Chapter 293
After Ophelia finished getting her things and came out, she ran to Ethan waiting for the elevator.
From afar, Ethan felt a sharp, cold gaze fix on him, like a wild beast eyeing prey, ready to pounce and devour him. That feeling sent shivers down his spine, like a prickly thorn on his back.
He turned his head and met Kenneth’s gaze, feeling a thick tension that only men could sense.
Kenneth’s features beneath the hat brim were sharply defined, radiating a strong, commanding presence, as if everyone else was beneath him.
After a two–second stare down, Ethan’s gaze lowered and noticed Ophelia in a wheelchair. He raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, “What happened to you?”
The slight hint of concern made Kenneth even more displeased He purposely moved the wheelchair to break their eye
contact.
“Well… just a slight injury it’s no big deal. Thanks for asking.” Ophelia turned her head slightly, with a faint smile on her lips. A flash of surprise appeared in Ethan’s eyes. When he met Ophelia’s clear, bright eyes, he was slightly taken aback. There was no denying it–Ophelia was stunningly beautiful and pure, captivating at first sight.
Yet, her demeanor was cool and distant; even as her lips formed a smile, her eyes showed no trace of laughter, radiating polite detachment.
mething different on her face her eyes sparkled like stars, and that smile was more It was the first time he noticed genuine, more captivating. It made him want to glance twice.
The elevator arrived, and Kenneth immediately pushed Ophelia inside. Ethan peeked into the elevator and, realizing there wasn’t space for him, wisely stepped back. “You go ahead.”
Ophelia gave him a polite nod to show her thanks. The elevator was indeed quite spacious; one more person could easily fit. However, Kenneth stood blocking the entrance, clearly unwilling to make space for Ethan.
She knew Kenneth’s nature well; if she spoke even one more word, Ethan might lose the chance to stay here. So it was wiser for her to stay silent.
After they got downstairs, Kenneth lifted her from the wheelchair into the car.
from many passersby.
His striking presence drew curious glances
Just after getting into the car, Ophelia vaguely heard someone whispering behind them. “That woman is so lucky. Even though she’s paralyzed, she has such a handsome man taking “Isn’t that the truth! It’s really quite something!”
Ophelia was speechless. She knew that bein
and walk around to show she was fine.
care of her.”
in a wheelchair would draw this kind of attention. She almost wanted to get out
*****
Back at Rosewood Manor. Lisa’s smile was wide enough to reach her ears when she saw them return together.
But then she was shocked to see Kenneth place Ophelia in a wheelchair in the very next second.
“Mrs. Sinclair, what happened?” Lisa rushed
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in a hurry, eyes wide with concern, as she looked over Ophelia in the
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Chapter 293
wheelchair, spotting a bandage peeking out from her calf.
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“I’m fine, Lisa. Just a little injury. Ophelia sighed, glancing at Kenneth beside her. She thought there was no need to be so dramatic with the wheelchair.
She thought, ‘Great, now, on top of him pretending to be inconvenient back then, I’m “paralyzed” too. It’s just ridiculous.
“Mr. Sinclair! I’m just saying, Mrs. Sinclair moved out less than a month ago and got hurt already. Why did it take you so long to bring her back?” Lisa couldn’t help but voice her frustration.
It wasn’t until after she spoke that she realized how bold she was to talk to Kenneth that way. She immediately realized she was courting disaster.
She pressed her lips together and stood aside, lowering her head too afraid to speak further.
Lisa expected Kenneth to be upset, but surprisingly, he remained incredibly calm and said nothing as he pushed Ophelia into the villa.
It was summer; the crabapple blossoms on either side of the yard were no longer as lush as in spring, now scattered sparsely on the green branches.
In the living room, Kenneth bent down, picked up Ophelia from the wheelchair, and carried her up the stairs to the room.
“I’m alright, and it’s tiring to always hold me like this.” She still wasn’t sure about Kenneth’s health and was always worried he might get tired, which could affect his condition.
Kenneth looked down at Ophelia in his arms. He thought, ‘Is she underestimating me? Holding her is still pretty easy. If she hadn’t insisted on getting out of the car by herself, he would have just carried her inside.
Kenneth said, “I want to.” He just enjoyed holding her.
Kenneth placed Ophelia onto the couch, but as soon as he stood up, she pushed him away with a look of disdain.
Ophelia’s gaze
was fixed keenly on the pair of cartoon dolls at the head of the bed. “Did you bring them back?”
She had made this pair of little clay figures by hand while on the island, placing them by the bedside in their room. She never expected to see them again at the head of the bed in Rosewood Manor.
Seeing Ophelia’s eyes light up, Kenneth’s gaze followed hers. She had made it to resemble him so closely that it was unmistakable.
Charles noticed them while cleaning the room and sent him a photo. Concerned they might get damaged if mailed, he personally went to pick them up.
“Why did you make yourself look so ugly?” Kenneth squatted down to meet Ophelia’s eyes. He gently ruffled her hair. She sculpted him to look great, yet kept herself so plain.
Ophelia glanced at the transparent box holding the cartoon figures, her gaze froze for a moment, and then she immediately looked at Kenneth beside her.
Her cartoon clay figure wasn’t the one she had made herself. Although it looked quite similar, the one in the box now was much more detailed and refined.
She hadn’t even noticed it earlier. She asked, “Did you make another one of me?”
Kenneth didn’t say anything, which was as good as admitting it. In shock, she glanced again at Kenneth’s prominent fingers.
It was hard to imagine Kenneth sitting at a booth modeling clay it was truly hard to picture.
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Kenneth let out a soft, slightly smug laugh. His large hand ruffled her hair. “My pretty girl, who told you to make her look so ugly?”
As his words lingered, Ophelia’s smile hadn’t fully spread when she saw Kenneth stand up, swaying slightly. The eyes beneath the glasses suddenly went out of focus.
Ophelia’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately stood up to support Kenneth.
“Can’t see clearly? It’s alright. I’m here. I’m here…” Ophelia embraced him, gently rubbing his back like he used to comfort her. “It’s okay, I’m here…”
This time the darkness lingered for quite a while. In the darkness, Kenneth held Ophelia tightly, like someone who’d fallen into the deep sea, clinging to a single piece of driftwood.
He held her tightly. And it was so tight that Ophelia was almost out of breath, but she let him hold her.
She could also sense Kenneth’s fear and panic at that moment. “It’s okay, Kennie… I’m here with you!”
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