Chapter 547
Relief washed over her as she realized it was him. Switching on the bedside lamp in a rush, she moved closer, her face tense as she looked him over for injuries. “You’re okay, right? Did I hurt you at all?” she asked, worry threading through her voice.
She had been certain someone dangerous had crept in, so she hadn’t held back for even a second. The last thing she expected was to find Dylan beside her so late, in the middle of the night.
Dylan was about to brush off her concern, but then he thought of a way to elicit sympathy. He pressed his palm over the gauze taped across his chest, gave a slight shake of his head, and murmured in a weak voice, “I’m… I’m fine.”
Her concern deepened, her brow furrowing. “You sure? You really don’t look so great. I might have swung a little too hard—I thought you were someone else.” With a gentle touch, she helped him sit back on the bed and said, “Let’s get that bandage off. I want to make sure the wound hasn’t opened again.”
Dylan tightened his grip on the bandage, forcing a smile. “Really, Christina, it’s nothing. Just stings a bit, that’s all.”
Unwrapping that bandage would only expose his deception. Out of every trick Ralphy had ever shared with him, this act of garnering her sympathy always worked best. He refused to let Christina see through it now.
Concern laced Christina’s voice as she spoke. “But it looks like you’re hurting more than you admit. Let’s take a look, just to be sure. If everything’s fine, I can redo the bandage right away. It’ll only take a minute.”
Waving off her worry, Dylan tried to sound reassuring. “Honestly, if my wound had split open, you’d see blood on the bandage. It’s clean, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, pulling his hand back for her to see.
One quick glance told Christina he was right. No fresh blood marked the bandage. Even so, she could not let her guard down. Without a word, her hand slid to his arm, gently feeling for any sign that the injury had worsened.
Dylan couldn’t help the faint smile that flickered across his face. Moments like this made him realize Christina always relied on touch to make sure he was truly all right, never just taking his word for it. But then, a sudden notion flickered through his mind.
A question took hold of Dylan’s mind. Was Christina truly nothing more than a vet? Why did it seem as though she possessed vast medical knowledge, able to confirm he was fine simply by examining him with her eyes and touch—skills that surpassed most experienced doctors? Could the entire veterinarian persona merely be a mask designed to mislead observers?
For a fleeting moment, King—the globally celebrated prodigy in medicine—flashed through Dylan’s thoughts. But he immediately pushed the idea aside. If Christina were King, she wouldn’t have requested Calvin for Bethel’s operation. King held a legendary reputation worldwide for incomparable expertise and a near-flawless success rate—qualities Calvin simply lacked.
Catching the doubt swimming in Dylan’s stare, Christina slowly released his arm and smiled. “Judging from my background treating animals, you appear okay. But just to be safe, you should have a real doctor take a look. We’ll do another exam tomorrow—just in case. I can’t take the blame if something turns out wrong.”
Her words caught Dylan off guard. Earlier, Christina hadn’t actually harmed him. He had just been faking discomfort to keep her attention.
“I’m honestly feeling much better now,” he replied.
“Are you absolutely certain you’re all right? If you’re even a little uncomfortable, we should call a doctor…” Christina began to rise, but Dylan grabbed her hand.