Chapter 606

The sight filled her with a mix of fear and suffocation. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, and whether she was willing to accept it, Ella knew this kind of scene might become a constant presence in her life. After all, her mother was part of it all.

Lorenzo, Bernard, Cecil, and Eric were heading to the study together. As they passed Ella’s room, Lorenzo paused, tilting his head slightly. The cold, stern aura he exuded was palpable.

Eric, sensing the tension, broke the silence first. “Let’s head to the study first,” he said, giving the others a meaningful look before walking off.

Bernard, trailing behind, smirked to himself. ‘A guy with a girl really is different,’ he thought. ‘But then again, not quite. Boss didn’t update Ella before heading out.’

Once the others had left, Lorenzo was alone. He reached for the doorknob to Ella’s room, but it was locked tight. Clearly, Ella had locked it from the inside again.

Lorenzo’s stern expression softened, and a mischievous smile played at the corners of his lips. His voice, low and gentle, carried an unexpected warmth. “Ella.”

Inside the room, Ella was consumed by worry over her mother. When she saw Lorenzo and his men return with blood on them, she didn’t feel the same intense fear as before. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice the slight change in Lorenzo’s tone. Her desperation overshadowed her fear, and her response was careless and perfunctory. “What?” she replied weakly.

Lorenzo, standing outside the door, was taken aback for a moment by the lack of fear in her voice. His smile widened. “Open the door.”

“No,” Ella said flatly.

Lorenzo’s eyes widened in surprise. She showed no fear and refused so directly. ‘Where did this confidence come from?’

“Are you sure about that?” His tone deepened, and even through the door, the subtle pressure in his voice was hard to miss.

Ella’s mind snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice. The fear crept back into her tone. “I…”

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off. “Open the door. Let me see you.”

“I just want to be alone for a while, okay?” Ella’s voice trembled. She really needed some quiet time to herself.

Lorenzo’s expression darkened. Her mention of wanting to be alone made it even more obvious that something was wrong. “Open the door.” His tone was now forceful.

Ella instinctively rubbed her hands together, recalling the image of Lorenzo climbing over the balcony. She knew there was no keeping him out.

With a sigh, she opened the door, only to be met with the sight of his broad chest. His shirt was stained with blood.

Ella’s hand instinctively reached out. “You’re hurt again?” But halfway through the gesture, she remembered something and quickly pulled back. ‘Oh man, what does his injury have to do with me? Stefi has told me not to get involved, not to care about anything. I’m not a professional at treating wounds, and I’m not good at taking care of people,’ she thought.

Lorenzo noticed her instinctive action and the subtle change in her expression. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“What’s up? Thinking about taking something from me again?”

Ella’s mouth twitched sharply. She quickly shook her head. “No. I wasn’t thinking of taking anything from you. Honestly, it wasn’t on purpose before either.”

The more she tried to explain, the more anxious she became. ‘What does he mean by that? Does he seriously think everything I’ve done was intentional? This is really unfair. I didn’t mean to do any of it!’

“Not on purpose?” Lorenzo’s smile grew wider.