“Oh, so that’s what you meant."

Richard and Jasmine finally understood what Megan was trying to say. For a moment, they’d thought she might have feelings for their son. With Leonard in this condition, they couldn’t help but worry. They didn’t even know yet if his face would heal properly, and if it didn’t, who would ever look at him the same way again? As parents, they were already preparing themselves for the worst. Little Nora stood quietly beside the bed, her big eyes brimming with tears as she stared at her brother wrapped tightly in bandages. Seeing her like that, Megan’s heart softened, though she still managed to answer the couple’s question. “Then, Mr. and Mrs. Knight, what did you think I meant?” She was genuinely curious. In her mind, this was just about friendship—did they really think she meant something else?

Meeting her innocent gaze, both Richard and Jasmine suddenly felt embarrassed. Comparing their own thoughts to hers, they realized the misunderstanding was entirely on their part. Megan’s concern came purely from friendship, and they’d overthought it. What if they scared her off?

They quickly waved their hands, trying to ease the tension. “No, no, it’s nothing,” Richard said awkwardly. “We were just overthinking. It’s good that you two are such close friends. We misunderstood.”

Megan found their reaction strange but didn’t press further. “Don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Knight. Leonard’s my friend, and I’ll make sure he’s well taken care of. Seeing him like this really hurts.”

“Won’t that interfere with your work?” Richard asked, his voice filled with quiet concern. He really did like the kindhearted girl in front of him, but everyone had their own life to live. It wouldn’t be fair to tie Megan to his son’s bedside. After all, a girl like her was surely someone her parents had cherished and protected all her life. If their son were still his bright, sunny self, maybe there’d be a chance—maybe something could have blossomed between the two of them. But now, with him lying there like this, all Richard and Jasmine could do was exchange a weary glance and sigh in silence. All they could hope for was that Leonard’s injuries wouldn’t leave lasting damage. If he recovered, perhaps there’d still be hope for him and this sweet girl, and maybe, their guilt wouldn’t weigh so heavily.

Megan offered a small smile. “Don’t worry, my boss is a close friend of mine. And she’s also good friends with Leonard. She’ll understand.”

“Really? What a coincidence.” The couple hadn’t expected that Megan worked with one of Leonard’s friends.

“Yeah,” Megan replied with an easy smile. “My boss’ name is Aurora Walton. She’s known Leonard longer than I have.”

Hearing that name, Jasmine’s eyes widened slightly. It sounded so familiar—could it be that Aurora Walton? She exchanged a surprised look with Richard; they were both thinking the same thing.

Megan caught their reaction immediately. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” Richard said quickly, forcing a reassuring smile. “Sweetheart, is there anything you’d like to eat? I can have something sent over.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not picky. I’ll eat whatever’s available.” As she spoke, Megan gently lifted little Nora into her arms. The couple almost stopped her out of instinct, but to their surprise, the child didn’t resist at all. Instead, Nora nestled quietly against Megan’s shoulder, her tiny hands gripping the fabric of her sleeve.