Elijah’s disgusted expression deepened, though he remained silent. Oliver gave Willow a fleeting glance, his voice sharp and dismissive. “Go do your work. This isn’t your concern.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and entered the living room. Switching effortlessly to fluent German, he addressed the doctors seated on the sofa. “There’s a medical room upstairs. Follow me, please.”

Willow hesitated briefly before returning to her room. She quickly typed a message: “Mr. James brought Elizabeth back with several doctors. They’re upstairs and won’t let me go up. I don’t know what’s happening.” The response came swiftly: “Keep observing. Report back immediately if anything happens.”

In the second-floor medical room, a female doctor gently lowered Elizabeth’s sweater. The swollen area revealed deep subcutaneous bleeding, a dark bruise spreading across her delicate skin. Though the injury wasn’t severe, it looked alarming. Elizabeth sat motionless, like a fragile porcelain doll, lost in thought as the doctor applied medicine. Her pain seemed distant, a stark contrast to her former self. Once, she would have been tearful, pouting, and dramatically complaining to Elijah. Since the fire, that sensitive aspect of her personality had disappeared. Even when she’d burned her foot at Ripples Community, her initial cry of pain quickly yielded to indifference once Elijah noticed. Elijah had always found her dramatic. Now, with her changed demeanor, he didn’t feel the expected relief.

After the initial treatment, another doctor approached with sophisticated medical instruments. “Ms. Sandra,” he said gently, “could you please roll up your pants? I need to examine your skin growth.” Only then did Elizabeth realize Elijah had brought these doctors specifically for her burn injury. She lowered her lashes, hiding the faint flicker of emotion in her eyes. He was always like this—meticulous about material things, a trait she once mistook for love.