Chapter 1787

“I’m sorry,” Karina stammered. “I didn’t mean to hide it. I just thought it wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t-”
Wilfred interrupted her by gently taking her hand and turning on the faucet. He held her hand under the cool water, his tone sharp but laced with care. “Any injury, no matter how small, is not trivial. You’re a doctor. You should know this better than anyone.” Karina felt a pang of guilt at his scolding, but beneath his words, she could sense his genuine concern. The warmth of that realization brought a faint smile to her lips despite her earlier embarrassment.
Wilfred turned his head at just the right moment to catch the small curve of her lips.
Startled, Karina quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushing. “Thank you,” she muttered, looking down as if trying to avoid his gaze altogether.
Hastily, she slipped on heat-resistant gloves, grabbed the plate, and carried it out to the dining room.
Wilfred stayed in the kitchen, his dark eyes fixed on his fingertips. He could still feel the lingering warmth from where her hand had touched his. The sensation stirred something in him, heating his chest in a way that felt uncomfortably unfamiliar.
Not liking the sense of losing control, he turned on the faucet and rinsed his own hands under the cold water, much like he’d done for Karina moments earlier. Only when the cool water had completely washed away the residual warmth did he finally pull his hands back, though a subtle sense of loss lingered.
When Wilfred emerged from the kitchen, his face still carried traces of the frustration he had tried to wash away.
Karina glanced up and, misinterpreting his expression, immediately assumed he was still upset about the earlier incident. “I know it was my fault. I won’t let it happen again. Would you like to try this dish?”
She gestured to the plate of spicy and tangy shredded potatoes sitting before her.
Wilfred’s gaze shifted to the dish, and his mind replayed the moments they had spent preparing it together. The tension in his features eased, and the frosty atmosphere melted away entirely. He sat down and picked up his utensils.
After taking a bite, Karina watched him nervously, her expression filled with anticipation and a hint of anxiety.
“Well? How is it? Does it taste okay?” she asked, her tone betraying her slight lack of confidence.
Despite being self-reliant and
capable in the kitchen, she couldn’t shake the uncertainty when it came
to Wilfred’s opinion. Would her cooking match his tastes?
Wilfred noticed her apprehension, her subtle changes in expression not escaping his sharp eyes.
“It’s good,” he said with a slight
I.ne
“You should try it yourself.” He instinctively picked up a small portion with his utensils and placed it on her plate.
The moment he did, both of them froze.
Wilfred lowered his gaze, his thoughts unreadable. The simple act of sharing food suddenly carried an unspoken weight, adding an inexplicable tension to the air.
In hindsight, eating together, especially just the two of them, felt intimate in a way neither had fully considered until now.
Karina quickly shoveled a couple of bites of rice into her mouth, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of her heart.
Unspoken, they both chose to pretend nothing had happened, continuing their meal as if the moment hadn’t existed.
*
After dinner, Karina insisted on cleaning up, despite Wilfred’s offer to help.
“Dr. Wilfred, you’ve already done so much today. Please leave this to me. You should rest. I’ll be quick,” she said firmly.
With no choice but to relent, Wilfred settled onto the sofa, watching her bustling around the kitchen.
For some reason, he felt at ease in that moment.
Over the years, his life had been consumed by the endless demands of the hospital. While he had met countless people in his line of work, he had never experienced this sense of comfort before.
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