Chapter 208 Applying
Ointment
“No comment.” Brian’s refusal was cold.
Cradling Tracy in his arms, he moved through the crowd, clearly heading for the second floor.
With the two central figures gone, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Finally unimpeded, Rachel made her exit.
Just as she stepped through the doorway, Elsa hurried up to her, wearing an apologetic expression. “Rachel, I’m sorry, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t invited you, none of this would have happened.”
“I’m just spent. I need to go home and rest.”
She flagged down a taxi shortly after.
Meanwhile, in a secluded room upstairs, blood still trickled from Tracy’s leg.
She clenched her teeth, silent, her vulnerability more apparent than ever.
“Stay here for a moment. The doctor will be here soon.”
After delivering these instructions, Brian reached for his coat. At the same time, he turned and began walking outside.
“Are you leaving?” Tracy’s voice trembled with anxiety.
Brian remained silent, his actions speaking volumes.
“You’re going to see Rachel, aren’t you?”
This time, Brian nodded firmly. “She’s hurt. I need to check on her.” Tracy bit her lip, her eyes filling with vulnerability. “But I… I’m hurt too. My leg is bleeding, and there might be glass shards in my skin. You always used to stay by my side when I was hurt. You never left me alone.”
Brian’s demeanor remained impassive. “Tracy, things are different now. I’ve called Ronald; he’ll be here to stay with you.”
Tracy’s eyes pleaded with him. “But I don’t want him. I want you to stay with me.”
She limped towards Brian and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation.
“Brian, don’t you see? I’ve always loved you, only you. Stay with me just a little longer. Until the doctor has treated my wounds, then you can go to Rachel. I know you’re worried about her. Just half an hour, that’s all I ask. It won’t take long.”
Chapter 208 Applying Ointment
Tracy pressed her face against Brian’s back.
His hand reached back, trying to disentangle her arms.
Yet suddenly, he felt a warmth spreading through his shirt.
Tracy didn’t say a word. She just cried silently, her tears seeping into his clothes. Her tears were a wordless
plea.
For a moment, he wavered, his resolve softening.
But the image of Rachel doused with hot water haunted him. Her defiance always left him anxious.
Had she sought medical help? Had she properly tended to her injuries? These concerns gnawed at him, driving him nearly mad.
“I’m sorry, Tracy.”
Brian gently but firmly loosened
Tracy crumpled to the floor, he “er grip and left decisively.
silent sobs turning to muted thumps as her fists hit the floor.
“Why? Why is it this way? What does Rachel possess that I don’t, making you forsake me for her?”
Her clenched fists trembled with mounting bitterness.
By the time Rachel reached home, night had already enveloped the city in darkness.
The burn on her chest was still fiercely painful.
Recalling that she had some burn ointment stashed away, she decided against a trip to the pharmacy.
Upon her arrival, she found Jeffrey already in the arms of slumber, so she tread softly, cautious not to disturb his rest.
In her bedroom, she gingerly sat on the edge of the bed and carefully peeled off her outer garments, switching to a camisole.
Relieved from the harsh friction of fabric against her burned skin, the pain subsided somewhat.
Yet, despite her thorough search through the living room and bedroom, the ointment was nowhere to be found.
Left with no alternative, she phoned the pharmacy in the neighborhood, requesting a delivery.
About ten minutes later, the doorbell chimed.
Without a second thought, Rachel swung the door open, only to find Brian on her doorstep.
Instinctively, she attempted to shut the door, but his keen eyes had already glimpsed the severe burn on her
chest.
“How did it get so severe?” he asked, noting the alarming swelling and raw, bloody patches,
“What did you expect?”
Chapter 208 Applying Ointment
“I… I thought…” Brian’s words faltered, caught in his throat, leaving his thoughts unspoken.
Without waiting for an invitation, he grasped her hand and guided her into the living room. “Let me apply the
ointment.”
“There’s no need. I can manage.”
“This isn’t the time for stubbornness.”
“I’m not being stubborn.”
“Please let me assist. If you’re really upset with me, you can take it out on me once your wounds are cared for.”
His tone carried a rare softness. Yet, Rachel was still reluctant to let him touch her.
Suddenly, she found herself swept off her feet.
“Put me down!” Rachel exclaimed, startled.
“If I’m not mistaken, Jeffrey is asleep. You don’t want to wake him up, right?” Brian remarked slyly, using Jeffrey as leverage.
In a flash, he had pushed open the bedroom door and quickly shut it behind them.
Once inside, Brian pulled her onto his lap and held her close.
“Let me go!” Rachel protested, continuing to resist.
Brian remained silent, instead, he opened the ointment and began applying it to his fingertips.
He carefully massaged it open, then gently dabbed it onto her wounded skin. Instantly, a cooling sensation spread across the burn, easing the pain significantly.
However, when he reached the most grievously injured areas, Rachel flinched.
“Does it hurt?” Brian inquired.
Abandoning any pretense, Rachel whispered, “It hurts a lot.”
Knowing her aversion to pain, he advised, “Then look at me.”
“Why should I? You’re not a doctor. Looking at you won’t lessen the pain…”
Her protest was cut short as he kissed her, leaving her mind momentarily blank.
When she came to her senses, she struggled, but his embrace was firm, his kiss so deep it seemed he wished to consume her entirely.
In her indignation, she momentarily forgot the sting of her burns.
Only after he had finished applying the ointment did he release her lips.
By then, the skin of her lips had split from her biting, and blood trickled down in thin streams.
Rachel had bitten them.
“You’re ruthless,” Brian teased with a smile.
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Chapter 208 Applying Ointment
“You provoked me…”
He interjected, “I’ve finished with the ointment. Does it still hurt?”
Rachel glanced down; the burns indeed appeared well treated.
So, he had kissed her to divert her from the pain?
“Tracy fell. I know you didn’t push her. Why didn’t you explain to me?” Brian suddenly asked.
