Chapter 20

He hadn't mentioned any names. Clive, oblivious, stepped forward to check Stephan's pulse, but Stephan avoided his touch. "Let your little assistant do it," Felicia said, holding the medical kit. She had indeed come upstairs as an assistant.

Clive frowned. "Mr. Russell, my assistant is inexperienced and might misdiagnose you. It's better if I do it myself."

"No need. I only want her," Stephan replied lazily, emphasizing the last words. To an outsider, it might have sounded flirtatious, but the air crackled with tension.

Clive started to protest, but Felicia interrupted. "Grandpa, let me handle it." Clive hesitated, wanting to question her ability, but Felicia didn't wait. This was her chance.

She moved closer, half-crouching beside the bed, meeting Stephan's intense gaze as she reached for his wrist. There was an injury—not severe, but… Pulling back her hand, she said, "You're injured. The object causing this has poison. The toxin hasn't reached your lungs, but we need acupuncture to drain it and an incision to remove it." Stephan simply nodded lazily, removing his shirt, signaling her to proceed.

Felicia retrieved a sterilized scalpel and laid out silver needles. Before she began, Clive anxiously advised her on which acupuncture points to use first, eager to intervene. Felicia ignored him. With a decisive cut, she opened the previously sutured wound on Stephan's shoulder, then deftly inserted the needles.

Dark blood flowed. Though undoubtedly painful, Stephan didn't flinch. Felicia worked confidently, whether slicing his skin or drawing out the poison. Her hands were steady as she stitched him up, her eyes focused. She was calm and absorbed.

Stephan's wound was near his heart, forcing Felicia close as she stitched. Her breath occasionally brushed against his chest. He seemed strangely detached, openly staring at her face. Each time Felicia glanced up, their gazes met—his deep, dark eyes filled with mischief and curiosity, bold and unrestrained.

"All done," Felicia announced, stepping back.

Stephan buttoned his shirt slowly, deliberately, exuding restrained desire. Felicia's eyes, catching his broad shoulders and toned chest, quickly flicked away, her cheeks flushing.

Clive, oblivious to the tension, was still shocked by Felicia's swift actions and skillful needlework. If he wasn't mistaken, she had used the lost art of Five Elements Acupuncture. Such ancient knowledge was rare; even he, a medical master, had only glimpsed it once. Yet here was a descendant—his granddaughter! His beard trembled as he smiled with excitement and joy.

After packing her kit, Felicia ignored Clive's flushed face and Stephan. She wanted to distance herself from the dangerous man and leave the villa. The exit was clear.

Outside, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Unbeknownst to her, Stephan watched her retreating figure from the second floor, lingering in the fading light. After a moment, he looked at his bandaged wound. The spot where Felicia's breath had brushed him still tingled slightly, like a feather's caress.