Chapter 3
Andrew didn’t intend to embarrass Lorenzo, he was simply demonstrating a technique. When Maria was alive, she always used Andrew’s shoulders to get on a horse.
At that time, Hillary was still young. As she placed her small foot on Lorenzo’s shoulder, she noticed how sturdy and strong he felt.
Suddenly, her heart began to race. She had developed feelings for him but didn’t realize the embarrassment on Lorenzo’s face.
Hillary believed that Lorenzo was too proud to let anyone use him as a stepping stone, so she only did it once and never asked him to kneel again.
But now, seeing Lorenzo willingly kneel so Kellie could use his shoulder to dismount, Hillary’s eyes burned as if pricked by needles.
She forced herself to turn away and nudged the horse’s side. “Giddyap!”
The horse obediently took off. As Hillary rode, feeling the wind against her face, her mood finally began to lighten.
During today’s practice session, the task was an obstacle course where Hillary needed to guide her horse over three railings, each with a high level of difficulty.
As they neared a railing, her horse unexpectedly reared up without any clear reason. While in mid–air, the saddle’s rope suddenly broke.
Caught completely off guard, Hillary tumbled off the horse! The startled horse began to gallop wildly, posing a dangerous threat to Hillary, who could be trampled at any moment.
지
Chapter 3
At this critical moment, Lorenzo–who was supposed to ensure Hillary’s safety–remained by Kellie’s side the entire time. He failed to notice Hillary’s fall from the horse.
“Lorenzo!” Hillary cried out with all her strength, enduring the severe pain in her body.
Only then did Lorenzo realize the horse had bolted. He nonchalantly stepped forward and managed to calm the panicked horse with one hand.
Lorenzo was skilled in animal handling, which was why Andrew had assigned him to accompany Hillary to her riding lessons.
He was supposed to thoroughly check Hillary’s saddle and keep a close watch on her movements to guarantee her safety.
However, his focus was entirely on Kellie, and he hadn’t even noticed that Hillary’s saddle was insecure…
Eventually, Hillary ended up with a broken leg and was admitted to the hospital.
In what seemed like an attempt to make amends, Lorenzo offered to care for her during her stay.
He was incredibly attentive–before she could even request water when she felt thirsty, he already had it at her lips.
If her wound throbbed and she simply furrowed her brow, he would promptly give her painkillers.
After she took the medication, he would have her favorite dried plums ready to eliminate the bitter taste.
He was always this way. Clearly not in love with her, yet attending to her every need with such precision that Hillary mistakenly thought he wasn’t
Chapter 3
unloving–just too cold and reserved.
But how could he not show affection?
When he looked at Kellie, his eyes were nearly overflowing with love.
A few days later, Hillary’s leg was almost healed. One night, she awoke to use the bathroom and accidentally overheard voices in the hallway.
“Lorenzo, you’ve crossed the line!” shouted Henry, one of her childhood betrothed husbands. “Did you intentionally cut Hillary’s saddle strap?
“Even if Hillary pushed Kellie down the stairs, your actions were too extreme! Falling off a horse isn’t trivial–she could have seriously injured. herself!”
Lorenzo exhaled softly. “I just wanted to teach her a minor lesson. I didn’t expect her to get hurt that badly.”
Since he was skilled in horse riding, Lorenzo assumed that if the horse didn’t jump, the fall would be minor.
Who would have thought Hillary was practicing an obstacle course that day? The horse not only jumped but soared exceptionally high.
“I’ve made up for it,” Lorenzo continued. “I’ve been fulfilling her every request these past few days–this should make amends.
“Anyway, she’s recovered now. Let’s move on and never bring it up again.”
At that moment, a strange chill surged through Hillary’s body.
So, he had intentionally severed her saddle strap just to seek revenge for Kellie!
His attentive care over the recent days was merely a way to make up for
06.27m
Chapter 3
his “mistake,” not genuine concern for her injury.
Hillary bit her lip so hard that it started to bleed, but she didn’t feel any pain because the ache in her heart was far greater!
Chapter 4