Chapter 48 My Answer Hasn’t Changed
Chapter 48 My Answer Hasn’t Changed
Skyler said it half–jokingly.
Matthias thought about it for a moment. The idea wasn’t new–it was one of those common moves in the entertainment world. Skyler knew this stuff well, and since it wouldn’t shake things up too much, plus with Skyler’s connections, it should be easy to pull off.
If Matthias thought of it, Bastian could too. “No way!” He cut in right away.
He didn’t hesitate to stop the idea. “I don’t agree! If we actually do this, the pressure on the officials will be too much, and they’ll probably drop Azalea completely. Then she’d be stuck, with no way out in the esports world.”
The pressure wouldn’t just come from the fans. If they ran with this plan, with Matthias’s temper, he’d use the Larks‘ name to put his own kind of pressure on this matter.
Skyler expected this reaction. He smiled and teased, “Bastian, you’re way too tense. I’m just kidding. Azalea’s my sister, after all. There’s no way I’d stoop to something that cruel against her.”
Even so, when he looked at Matthias, he gave him a knowing glance.
Matthias stayed quiet for a bit, unusually not snapping back at Bastian.
Suspicious looks passed between them. Skyler grinned playfully at Matthias. For now, Bastian took Skyler’s words at face value. “I really hope that’s just a joke.”
With that, he waved them off and left the Larks‘ residence right away. Staying any longer would probably give him a heart attack. Now he understood why Azalea refused to come back here; it was suffocating.
It seemed like the only rule was “Sydney comes first.”
At the Larks‘ residence, Skyler gave Matthias a reassuring pat on the shoulder but didn’t say anything. As they walked upstairs, he caught Sydney slipping away quickly around the corner and just smirked.
At Ashbourne Villa, Hubert had taken Azalea to the Lennoxes‘ private hospital for a checkup and just came back.
Azalea was squirming against Hubert’s back, trying to stand. “Put me down. I can walk.”
The competition had ended late, and with the hospital visit added, it was already deep into the night. Carla had taken the day off, and Langdon was already asleep.
Luckily, her injuries weren’t serious, just bruises and surface wounds.
Hubert didn’t say a word. His presence felt heavy and dark. Even usually fearless Azalea could feel the tension and stiffened, too scared to move.
Have I messed up somehow? Nervously, Azalea thought back over what she’d done earlier.
She went still, and Hubert snorted coldly. “You done fussing?”
Seeing the bruises on her back at the hospital made him wish he’d hit Matthias more.
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Chapter 48 My Answer Hasn’t Changed
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He had thought he could watch Azalea grow clumsy, like with Wylie, but today showed him he couldn’t.
The moment Azalea got hurt, all reason left him.
Hubert realized how deeply he cared for her–too deeply.
A cold frost settled on his brow. His eyes sharpened like a blade forged in fire, and his anger flared, but when he gently laid her on the bed and faced her, he forced himself to hide it, keeping it locked deep in his eyes.
Azalea watched him carefully. “Are you mad at me? Is it because I caused you trouble today?”
That was the only reason she could think of for Hubert’s anger.
She had dragged Wylie into it and put him in danger.
“Sorry. I won’t do it next time,” she said quietly, already planning that as soon as she got the prize money, she’d move out of Ashbourne Villa.
Before she could say more, she felt his hand ruffle her hair. Hubert, like so many times before, tousled it without a word. “What are you worried about? You’re never a burden. Just don’t get hurt again. If you can’t win the fight, run. Don’t be stubborn and fight to the end.”
His words shocked her. She thought about them carefully. Is he telling me he doesn’t want me to get hurt?
That thought made her want to smile, but no matter how hard she tried, her mouth wouldn’t move.
It was the first time someone told her she wasn’t a burden, and that keeping herself safe was the most important thing.
Does he have feelings for me?
The question stuck in her throat, swallowed and left unspoken. She didn’t dare ask, and she couldn’t find the courage. Just like the people at the Larks who didn’t understand why Hubert helped her, she didn’t understand either. The Larks suspected she was Hubert’s sugar baby. Honestly, she’d probably think the same if she weren’t herself.
“Why are you so nice to me?”
She sat up in bed, clutching the blanket, watching Hubert search for some ointment with a puzzled look.
Hubert held the medicine, and for a brief moment, his eyes showed an emotion she couldn’t read.
He gave a crooked smile, then slipped back into his usual calm and graceful expression. “You asked me that before. My answer hasn’t changed.”
From the start, Hubert never planned to tell Azalea he was her sponsor. Since the beginning, he never meant to reveal his identity. It was better to keep things simple, and he worried Azalea might get the wrong idea and try to take advantage of his status.
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