Chloe Reed: "..."

’This man is truly hopeless.’

He said he loved her, but the moment she asked him to do something, he’d find all sorts of excuses.

She couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore.

She had tried everything—sweet-talking and scolding—but he refused to listen, and she was at her wit’s end.

Chloe Reed stood up to leave.

"Ugh..."

But just then, the man on the hospital bed suddenly let out a muffled groan.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, her elegant brows furrowing. "What’s wrong?" she asked.

Walker, however, didn’t answer. He just squeezed his eyes shut and furrowed his brow, looking like he was in agony.

She couldn’t help but take a few steps closer, reaching out to touch his forehead to check for a fever.

But in the next second, he shot out a hand, grabbed her wrist, and with a sudden tug, pulled her into his embrace.

His arms were like iron clamps, holding her tight.

Chloe struggled angrily. "You tricked me!"

"The wound on my back hasn’t healed. If you keep struggling, it’ll tear wide open."

Walker said in a low voice, holding her tight.

An image of his blood-soaked back flashed through Chloe’s mind. He’d taken a bullet for her...

She stopped struggling, her voice turning cold and hard. "Let go."

"Chloe..."

Walker closed his eyes, inhaling her scent deeply as his voice grew even hoarser. "I haven’t held you like this in so long. I’ve missed you."

Chloe, however, remained rigid. "This hug you tricked me into... Is it fun?"

The moment she spoke, she could feel the arms around her tighten.

’She saw it clearly now. She didn’t even have to struggle; he was going to tear his own wound open all by himself.’

"Deep down, you still care about me, don’t you?" Walker said, though it was unclear if he was trying to convince her or himself.

Chloe didn’t respond.

The moment his grip slackened, she wrenched herself free and turned to leave.

Walker’s arms were empty, and an emptiness echoed in his heart.

The color drained from his face, and he struggled to reach out and press the call button.

A nurse quickly came in and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"I think my wound reopened..." Walker said weakly.

The nurse hastily checked his back and saw that blood was already soaking through the dressing. She immediately called for a doctor to have the wound redressed.

"..."

Chloe walked out of the hospital. As the cold wind hit her, she finally started to calm down.

’Why am I getting into a fight with an injured man?’

"Chloe?"

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

She turned her head to see Preston Vance walking out of the hospital. He was looking at her, puzzled. "What are you doing here? Are you hurt?"

Chloe shook her head. "I came to see... a patient."

She asked, equally puzzled, "Why are you here?"

"What a coincidence, I’m here visiting a patient too." Preston Vance offered a gentle smile. "It seems we’re fated to run into each other. Where are you headed? Would you mind giving me a ride? My driver has the day off, so I had to take a cab here."

Chloe nodded. "Sure, no problem. Where to?"

Preston fell into step beside her and said, "Maplewood Gardens. Come to think of it, that’s on my way, since our homes are both there."

Chloe hummed in agreement. "That’s right, but I’ve been staying at the hospital with my grandma lately."

Preston then asked, "How is your grandmother doing?"

"She’s slowly recovering," Chloe said.