Chapter 108
The Infirmary.
Sarah’s legs were badly burned, red and swollen, with blisters forming. Her arms bore smaller burn marks as well.
Mia had wanted to come along, but Zachary sent her home, insisting she rest.
As the doctor treated Sarah’s burns, she drew in a sharp breath. The pain was excruciating–not just searing heat, but a crawling,
prickling sensation, as if countless tiny insects were biting into her skin. It burned and itched all at once, the kind of itch she
desperately wanted to scratch but couldn’t without unbearable pain.
“Don’t touch it,” Zachary said firmly, catching her wrist to stop her from moving.
The doctor handed Zachary an ice pack. “Place this directly on the burn. Keep it against the skin for at least ten minutes.
Zachary took the ice pack but suddenly paused, glancing at the doctor. “Wait–can she still use ice for that… area?” T
The doctor immediately understood. “It’s fine. She likely won’t feel it there.”
Sarah’s face turned crimson. Using her uninjured hand, she tugged at Zachary’s arm. “Just give it to me!”
Ignoring her embarrassment, Zachary placed one ice pack on her leg and gently pressed another to her burned arm.
“I can do it myself,” Sarah muttered, feeling awkward.
Zachary chuckled lightly. “If Mia knew about this, she’d be in tears.”
The moment the ice touched her skin, Sarah gasped softly. The burning pain ebbed away, replaced by a cooling numbness. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was far better than the torment of the heat and itching,
Zachary held the ice pack in place for a long time, switching hands when his arm grew tired.
“Thank you,” Sarah said quietly.
She knew how far apart their worlds were, but in moments like these when she was hurt or unwell–his quiet care was
impossible to refuse. He really was thoughtful.
“No need to be so polite, Sasa,” Zachary said, his tone teasing
She quickly changed the subject. “Mia went home, right? She wasn’t hurt, was she?”
“She’s fine,” Zachary
hary replied. “She insisted on staying to see you, but there wasn’t much she could do, so I sent her home. ”
“And Lucy?” Sarah’s voice turned cold at the mention of that name.
Zachary’s expression darkened. “She’s been taken into custody by the police.”
“And the competition?”
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+20 Bonus
“You have so many questions,” Zachary said with a soft sigh. “The competition wrapped up perfectly. But Mia declined the award
ceremony.”
“She declined the award?” Sarah immediately understood. Mia had likely refused to accept her prize to avoid suspicion.
Even though it was clear Lucy had stolen the test questions and framed Mia, people might still whisper about Mia and Sarah’s relationship. To Mia, it was better to forgo the award entirely.
“I didn’t help her,” Sarah murmured. “She’s truly talented. The backup test was much harder than the original, and she still got so many answers right. She did great.”
Zachary studied her as she spoke. Even after suffering such an injustice, she still chose to focus on others. Unable to stop himself,
he reached out and gently patted her head.
The next second, Sarah snapped her head up and shook his hand away. “Mr. Reynolds, please watch your behavior!”
“Got it,” Zachary said, suppressing a
g a smile. “I just wanted to say Mla doesn’t care about the award. All she wants is to earn the
approval of the people she respects. When she declined the award, Professor Lawrence even praised her for it.”
Hearing this, Sarah felt a little better.
“How does it feel now? Does it still hurt?” Zachary asked, his
Sarah shook her head. “It’s numb now. Mr. Reynolds, don’t you know that after a burn, the
a burn, the first thing you feel isn’t pain? It’s just heat. The burned skin becomes numb. The hardest part to bear is the swelling.”
voice full of concern.
