Evelyn returned with the first-aid kit, her reading sses perched on her nose as she prepared to tend to the wound on Seth''s arm.


    Only then did Noreen remember that Seth had been injured while saving Bianca. She''d heard about it at the time but had never known the severity. It was surprising to see that after all this time, the wound still hadn''t fully healed. It must have been serious. He was willing to risk his own life for Bianca.


    Evelyn''s eyesight wasn''t what it used to be, and she was afraid of hurting Seth. She wanted to ask Noreen for help, but considering the strained state of their rtionship, she decided she had to manage on her own.


    "This might sting, so just bear with me," Evelyn said, her voiceced with concern as she began muttering to herself, "How on earth did you manage to tear this open again?"


    Noreen didn''t pay them much mind. As she was about to leave, she called out, "Evelyn, I''m heading out."


    "Oh, right. Don''t forget your things," Evelyn replied, remembering the food she''d packed for Noreen. She started to get up to fetch it for her.


    "Don''t worry about it, you stay put. I can get it myself. No need to see me out."


    Noreen waved her off and walked over to the dining room, grabbing the package from the table before heading toward the door. Evelyn settled back down and continued cleaning Seth''s wound.


    Suddenly, a sharp, muffled grunt of pain cut through the quiet room. Evelyn must have touched a raw nerve.


    The sound stopped Noreen in her tracks.


    She turned to look back at Seth.


    As if by chance, he looked up at the same time, his gaze meeting hers. Their eyes locked in an unscripted, jarring moment. Noreen''s expression was a mixture of confusion, hesitation, and a tremor she couldn''t quite name. It felt as if a wild vine had taken root in her heart, twisting and growing with unsettling speed.


    Under her steady gaze, Seth''s focus slowly softened, his expression turning distant and cool before he nonchntly looked away.


    It felt like a feather had brushed against her heart. She hadn''t looked at him that way in a very long time.


    A momentter, Noreen left, and the room returned to silence.


    Evelyn let out a soft sigh but said nothing. What was there to say? Words were useless now.


    By the time Evelyn had finished dressing his wound, half an hour had passed. He went to the study to say goodbye to Wade before leaving the Harcourt residence.


    At some point, a light rain had


    started to fall, a fine mist that settled over the city, washing away some of the day''s fingering summer heat But the air was still heavy and humid, making it feel difficult to breathe. Summers in Rivercrest City always seemed to drag on forever.


    Seth walked leisurely toward the parking area, but he stopped short when he saw


    a figure standing under a streetlight.<fncae5> Original content can be found at FindN()vel</fncae5>


    Noreen hadn''t left after all.


    A question had been burning inside her, and she needed an answer with a desperate, pressing urgency. So she had waited for over thirty minutes.


    The rain must have just begun, as only her hair was slightly damp. She was still wearing the same outfit from the conference earlier-a tasteful satin blouse and a pencil


    skirt. The look was professional and sharp, exuding an air of


    sophisticatedpetence. But the hair that ha been elegantly swept. up with a pin was now loose, cascading casually over her shoulders. Under the hazy glow of the streetlight, it gave her an addedyer of allure.


    She looked beautiful in anything, as if she were born to wear clothes.


    Noreen was the first to speak, her voice as soft as the rain. "You''re injured. It''s not safe for you to drive. I''ll give you a ride."


    Seth didn''t refuse.


    Once they were in the car, she asked him where he was staying.


    "The same hotel asst time."


    Noreen didn''t press further, nor did she care why he was in a hotel. There was only one thing on her mind.


    After about ten minutes of driving, she stopped at a red light. The sixty-second timer ticked down. Noreen stared at it for a full ten seconds before finally breaking the Silence in the car.


    "Why hasn''t your arm healed yet?" she asked.


    "It was a bit more serious than it looked, so it''s taking longer to recover," he


    replied. "But it''s almost there."