George let out a sigh and reached out to pat his shoulder gently. “She’s always been so resilient as she never once complained. You should check up on her.”
Alex responded promptly and rushed back to the backyard. George stared at the peacefully sleeping child before him and sighed deeply. Memories of North’s childhood flooded his mind-how he cradled the boy in his arms, nurturing North from his babbling days to becoming the renowned hacker, Wily Rabbit. He had poured his heart and soul into that endeavor.
However, now they were on the verge of leaving him. George felt a sense of relief and contentment when he observed the tender care Alex bestowed upon Jewel. It was akin to the joy that a father experienced when giving his daughter away in marriage.
However, when he saw Eugene treating Olivia kindly, an overwhelming wave of jealousy engulfed George, leaving him sour and resentful. Indeed, it was an entirely different kind of emotion.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to treat Eugene as how he treated Alex. He also knew he couldn’t do anything but fulfill Eugene’s wishes. As Alex returned to the backyard, he found Olivia already tending to Jewel’s wounds.
Jewel lay quietly on the bed, even as Olivia gently cleaned and disinfected her injuries with alcohol wipes. Her facial muscles involuntarily twitched in pain but she remained persistent and silent. Meanwhile, Olivia’s tears fell incessantly as if she was the injured one.
Alex approached with measured steps to reach out and clasp Jewel’s hand. His voice filled with tenderness. “Jewel, if it hurts, you can cry out or even bite me, but don’t suffer in silence like this.”
Jewel breathed in shallow, labored breaths as she managed to utter, “I’m fine.” His heart ached even more at her words. How can she insist on being fine when her wound is so deep?
Alex rested his head against Jewel’s hand. Regret and self-blame overwhelmed him, making it hard for him to catch his breath. “It’s all my fault. I thought she was just an ordinary old lady. I shouldn’t have saved her, let alone bring her to your side.”
Jewel struggled to find her voice. “It’s not your fault. I thought the same.”
Olivia wiped away her tears and interjected, “Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t just you; none of us saw through her disguise. We wouldn’t have recognized her if she walked past us even without her disguise as an old lady since we were unfamiliar with her.”
Jewel nodded in agreement. “Yes, you’re right. That’s why we couldn’t find her no matter how hard we searched. Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
Alex still didn’t lift his gaze, but she felt the warmth and dampness in her hand. Is Alex… crying? Anxiously, Jewel attempted to comfort him with her small and restless hand, only to find him holding onto her even tighter.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Alex clung to her hand and apologized, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. You wouldn’t have been hurt if it weren’t for me, and I promised to protect you…”
His words trailed off as his voice was caught in his throat. Jewel couldn’t move even though she was desperate to console him. “You did protect me. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I might not have survived when Blood Rose used her steel wire, and later, when you pulled me away, I could have been shot.”
Olivia spoke up after finishing the final application of gauze. “Alright, please don’t burden Jewel to comfort you as she is still recovering. If you haven’t done enough, make it up to her properly. Jewel’s injuries will take one to two weeks to heal; take good care of her during this time.”
Upon hearing this, Alex lifted his gaze and responded with a simple “Yes.”
Olivia, who was feeling upset moments ago, couldn’t help but smile after witnessing Alex shed tears. What a mysterious thing love was. It compelled one entity to yield to another!
To her surprise, the seemingly invincible Alex had fallen in love with Jewel. He wouldn’t have been moved to tears without true love, would he?
Even though Olivia knew that Alex was struggling with the fact that Jewel was injured because of him, he felt that way because he loved her. He blamed himself so intensely just because of the ache in his heart!
