Chapter 198
Tiffany shook her head. She wasn’t injured, but her heart felt a little ache.
Forcing a smile, she said, “I’m fine. Let’s go.” With that, she got into the car. June felt even more worried, but clearly, it wasn’t the right moment to talk. She drove away from the building, heading toward Luna Villa.
James remained unconscious for a long time. His injuries were severe-four broken ribs, with blood pooling in his chest cavity that needed to be drained. He also had multiple soft tissue bruises and countless other scrapes and abrasions.
Tiffany administered most of the medicine she had concocted recently, and she spent considerable time preparing a herbal bath for him. The combination of these herbs was known for its remarkable efficacy, promising a quick recovery from such severe injuries.
Once everything was prepared, Tiffany was utterly drained and called for Jeremy. “Please help me get him into the herbal bath.”
Jeremy approached expressionless and casually tossed James into the bath, splashing water everywhere.
Tiffany was stunned and responded, “Is this how you treat an injured person?”
“You asked me to get him in, but you didn’t specify how to do it,” Jeremy said.
Tiffany found it amusing and exasperating, so she could only sigh and say, “Alright, it’s fine now. You should go back and rest.”
“Okay.” Jeremy turned to leave but suddenly paused at the door and asked, “Are you feeling down?”
“What?” Tiffany didn’t respond right away.
Jeremy pointed at the corner of his mouth and said, “You didn’t smile when you saw me today.”
“What about now?” Tiffany asked as she lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile.
However, Jeremy shot her a disdainful glance and said, “Ugly.” With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.
Furious, Tiffany was ready to throw her shoe at him when June walked in, holding some clothes. Noticing her reaction, she asked, “Miss Kelley, who are you planning to hit? Is it Jeremy?”
“Yeah.” Tiffany quietly put her shoe back on. Noticing that James’s condition had stabilized, she instructed, “June, please keep an eye on him for a while. I’ll take over in four hours.”
“There’s no need. I’ve already arranged for a servant to take care of him. It’s getting late, so you should rest well,” June said.
“Alright then.” With that, Tiffany left the basement.
When she returned to her room, there was nothing to do, and her body and mind felt empty. Events from not long ago. flooded her thoughts, each scene vivid and piercing.
As Tiffany lay on the soft couch by the window, she couldn’t help but recall the injury she had unintentionally inflicted on Richard. Her blade was exceptionally sharp, but she had never expected that her first experience drawing blood would be against him.
She wondered how he must be doing and if he harbored deep resentment toward her. Tiffany managed a bitter smile; she slowly closed her eyes.
The following day, James was already awake. Tiffany hurried downstairs and found James, who had been gravely injured and unconscious just yesterday, now dressed neatly and sitting upright at the dining table. Aside from a slightly pale complexion, he appeared in good condition.
Tiffany sighed in relief as she sat beside him, her tone a mix of irritation and a hint of grievance. “Why did you take so long to see me?”
James chuckled, suppressing the pain coursing through him. He forced a carefree expression and replied, “When have I not seen you? Did you forget that I was your instructor for that whole month?”
“Of course not,” Tiffany replied with a laugh. “I can never forget that hellish training.”
The two months at the training base were tough, but the results were rapid and impressive. Tiffany understood his good intentions; however, after pondering for a long time, Tiffany finally couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Quinn, is there some kind of… feud between you and Richard?”Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.
Although James’s injuries were not life-threatening, it was clear that he had been completely overwhelmed and beaten mercilessly by Richard. The severity of his wounds indicated just how ruthless Richard had been.
James wasn’t surprised by her question. He replied, “There are some misunderstandings.” However, he didn’t elaborate on what those misunderstandings were.
Tiffany pressed on, “Why were you at that building yesterday? Mr. Quinn, I know you have many secrets, but I…”
“Tiffany,” James interrupted her softly, asking suddenly, “Do you remember what I told you when I first met you?”
“I remember,” she replied. She was just five or six years old when she first met James.
At that time, James looked just as young and handsome as he did now, with no signs of age. To that day, Tiffany remembered him gently patting her head and smiling as he had said, “From now on, I will protect you for life.”
So, when Kenneth repeatedly hurt her feelings, he wanted to finish Kenneth. Tiffany raised an eyebrow and asked, “Mr. Quinn, what are you trying to say?”
“I want to tell you that no matter my secrets, this will never change.” James gently patted her head, his warmth unchanged. “I will protect you all my life and to the best of my ability.”
Upon hearing those words again, the indescribable warmth surged in her heart. Tiffany smiled and nodded. “I know.” She never doubted this.
So yesterday, on the rooftop of that building, she had unhesitatingly taken him away from Richard, even if it meant utterly offending him-James, who had taught her everything and was like family to her. After decades of companionship, their trust and bond were beyond comparison.
Tiffany didn’t press further. As for Richard, he would surely resent her. So be it.
During the weekend, Tiffany stayed at Luna Villa to care for James without going anywhere. His wounds slowly healed after these two days of rest and various herbal baths. He was estimated to be able to move without restrictions in about ten days.
Meanwhile, Sidney and Garry sat together at Royal Bay, looking exhausted, occasionally sighing deeply.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get through these days,” Sidney said.
“Yeah…” Garry replied.
Richard walked in as Garry finished talking, his handsome face shadowed with anger, radiating an icy aura. “Is everything taken care of?”
“Not really…” Garry asked, barely audibly, “Can we take a break for a while?”
“What do you think?” Richard asked.
“I understand, I’ll go right away.” Garry and Sidney helped each other as they exited the comfortable sofa.
These two handsome men had turned into scruffy, worn-out older gentlemen from days of nonstop work without sleep, leaving Garry and Sidney on the verge of shedding tears in despair as they wondered when this endless cycle would end. Suddenly, Richard’s indifferent voice came through, saying, “Alright, you can rest now.” With that, he entered the study.
Once the door closed, silence enveloped the room, and no one dared to disturb him. It felt like two distinct lines: outside was the world’s noise, and inside was his solitary domain, filled with countless wounds and an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Sidney sighed helplessly. “Here we go again…”
Garry nodded in agreement, shaking his head. “If this keeps up, even the toughest body won’t be able to handle it.” Ever since they returned from the rooftop that night, Richard seemed to have reverted overnight to the unpredictable, mercurial, and ferocious demeanor he had five years ago. During that time, rumors of his ruthless nature began to circulate.
However, after encountering Tiffany, his character significantly changed. He was no longer the cold and volatile figure he once was; occasionally, he showed a softer side.
But now, everything had changed once again.