Chapter 43

Sean POV

"It's just a small injury, nothing to worry about," I said, brushing it off.

But for some reason, her concern made something stir inside me-a flicker of warmth I hadn't expected.

This morning, when she'd been urging me to hurry up and finalize the divorce paperwork, I felt a sharp burst of anger. I thought she didn't care about me at all.

But now... now, it seemed like she did-at least a little.

Then she spoke again, and the warmth faded as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'm not worried about your injury," she said, her voice flat. "I'm just afraid Elizabeth will get more upset if she sees you like this."

I felt the familiar frustration rise in my chest.

"Fine," I muttered, turning and heading toward the medical room.

The nurses were all busy, so Angela offered to help clean the wound.

She stood in front of me, her fingers moving with precision as she undid the buttons on my shirt. I couldn't help but watch her. Her face was unreadable, no sign of anything behind her eyes. It was as if I was just another patient, just another task.

"What are you staring at?" Her voice was sharper than I expected. "Just take it off yourself."

I shot back quickly, "I wasn't staring at you. Don't get the wrong idea." I yanked my shirt off and tossed it aside, trying to hide the slight embarrassment creeping up my neck.

She cleaned the wound carefully with distilled water, then applied iodine. The sting made me flinch slightly, and I couldn't help but shrug.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, her voice softer than before.

"No," I said, but the warmth of her breath on my neck made me feel something else entirely-something much less comfortable.

Once she finished, she placed a large band-aid on the wound. I put my shirt back on, then turned around. Our eyes met for a second, and something caught in my throat.

Her makeup was heavier today-darker than usual.

She'd always been the type to wear light, natural makeup. But today, her eyes had that red, tired look to them, and I couldn't help but wonder if the makeup was just a mask.

Had she been up all night? Had she been crying?

"Didn't you say you slept well last night?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood. "Your eyes look like you haven't slept at all."

She rolled her eyes.

"Not as bad as yours," she replied. "Come on, let's go. Elizabeth should be waking up soon."

"When did you get so sharp-tongued?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, but she didn't respond.

When we got to Elizabeth's room, the caregivers were there. They quickly reassured us that Elizabeth was still asleep, but everything seemed stable.

Angela nodded, her face serious. "Thanks. We'll stay here. You go ahead and take care of what you need to."

She sat by Elizabeth's bed, her movements so light it was almost like she was trying not to disturb the air itself.

A few minutes passed in silence, and then my phone rang. I glanced down-it was Christina.

I quickly switched it to silent, but Angela must have seen the name. She looked at me for a brief second, then turned away, like she was trying not to acknowledge it.

"You should go out and take it," she said quietly.

I paused, my hand still on the door. I wasn't sure why, but something about the way she said it made me feel... guilty. Like I was doing something wrong by just being here, by not dealing with things.

I hesitated for a moment longer, then stepped outside to take the call.

"Sean?" Christina's voice came through the phone, full of concern.

I paused, trying to keep my emotions in check, even though I wasn't in the best mood. "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't sleep much last night," she said, her voice worried. "I'm really worried about your grandmother's surgery. How's Elizabeth? Can I... come by and check on her? Don't worry, I'll just stay outside the room and won't disturb her."

Her tone was so soft, almost pleading, that I couldn't help but frown.

Christina had saved me once, and I owed her so much. She should be my wife. But now, with everything that had happened, I couldn't shake the thought of Elizabeth. She seemed to be more drawn to Angela these years. I wasn't sure she'd want to see Christina at all.

"Elizabeth hasn't gone into surgery yet," I said.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Christina asked, "Oh? Did the surgery get delayed or...?"

"Yes, it's been delayed. Elizabeth fainted this morning from anxiety," I replied, glancing toward Elizabeth's room. "The surgery will be pushed back for a while."

"Ah... postponed? How long?" Christina sounded shocked.

"We're not sure yet," I said quietly. "It could be days... or more."

"Then... you and Angela..." she trailed off, as if unsure whether to ask.

Just then, I heard familiar laughter from the room. My grandmother must've woken up. I didn't catch what Christina said next, too distracted by the sound of her voice, so I quickly cut her off.

"I'll contact you later," I said.

Without waiting for her response, I hung up and put the phone in my pocket.