Chapter 6

Angeline frowned and tugged the scarf before covering her nose and mouth. She said in a muffled voice, “If it doesn’t affect the process, then I’d like to keep them on.”
Sean had his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe, watching the nurse tending to Angeline. He frowned and looked at Angeline when he heard her say that. He said in a firm tone that left no room for argument, “Take off your scarf and jacket.”
Angeline went silent for a while. Then, she slowly unzipped her jacket and untied the scarf around her neck.
Just as the nurse got up to draw the curtains, Ned and Ingrid walked out of the opposite room after he was done being bandaged up.
It was only for a fraction of a second, but Ned caught sight of the dark bruises on Angeline’s chin and neck.
How could a slight push from him cause such serious injuries to her?
However, the blue curtains got in the way. He couldn’t see anything past them. Ned looked at Sean’s figure and felt a sudden wave of fear washing over him.
He recalled Angeline’s relationship with Sean. He also saw the look Sean gave him when he helped Angeline into his car. Ned knew that he had to explain things to Sean today, by hook or by crook.
Even if Sean was just the adoptive son of the Lawsons in Krontos, he was now the main person in charge of Lawson Global. There were plenty of projects in Fletcher Corp. that still relied on Lawson Global’s help.
Ned called out in a low voice, “Mr. Sean …”
Sean turned around slowly when he heard his name being called.
The bright hospital lights hanging overhead shone on Sean’s handsome face. He stood tall at six feet two and came across as unapproachable. He didn’t even need to speak to make the people around him feel oppressed.
Ned frowned and started explaining himself. “I didn’t expect her to fall into the manmade pool.”
Sean’s eyes were dark and deep. “When you were 16, you got sent to the hospital because you were trying to protect her. Now that you’re 26, you got sent back to the hospital because you were fighting with her for the sake of an outsider.”
Ingrid knew that Sean was referring to her as the “outsider.” She shivered slightly.
Ned gripped Ingrid’s hand a little harder and pulled her behind him. He made it clear that he was going to protect Ingrid no matter what.
“It was all my fault. It had nothing to do with anyone else, outsider or not.”
Ingrid had explained everything to him on the way to the hospital earlier. Angeline hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary to her.
“It seems like your parents never told you the actual reason why I’ve been helping Fletcher Corps. All these years,” Sean said, his eyes flitting over nonchalantly to Ingrid.
He then stared down at Ned, who was hanging his head in guilt. Sean took off his glasses and cleaned them, asking, “Who gave you the guts to lay your hand on her?”
Ned gritted his teeth in shame.
When Sean saw Zachary returning with clean, new clothes and shoes for Ned and Angeline, he didn’t say anything more. He just put his glasses back on his face.
Ingrid was wary of Sean whenever he looked cold and emotionless like now. She didn’t dare to stay a minute longer with them. So, she told Ned and Zachary, “I still have a flight to catch, so I’ll be taking my leave for now. Please tell Angie for me too.”
“Let me send you there,” Ned said, longingly holding on to Ingrid’s hand.
“You should go back too,” Sean said to Zachary, who also looked like he was reluctant to leave. “Don’t make your sister worry about you. I’m here to look after Angie.”
Zachary nodded as he thought of his pregnant elder sister. He then passed the bag of new clothes to Sean’s assistant.
Angeline ended up with six stitches on her head. She had to stay overnight at the hospital like Ned for further observation.
After putting on the patient’s robe, Angeline came back out of the bathroom and saw that Sean still hadn’t left yet. He’d taken off his outer coat and was lying on the couch, in the middle of a phone call.
Maybe it was rather warm in the ward, which was why Sean started unbuttoning the first two buttons on his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up as well, exposing his forearms. Sean also wore a dark brown leather watch on his wrist.
Catching sight of Angeline with the gauze on her head, Sean quickly ended the call with an “I’ll be back next Monday,” before hanging up.
His dark gaze then traveled to the huge bruises on Angeline’s chin. He said, “Come here and have a seat.”