, not daring to look at her.

"Archer Rhys! Are you out of your mind? Your wound hasn’t even healed, and you’re running all over the place! Do you have a death wish?"

Grace was so angry her chest ached.

By the time they got to the hospital, Archer’s wound had already split open.

She only found out after asking. He had returned over six months ago with a severe injury. He’d been in a coma for more than three months, and even after waking up, his condition was still serious. He had only been able to get out of bed and walk around about two weeks ago. But today, the moment the doctor looked away, he had slipped out of the hospital and run off to Grace’s university.

Archer looked guilty. "I knew you were graduating today. It’s a really important day for you, and I wanted to be by your side for it."

"If something had happened to you, if you had died, what would be the point of being with me for just one day?" Grace’s eyes reddened with anger as she stared at Archer, her chest heaving.

’She couldn’t bear to think about it. If something had happened to Archer, they would have been separated by death right after getting together...’

Grace took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in her heart. "Until your injuries are completely healed, you are forbidden from seeing me. I don’t want to see you!"

With that, she turned to leave.

"Grace."

She had only taken two steps when Archer’s hurt and reluctant voice came from behind her. "Stay with me a little longer."

Grace’s feet felt as if they were nailed to the floor; she couldn’t lift them.

She sighed, turned around, and glared fiercely at Archer. "Archer Rhys, I’m telling you, if you ever treat your body so carelessly again, I’m done with you!"

"I have no desire to be a widow!"

"I swear, nothing like this will ever happen again," Archer said, raising his hand in a vow.

Grace shot him a glare before walking over to sit by the bed.

The corners of Archer’s lips curved up as he reached for Grace’s hand. "We haven’t seen each other in over two years. I just missed you so much. I was afraid you’d forget me, and even more afraid another man would steal you away."

"If I hadn’t come today, that punk Dylan Lockwood might have gotten lucky."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh? So you have that little faith in me?"

"No, it’s myself I have no faith in. Also, when I left back then, I actually left a letter for you. I don’t know why it never reached you, but I truly never intended to leave without saying goodbye."

"After that, things happened with my family. My parents, my grandpa... they all ran into trouble. Grandpa used the last of his connections to get me into the military. I was in there for several years, and then I heard the news that my parents had both passed away."

"There was too much going on. I was completely swamped and never got a chance to come back and find you."

"By the time I returned, I heard you were already married. I didn’t think it was right to disturb you then. I never expected to run into you at the hospital that day..."

"Grace, I’ll admit this was all premeditated. From the moment I saw you again on the day we reunited, I was already plotting how to win you back."

"When I found out you were divorced, I was actually very happy. I even secretly helped push things along."

Archer gripped Grace’s hand, unwilling to let go, as if afraid she would run off the moment he did.

He had never felt fear charging into battle, but when it came to Grace, he was always filled with apprehension and anxiety, terrified she might suddenly disappear.

"That letter of yours... my older brother hid it. He was afraid your leaving would affect me, so he never showed it to me." Grace had calmed down by now. Looking at Archer’s affectionate expression, her tone softened considerably.

"That little brat. Next time I see him, I’ll definitely..."

Before he could finish his threat, he saw Grace narrowing her eyes and staring at him dangerously. The words on the tip of his tongue changed. "...thank him properly!"

Grace couldn’t be bothered to bicker with him. "Just get some rest. And don’t move around. The doctor said your wound almost tore open again and isn’t healing well. What’s the deal with this injury? It’s from six months ago and it still hasn’t healed properly?"

Archer’s eyes flickered. "I don’t know. Maybe it’s just healing slowly. I was in a coma for a long time, after all."

Grace didn’t suspect anything and just instructed him, "From now on, you’re staying in this hospital to recover. You can check out when you’re fully healed."

"Then... will you come visit me?" Archer stared at Grace pitifully.

Grace’s heart softened for a moment, and she completely forgot the harsh words she had just spoken. "Don’t worry, I’ll come see you if I’m not busy."

"But if work gets too busy, then forget it. I probably won’t have time to visit." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"No problem! As long as you come see me once in a while, that’s all that matters." Archer immediately beamed.

Grace shook her head. She stared at Archer for a long while, ’I really don’t get it. He seemed so normal before, but now that we’re dating, everything about him feels a little off. I’m starting to wonder if he’s been possessed or something.’

Grace stayed with Archer at the hospital for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting dark outside, she finally left and headed home.

The moment she left, a thin man entered the room. After carefully closing the door, he approached Archer’s bed. "Chief, is that the woman you risked your life to get discharged and come back for? She’s definitely a beauty."

"Anyway, we just got word from our contacts. That group is active again. A few of them have even been smuggled into the country, but we don’t know where they’ve scattered. The squad leader told me to give you a heads-up. Be careful. You’re the one they hate the most, so they’ll probably come after you."

"Oh, right, Chief. About your girl... you’d better..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Archer already understood what he meant.