At the pet hospital, Snuggley weakly inside the sterilized room, letting out two faint meows. His tiny ears drooped low, and those wet, ssy eyes stared through the ss.


    Serena''s heart twisted with pain.


    The vet came out after a quick check.


    "Although he has been vinated, the kitten still picked up a few minor illnesses while he was out on the streets. We''ll put him on an IV and some meds after. Just make sure not to feed him too many kinds of foods. His stomach is a bit sensitive."


    The tight knot in Serena''s chest finally loosened. This was her first time raising something so small and fragile.


    When she got home earlier, she''d thought she''d have to y hide-and-seek with the mischievous kitten.


    But the moment she stepped inside, she found Snuggle copsed next to the feeder, eyes half-closed, barely breathing. Only the faint twitch of his whiskers gave away how much pain he was in.


    She''d been scared out of her mind. She gently wrapped him in a towel and rushed out the door.


    Only now did she finally exhale a long breath. She followed the vet closely, asking about everything she needed to take care of.


    Hugh hade along too.


    The vet felt like there was a de pressing against his back.


    Serena was a gorgeous young woman. But Hugh was behind her, following step for step in the cold glow of night. His presence was so terrifying that it almost felt like a ghost looming in the background.


    Hugh didn''t say a word. He just stared at the kitten once before fixing his gaze on her profile.


    The vet exined everything he could, but sweat started to form down his spine under that stare. He eventually stopped and cleared his throat.


    "I''ll send over the care instructions. Miss, maybe you should check on the gentleman behind you? He looks very tense."


    Serena turned around sharply.


    Hugh, who was standing like a ghost behind her, clearly heard the vet''s remark. The coldness in his gaze instantly faded, reced by something calmer and deeper.


    His voice was steady as he replied, "I''m not tense. I''m just waiting."


    That was typical Hugh.


    Worried that the vet might have been intimidated by him, she quickly exined, "He always looks serious. Don''t mind him. I''ll go grab the meds with you. Oh, right, my kitten''s Rame is Snuggle. Could you make @ file for him? Just in case anythinges up next time..."


    As the vet took notes and listened, he couldn''t help but snicker to himself.


    To him, Hugh didn''t look cold at all. Instead, Hugh seemed to have two faces. The


    way Hugh stared at Serena was full of primal instinct.


    It was too bad that Serena waspletely wrapped up in Snuggle and didn''t notice a thing.


    The pet hospital was quiet at night.


    While Snuggle received his IV, Serena and Hugh sat on a bench in the waiting area. As Serena slowly regained herposure, she finally turned to Hugh.


    "Thanks for driving me here. I was totally freaking out. I had no idea what to do." "It''s your first time raising a cat. It''s normal."


    "I was inside for at least three or four minutes. Why were you still standing outside? Did someone call you back to work or something? And you still drove me to the best pet hospital nearby?"


    She rambled on, still recovering from the scare.


    As she turned her head, strands of hair bounced with the movement, soft and fluttery. It was kind of cute.


    The thought shed through Hugh''s mind before he quickly pushed it aside. He realized Serena had truly been terrified.


    That was rare. Usually, she was indifferent even when facing her cold-blooded father or dealing with her reckless stepsister. But a sick kitten had made her feel like the sky was falling.


    She really was still too young.