Chapter 287

Chapter 287

She heard Arthur's breathing suddenly become heavier on the other end of the line, but she didn't stop.

"I'm not your family doctor, and I'm not a nanny on call. His health problems - you need to take responsibility as a father should. If you need me to remind you and handle even this kind of thing, then you're doing a pretty terrible job as a father."

"Elaine! You!"

Arthur's suppressed angry voice came through. He probably didn't expect her to be so firm.

Elaine ignored his anger. "From now on, unless it's truly urgent, please don't bother me with any excuse. There's no reason for us to stay in touch anymore. Goodbye."

With that, without waiting for any response from Arthur, she hung up decisively.

The restaurant fell into an oppressive silence.

Bradley watched her quietly, then picked up a stalk of the steamed asparagus with the serving tongs and gently placed it on the plate in front of her.

"The food's getting cold. Eat more."

The fresh green addition to her plate made Elaine pause slightly.

She looked up at Bradley across from her.

He was looking down, eating his congee, his expression calm.

"Thank you."

She said softly, picking up a tender stalk of asparagus and taking a small bite.

Only then did Bradley put down his spoon and look up at her:

"If you're worried about the child and want to go back to check on him, don't worry about me. I can eat by myself. After all... a sick child is a big deal."

His words sounded reasonable, but why did Elaine feel like there was a hint of... testing in them?

She shook her head, swallowed the food in her mouth, her voice already calm again:

"No need. If he's really sick, his father knows to take him to the hospital. If it's fake..."

At this point, a trace of coldness flashed in her eyes, "then there's even less reason to go."

She looked at Bradley: "Let's eat. I promised to finish dinner with you, and I won't go back on my word."

Bradley said nothing more, just smiled and nodded, picking up his spoon again. "Alright, let's continue eating. The chicken in this soup is very tender, you should have some more."

The atmosphere at the table began to flow again.

They didn't mention any unpleasant topics, just quietly shared their dinner.

After the meal, Elaine cleared the dishes. Bradley insisted on helping, and they took the dishes to the kitchen together.

"You sit and rest, I'll wash them."

Elaine rolled up her sleeves and turned on the faucet.

Bradley didn't insist, knowing his current physical condition wasn't suitable for standing long.

He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching Elaine skillfully wash the dishes. The sound of running water filled the air, and she seemed surrounded by a soft halo of light.

This scene was as ordinary as any family's evening, yet somehow made him feel warm.

When Elaine dried her hands and came out, Bradley straightened up and smiled: "Thanks for your hard work. Let me get you something to drink - juice or warm water?"

"Warm water is fine, thank you."

Elaine smiled too, walked to the living room sofa and sat down, breathing a small sigh of relief.

Bradley turned toward the refrigerator.

But just as he bent down to take out a water bottle from the fridge and was about to straighten up, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him!

The light before his eyes suddenly twisted, and the whole world seemed to spin.

He instinctively tried to grab the counter beside him, but his arm went weak and had no strength at all.

His tall body tilted uncontrollably to one side.

"Bradley!"

Elaine noticed something wrong almost instantly. She cried out and reflexively jumped up from the sofa, rushing over at the fastest speed possible. Just before he completely lost his balance, she barely managed to reach out and support his arm.

But Bradley's tall frame, combined with the complete loss of strength from the dizziness, made his falling momentum far exceed Elaine's expectations.

Although she caught him in time, they both lost their balance together, stumbling backward.

A muffled "thud."

The expected impact with the hard floor didn't come - they fell together into the soft, wide sofa nearby.

Bradley's entire body was practically pressing down on Elaine, his head resting helplessly against her shoulder and neck, his hot breath spraying on her sensitive skin, sending a shiver through her.

Elaine was trapped between the sofa and his solid chest, unable to move.

The two were intertwined on the sofa in an extremely intimate position, close enough to clearly feel each other's heartbeat.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment.

Elaine's mind went blank for an instant.

His fresh scent after bathing filled her nostrils, mixed with a faint trace of medicine.

She could clearly hear her own heart pounding wildly in her chest, beat after beat, almost ready to break through her ribs and jump out.

Blood seemed to rush to her cheeks, burning so hot her head felt dizzy.

Bradley's dizziness eased slightly, but his vision was still a bit blurry.

He could feel the soft body beneath him, smell the light fragrance in her hair, sense her slightly stiff from tension yet trying hard to support him with her arms.

From this angle, he only needed to turn his head slightly and his lips could touch her earlobe.

This realization made his breathing skip a beat too.

His face flushed instantly.

He tried to prop himself up with his arms, but as soon as he exerted force, the wound on his back sent another pulling pain.

"Don't move!"

Elaine noticed his intention and quickly spoke up, "Are you... how are you? Is the dizziness back? Or does the wound hurt?"

Bradley stopped moving, allowing himself to maintain this ambiguous and dependent position.

He didn't immediately answer her question, but instead buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath.

A few seconds later, his low voice sounded by her ear:

"Elaine..."

Elaine's body stiffened.

"When I was injured this time, lying in the hospital, I actually thought about a lot of things."

He continued, speaking very slowly, each word seeming carefully considered. "I was thinking, if I really hadn't made it that day, what would be my biggest regret."

Elaine's heart beat even faster, and some inexplicable premonition made her hold her breath.

"It wasn't my career, or anything else."

Bradley lifted his head slightly, his deep eyes gazing at her from close range, complex emotions churning within them.

"What I would regret is... you."

Elaine's pupils suddenly contracted, looking at him in disbelief.

"I know this might not be the best timing, and I know you just ended an unhappy marriage and might not want to think about these things right now."

Bradley's gaze was open and burning. "But Elaine, I don't want to wait anymore. I don't want to face danger again next time with words still unsaid in my heart."

He paused, as if observing her reaction, and also as if gathering courage.

"I like you, Elaine. Not out of gratitude to Dr. Harris, and not on impulse. I admire your talent and resilience, I feel for what you've been through and your strength, and I... want to be by your side, protect you, support you, let you feel safe to do what you want to do, without having to face all the storms alone anymore."