Chapter 111
Zachary gently placed Sarah into the car, settling her in the back seat before climbing into the driver’s seat himself.
As the car started moving, Sarah took a closer look at her leg. After the ice pack treatment, the swelling had worsened, and her leg was now painfully puffy and red.
Zachary gripped the steering wheel, his expression filled with guilt.
The thermos had been his idea–he’d brought it to Sarah, filled with steaming hot water. If he hadn’t, perhaps none of this would have happened
The atmosphere inside the car was heavy, the air thick with tension. Sarah, sitting quietly in the back, could feel the weight of
Zachary’s mood pressing down on her.
“Zachary, what are you thinking about?” she asked, breaking the silence.
Until now, he hadn’t shown this kind of expression, not even in the infirmary. Was it because of the Chancers?
“I was thinking,” he said quietly, “if only I hadn’t brought that thermos today.”
Sarah blinked, surprised. She hadn’t expected him to blame himself over something like that
She chuckled softly. “Since when does the great Mr. Reynolds worry about things like this? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at
you?”
“I’m serious,” Zachary replied, his tone steady and earnest.
Sarah’s expression softened. “Zachary, to be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone care about me. That hot water wasn’t just a drink–it meant a lot to me. And even if you hadn’t brought it, Lucy would have found another way to hurt me. She
was determined.”
Zachary smiled faintly and started the engine.
When they arrived at Sarah’s apartment, she reached for the door handle, only to see Zachary already standing outside the car, opening her door. He bent down and stretched out his arms to lift her.
Her cheeks flushed as she instinctively moved back. “No, it’s fine. I can manage on my own.”
Η
The memory of him carrying her out of the infirmary was still fresh in her mind, and her face hadn’t stopped burning since.
“There’s no one around to see,” Zachary said firmly, leaning in and effortlessly scooping her up before she could protest further.
Left with no choice, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressed against his chest, she could feel the solid muscles beneath his shirt–and his steady, powerful heartbeat.
The faint scent of his cologne mixed with his natural scent, filling the space around her. Her own heartbeat quickened, outpacing
even his.
He carried her into the building and into the elevator without a single pause.
+20 Bonus
“Press the button,” he said, his warm breath brushing the top of her head. Startled, Sarah shrank back slightly before reaching
out to push the floor button.
From the car to the elevator, and now heading to her apartment, Zachary never loosened his hold on her. She could feel his breathing grow heavier as they approached her door.
“Am 1 too heavy? You can put me down. We’re already here,” Sarah said, making a slight move to get down.
But Zachary held her firmly. “Open the door,” he said simply.
Hurriedly, Sarah reached for the fingerprint lock, placing her hand on it.
Before the door could even finish unlocking, Mia’s worried face popped into view.
“Sarah! Are you-” Mia froze mid–sentence when she saw the scene before her. Quickly, she stepped back and covered her eyes
with her hands. “I didn’t see anything! You two just come in!” Her muffled giggles betrayed her amusement
Zachary carried Sarah inside and gently placed her on the sofa. Exhaling deeply, he said, “You’re not heavy. I just didn’t want to
risk touching your leg
Η
“Thank you,” Sarah murmured, her face still slightly red.
“I’ll put the medicine on for you,” Zachary said, pulling out the ointment.
Mia darted over eagerly. “I’ll help too!”
Sarah adjusted her position, carefully lifting her injured leg onto the sofa. Zachary opened the burn ointment while Mia knelt
nearby, her expression unreadable.
Zachary spoke as he prepared to apply the ointment. “Don’t take a bath tonight. Your supervisor said you have a few days off,
right? Use this time to rest at home, and don’t forget to reapply the ointment regularly…
Neither he nor Sarah noticed the subtle shift in Mia’s gaze as she watched them.
D
