Chapter 286 Consequences Of Love
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Julius kept his gaze locked on Quinn, afraid that if he relaxed even a fraction, she would disappear.
“It isn’t a dream,” Quinn said. “Fabian called to tell me you refused treatment, so I came to take you to the hospital.”
“I don’t need treatment,” he murmured after a long look. “Let the wounds stand as punishment. Even if these three fingers are ruined, it doesn’t matter. Quinnie, I told you–whatever punishment you choose, I’ll accept it.”
“I never meant to punish you,” Quinn said, pressing her lips together. “I broke your fingers in a moment of panic. That makes it my responsibility to see them properly treated.”
Fabian stiffened in shock at the exchange. So those three broken fingers are Ms. Bridger’s doing? He had heard they clashed yesterday over Marley’s affair, something that also involved Quinn’s missing brother.
Fabian had tried to reach Julius all morning. When his calls–went unanswered, he rushed to the apartment, found Julius in a wrecked state, and, after failing to talk sense into him, contacted Quinn for help.
Julius murmured, “So you won’t even punish me?” The question carried a bleakness that unsettled the air.
Quinn lowered her eyes. “Julius, I have no right to punish you.”
He took a trembling breath. “But what if you did, Quinnie? What if I need your punishment?”
“Punish you for what?” she asked, bitterness roughening her voice. “Because you didn’t save Rowan? I already told you, you were never obliged to save him. Or for lying to me? We’re no longer together, so punishment feels pointless.”
“You truly want to leave me?” Julius lifted the card he still clutched. “You wished me years of peace, promised we’d grow old side by side.”
Quinn stared at the message she had written in her own hand. Just seeing the words made her chest throb.
“I don’t know how to face you anymore,” she whispered.
A shadow dropped over his eyes, sealing away the last of their light. At last, he let go.
Fabian guided the car toward the hospital. In the back seat, Quinn stared at the passing scenery, yet she could feel Julius‘ gaze fixed on her. She said nothing, and he offered no word in return, the silence closing around them until the atmosphere felt suffocated.
At the wheel, Fabian drove with exaggerated caution, still reeling from the conversation he’d overheard.
Ms. Bridger actually broke up with Mr. Whitethorn? She is the first woman Mr. Whitethorn had ever dated, the only person I’ve seen him care about with such fervor. What would happen to Mr. Whitethorn now?
“Unbidden, rumors about the Whitethorn family surfaced in Fabian’s mind.
He knew a little about Julius‘ parents. People said Whitethorns loved with a devotion that bordered on madness. If they lost the one they loved, madness claimed them outright.”
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17:19 Tue, 5 Aug
Tue, 5 Aug to
Chapter 286 Consequences Of Love
Joaquin Whitethorn had unraveled after his wife’s death; whispers suggested his mind had never recovered.
Would Julius follow the same path? Fabian could hardly bear to picture.it.
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When they reached the hospital, Quinn and Julius stepped out. He had sobered, the alcohol haze traded for a stark clarity.
“Come on, let’s check in,” she said.
Julius did not move. “Are you insisting I treat my hand only because you feel responsible?”
“Yes,” Quinn replied. “I injured you, so it’s my duty to bring you here.”
He lowered his voice. “But does my injury cause you heartache?” A fragile hope trembled beneath the question.
He had only disappointment waiting after her answer.
“No.” Quinn said.
“Not even a little?” Julius pressed.
“Not even a little,” she repeated, the words meant for him as much as for herself. She had chosen the breakup; from this moment on, she would not let her heart ache for him again.
“Enough, let’s not waste time. I still have other things to handle,” Quinn said. Seeing Julius rooted to the spot, she caught his uninjured left hand and guided him toward the outpatient lobby.
After they registered, Julius did not have to wait long before his name was called. The examinations, X- rays, and treatment moved quickly. Luckily, the fracture was mild; instead of a cast, a small splint would keep the finger in place.
When the doctor finished fastening the splint, Quinn said, “I’m leaving.”
She turned to go, but Julius suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind.
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