readbooksol Chapter 1249: No Room for Error
Chapter 1249: No Room for Error
Leah lowered her eyes and saw the cold, aloof man kneeling down, furrowing his brows as he carefully wiped the skin around her leg wound. As expected, he didn’t touch the wound, and it didn’t hurt at all.
The abrasions on her lower leg to knee looked daunting but were not severe.
The knee injury was more serious, with some bleeding.
The weather in the South Seas is warmer than in the Imperial City; she had come wearing only a knee-length skirt with a trench coat over it. Otherwise, the abrasions wouldn’t have been this bad.
The hotel staff quickly brought up some antiseptic and ointment for the abrasions.
As her wound was disinfected, it was touched directly, causing some pain. Leah frowned, her complexion slightly paler, as she looked up at Richard Shaw, realizing that his face seemed even paler than hers, his brows tightly knitted, and his touch as light as a feather when cleaning her wound.
"Does it hurt?" The man’s voice was slightly hoarse as he asked.
"It hurts." There was a sheen of tears in her eyes; it wasn’t actually that painful. She hadn’t felt lonely walking two streets alone, but seeing Richard Shaw brought a twinge of grievance to her heart.
In silence, the man extended his arm and said in a low voice, "If it hurts, you can pinch me."
"It’s all your fault." She reached out, gripping the sofa beneath her, complaining, though her voice was so soft it sounded more like she was acting spoiled.
"It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let you get hurt." The man’s willingness to admit fault was exceptional, his handsome face slightly pale, staring at her wound with more pain than if it were on his own body.
Leah reached out and pinched his arm, finding it hard and tough as expected.
After Richard Shaw finished cleaning her wound, he applied a layer of ointment, then softly asked, "Are there other abrasions? Let me check."
"No more." She shook her head.
Richard Shaw responded in a low voice and then answered a call, his voice low, most likely dealing with the detention process.
"Was it the hit-and-run driver?" Leah asked.
"A wealthy kid, drunk driving, already taken in," Richard Shaw replied as he hung up, walking back to see her sitting there safe and sound. Yet his heart was still somewhat haunted by fear, recalling the terror when he saw the accident happen while following behind.
His heart constricted tightly, like suffocation. His hands shook while driving, nearly causing his long-held beliefs to crumble. He couldn’t imagine what he and Casimir Shaw would do if something truly happened to her.
Richard Shaw walked over, seeing her slightly shocked and tender face, and pulled her tightly into his arms, saying hoarsely, "At that moment, I thought something happened to you."
"I must have a strong life force," Leah smiled slightly. At the moment of the incident, she hadn’t even reacted. She was probably as lucky as Griffith Squire — a cat with nine lives. She hadn’t died back then, and naturally, she wouldn’t die now. But she was absolutely unforgiving toward the driver who caused the accident; driving drunk and then escaping, huh, truly treating the law as nothing. Such a person is like holding a weapon and recklessly injuring others without being aware of it.
"Are you hungry? Shall I have the hotel bring some food?" Richard Shaw touched her slightly emaciated face, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. She was even thinner than before.
"A little hungry, I haven’t eaten for two meals," Leah admitted, realizing she was indeed hungry. She had only eaten a bowl of noodles at the airport that morning.
Seeing the hint of familiar coquettishness in her tone, Richard Shaw felt a softness in his heart. He looked over the hotel’s dining menu and ordered steak and red wine for her while he chose some vegetables for himself.
"Still not eating meat?" Leah asked softly, noticing the array of vegetable dishes he had chosen.
"No," the man replied in a low voice, "I’ve gotten used to it and actually can’t handle meat now."
In his life, there weren’t many things he cared about; for her sake, he could eat vegetarian forever to show his sincerity.
Leah was slightly tongue-tied, realizing just how resolute he was. For someone like her who loves food, not eating meat would be like a death sentence, but Richard Shaw had remained vegetarian for nearly ten years, seemingly since her accident, never touching meat.
"How did you know I would come to the Imperial City? Did Ignatius Leclair tell you?" Leah shifted the topic, feeling their being alone in a room was too intimate, and not speaking seemed even more intimate.
Richard Shaw put down the dining menu, his sharply handsome face slightly turned to the side, and said lowly, "I bought that house. I haven’t seen you for a while, missed you a little."
Leah: "..."
Richard Shaw saw her sitting gloomily on the sofa, her long, snow-white legs unable to move freely due to the abrasions. The seemingly lazy posture darkened his eyes. The accident had completely changed some of his thoughts. He finally understood Ignatius’s dominance in emotional matters, for the strong desire to take control came from the inability to tolerate any loss.
Now, he had an intense desire to control, wanting to bind her firmly to his side against her will, allowing nowhere else but by his side.
Seeing him so unabashed, proud even, Leah couldn’t believe how someone could admit something so shamelessly. Yet she couldn’t help but feel a little thrilled.
Leah got up, patting her cheeks to clear her head, intending to hobble to the bathroom for a revitalizing shower.
Before she could take a few steps, the man had already come over steadily, holding her, saying, "I’ll help you; your leg’s inconvenient."
"I’m going to take a shower." She widened her enchanting eyes.
"Your wound can’t be wet. I’ll help you bathe," the man said matter-of-factly.
Leah: "..."
"Just put me in the tub. There’s a disposable bath bag in my suitcase; bring it for me." Leah felt the rising temperature in the air, her voice slightly drained of energy.
Richard Shaw didn’t insist on helping her bathe. He carried her to the bathroom, used a disposable bath bag, filled the tub with hot water, looked at her fully dressed, and hoarsely asked, "Really don’t need my help? With your leg that can’t get wet, bathing might not be easy."
Seeing her about to get angry from embarrassment, Richard Shaw cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "I’ll just be outside. Call me if you need anything."
Leah waited until he had left to let out a sigh of relief. She removed her clothes, slowly immersed herself in the bathtub, then sat in a daze, soaking for nearly an hour. She only got up slowly when the hotel dining was delivered, changing into a robe before coming out.