ra''s knees were a mess, blood seeping through her skin, but that was nothingpared to the storm raging in her heart. She''d been glued to the spot, watching Cedric''s every move, and only when he finally disappeared upstairs did she pull out her phone to reply to a message she couldn''t ignore.


    [Is it serious? Have you taken your medicine?]


    Cedric barged into Dn''s room, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Dn, you need to take it easy at home this time."


    Dn, propped up against the bed, just gave a small nod. Cedric knew his son was the strong, silent type, which only added to his frustration. "I don''t want a repeat of this. Otherwise, ra''s going to be doing more than just kneeling downstairs."


    When Dn heard ra was kneeling, his hand tightened around the bedsheet, though his face stayed expressionless. Cedric, misreading the situation, felt a wave of relief. "You''ve been looking bettertely. Maybe she''s been some help after all. I thought she was just pulling my leg. Get some rest, okay?"


    "Okay," Dn replied, his eyelids drooping like he hadn''t slept in days. Sensing the mood, Cedric got up and left, leaving the estate behind.


    Outside, a gentle rain began to fall, and ra, resigned to her fate, thought she''d be kneeling until sunrise. But then, out of nowhere, the ss doors to the courtyard swung open, and there stood Dn, wrapped in a coat, not far from her.


    Her eyes brightened instantly, and she tried to stand up quickly. Too quickly. She barely got halfway before her knees gave out, a sharp stone digging in painfully.


    Dn''s eyes widened, and he instinctively moved towards her, but she stopped him, "Mr. Dn, it''s chilly out here. Just stay put; I''ll be alright in a second."


    Gritting her teeth, she yanked the stone out of her flesh, and in no time, she was at his side, pale but determined.


    Dn''s hand trembled slightly by his side. ra noticed his lips twitch as if he was about to speak.


    She stood there, waiting to hear what he had to say.


    But all he managed was, "ra."


    ra was a bit confused but managed a small smile. "I''m just relieved you''re okay. You scared me. If anything happened to you because of me, I''d never forgive myself. Hey, are you hungry? I could whip up something for you."


    Dn seemed to struggle with his words, then took a deep breath, "Sure."


    ra helped him to the sofa and was about to dash to the kitchen when he caught her wrist.


    His eyes were deep and troubled, "Sit down. Let''s sort out that knee first."


    She was tough when it came to pain, waving him off, "I''m fine."


    But before she knew it, he had gently but firmly pushed her onto the sofa. Her trousers were quickly rolled up, revealing her battered knees.


    Dn fetched the first aid kit, rolling up his sleeves, ready to clean the wound himself.


    ra quickly reconsidered and pulled her leg back. "I can handle it."


    She snatched the disinfectant spray from him, spritzed her knee, and grabbed some ointment from the kit, hastily smearing it on before rolling her pant leg down. Dn''s hand hovered awkwardly in the air, fingers curling as he slowly sat back.


    ra had already noticed the fading bite mark on her calf from Z. She didn''t want Dn asking about it, especially since it was a bit awkward having her boss see it. Dn sat quietly beside her, and suddenly ra didn''t know what to say.


    She got up to try cooking again but was stopped by his voice, "You should head home."


    ra paused, unsure. How could she just leave when Dn''s current state was partly her fault?


    "I''ll make you something to eat."


    He seemed distracted, smoothing his sleeve absentmindedly, "No need, thanks."


    Dn was back to being distant, and ra felt a bit lost. She shuffled to the entryway, changing her shoes, preparing to leave.


    She felt guilty about Dn. Despite his high status, his manners were impable. Even after she caused him trouble, he wasn''t angry.


    The more she thought about it, the guiltier she felt. She lingered at the entryway for ten minutes, unable to walk out the door.


    Dn sat on the sofa with his back to her, like a silent standoff.


    Finally, ra caved, slipped back into her indoor shoes, and approached him again.


    "Mr. Dn, I heard from Aiden you''ll be taking it easy this week. Let me drop by


    daily and cook for you. Consider it my way of making amends."


    "Not rushing off to see your boyfriend?" he asked, catching her off guard.


    She blushed, embarrassed he knew. "I''ll goter."


    After that, Dn nced at her, "You''re not that into him, are you?"


    ra flushed, feeling exposed. Her feelings for Z weren''t quite love, just admiration. He had shown up at just the right time, during her amnesia, and his gentle presence had immediately struck a chord with her.


    She wasn''t sure what she liked before, but she did like him now. As for love, she wasn''t ready for it.


    The word was too heavy, too much to handle.


    The air between them shifted, bing delicate.


    Dn stood up suddenly, heading upstairs without another word.


    ra was left standing there, unsure whether to stay or go. She pulled out her


    phone, scrolling to her chat with Z, still with no reply.


    Could he have fainted from the pain?


    She sent another message.


    [How are you now? Let mee see you, give me your address.]


    Still, silence.