Chapter 229 He Is Back
Sixteen-year-old Caroline sat in a chair by the bed, wearing an oversized linen dress that looked like something a young housemaid would wear.
She leaned forward slightly, watching him with obvious concern.
"Caroline!" Alexander sat up abruptly and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Caroline... thank God you're still here..."
He buried his face against her thin shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of soap that clung to her skin.
"Thank God... thank God Daniel showed up and reminded me."
Thank God he hadn't kept running away.
Thank God... he could still hold this warm body in his dream, one more time, and feel her real presence.
The body in his arms suddenly stiffened.
Caroline's pale cheeks flushed crimson, the color creeping up to her ears.
"Alexander?" She pushed him gently.
"What Daniel? Are you feeling sick? Let me go first... I'll go get the doctor..."
She raised her hand to push him away, but the boy held her even tighter.
"No... don't go... don't leave..." Alexander choked, holding her tighter, his voice confused and spiraling.
"I'm sorry... Caroline... I'm sorry... I won't do that again... I'll never hurt you again... I'll protect you... I'll treat you well with everything I have... please... don't leave me... please don't go..."
Caroline felt even more confused and uneasy.
She struggled gently. "Alexander, are you delirious from fever? Lie down first, okay?"
Her struggling finally brought some clarity to Alexander's muddled thoughts.
He realized he'd gone too far again and immediately let go.
The moment Caroline broke free, she stepped back. "Let me get you some water..."
With that, she hurried away from him.
Alexander stared blankly at her retreating figure, unwilling to look away for even a second.
Finally, he saw Caroline again, back at that moment before everything began.
Even if this was just a dream constructed by his subconscious, he didn't care.
Even knowing it would only make things worse, he was willing.
Caroline walked back to the bed with her head down and handed him the cup.
"This is honey water. You got caught in the rain and had a high fever. The doctor said you might have a bitter taste in your mouth after the fever-reducing shot, so drinking something sweet will help."
"Thank you." Alexander took the cup, his fingertips accidentally brushing hers, causing another pang in his heart.
He lowered his head and sipped the honey water, when something suddenly occurred to him.
Caught in the rain?
So he had returned to that dream—back to the night after he'd forced a kiss on Caroline?
"How did I... get back?" Alexander asked, stammering slightly.
"You and I..."
Caroline's eyes flickered, then she looked away. "You fainted... your family brought you home."
Alexander saw that even the tips of Caroline's ears had turned red, and he understood everything in that instant.
"Well... since you're awake, I should go now. Otherwise my parents will worry."
She was about to leave.
"Wait!" Alexander panicked and instinctively reached out to grab her wrist.
Her skin was warm and delicate. They both trembled at the same time.
Caroline yanked her hand back, her face turning even redder.
Alexander realized he'd been reckless again.
The current Caroline wasn't his wife yet. In fact, in her eyes, he was still the person who liked her sister.
His behavior, to a sixteen-year-old girl, was practically an assault.
But he couldn't help himself anymore.
Though he let go of her hand, he still looked at Caroline urgently.
"Caroline, listen to me, the person I like... has always been you."
Caroline's heart lurched, and she turned to look at him sharply.
Alexander saw the shock in her eyes and, afraid she wouldn't understand his true feelings, became even more panicked and urgent.
"I'm not lying to you, really!" Alexander could barely get the words out.
"I don't like Edith, I only have you in my heart. I don't know how to prove it to you... but I swear, I kissed you because I really have feelings for you!"
Caroline's face turned even redder.
"Stop talking!" Caroline cut him off hastily.
"I really have to go!"
She threw out that sentence, pushed open the door, and fled.
Alexander stared blankly in the direction Caroline had disappeared, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
He'd messed up again.
Yes, what should he do? How could he make Caroline believe that someone who'd previously only had eyes for Edith wasn't just impulsively looking for a substitute after Edith rejected him, but truly cared about her?
He suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door, slowly approaching from the end of the hallway.
Alexander's heart jumped, his eyes widening almost instantly.
Was it her... had she come back because she was worried about him?
The door was knocked twice gently, then pushed open.
The person who walked in was Linus.
Linus at that time was only twenty years old, elegant in manner, with a kind of gentle composure that seemed almost perfect.
He was his grandfather's most beloved son in his later years, a gentleman who glided through every social event, and also... the most dangerous opponent he would face in his future life.
Long ago, in the eyes of the real sixteen-year-old Alexander, Linus was well-mannered, always caring toward him, would give him small gifts, and say lighthearted things to cheer him up.
During that period when his relationship with his father was tense, Linus often played the role of a gentle listener.
So during those teenage years, he had indeed had a close uncle-nephew relationship with Linus.
Until later, when his grandfather died.
Linus's ambitions began to surface. To compete for family resources and power, he set countless traps for Alexander, both openly and in secret. Many times, Alexander nearly died at his hands.
"Alexander, feeling better?"
Linus carried a tray and reached out to feel his forehead, as naturally as could be.
Alexander's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, nearly shoving him away.
But at the last moment, he forced himself to calm down.
Now was "the past."
When Linus's mask hadn't yet slipped, when Alexander was still young, thinking the other person was a gentle and reliable relative.
He couldn't let Linus detect his wariness too early.
"Mm, good that the fever's gone."
Linus tentatively touched his forehead, seeming relieved, then withdrew his hand.
"We were all so worried. Your father won't say it, but he was anxious inside. Don't be so reckless next time, understand?"