Chapter 838

 838:
“What?” Dolores asked, her eyes widening in shock. Without another word, she turned and marched toward the room.
“What the hell is Collin trying to do? Linsey is sick! Is he trying to upset her even further?”
Dustin hurried after her, calling for her to wait.
In the sterile quiet of the hospital room, Linsey stirred. Her lashes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was a pair of deep, unwavering eyes fixed on her.
Those eyes—how familiar they had once felt.
Her chest tightened. For a second, her heart skipped a beat.
Collin leaned in, his face etched with concern. “Linsey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
She blinked, dazed. And then, like a crashing wave, memories returned. Her gaze hardened. She turned her head sharply, avoiding him.
“Why are you still here?” Her voice rasped, brittle as dry leaves.
He did not flinch at her hostility. His tone remained gentle. “Dolores was called away. I stayed in case you needed something when you woke up.”
“I need nothing,” she snapped. “You may leave now.” The chill in her voice could have frozen steel.
Collin did not move. Instead, as if untouched by her venom, he reached for the pitcher on the side table and poured her a glass of water.
“Your throat sounds sore. Drink some water,” he suggested.
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Linsey turned toward him—only to catch sight of herself in the reflection.
With a swollen face, eyes puffy, and blotchy skin, she looked like a stranger.
Her breath caught. A wave of horror washed over her. Without thinking, she lashed out. Her hand struck the glass in his grasp, sending it flying.
The crash rang out sharply as it shattered on the floor, shards scattering like tiny daggers.
“Collin Riley, are you deaf?” she shouted hysterically. “I told you to leave!”
Why was he seeing her like this?
They were nothing now—strangers. He should not have mattered anymore. And yet, she still cared.
A mix of shame, anger, and something achingly familiar churned inside her.
Collin was taken aback by her outburst, but he regained his composure immediately.
But beneath his calm facade, he felt a mix of sympathy and concern.
“I am sorry,” he murmured, his voice low and strained.
Linsey’s breath hitched as he rose from his seat. “I will clean it up. Then I will leave.”
She stared at him in disbelief as he squatted down. Collin Riley—the famously untouchable founder of CR Corporation—was picking up shards of glass with his bare hands.
A frown tugged at her lips. “Why are you doing this?”
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