Julian swept a cold glance at everyone.
“If I find out anyone dares to hurt her again, I will repay it a hundredfold!” He took the unsettled Aurora aside and gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The red bloodstains on her face pained his heart deeply.
“Aurora, why did you stand there and let them hit you?”
“It was my fault to begin with, I dragged Hayden into this. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have ended up like this,” Aurora lowered her head, the night’s events overwhelming her, from the eerie old woman to Hayden getting hurt.
Julian, somewhat helplessly, pulled her into his arms.
“Silly girl, it was clearly the Alvarez family’s fault, yet here you are, taking all the blame upon yourself.”
Aurora remained silent, feeling that who was right or wrong didn’t really matter; what was important was that Hayden must be alright.
The emergency room doors swung open, and a nurse wheeled out Hayden.
“Doctor, how is Hayden?”
“He was brought in just in time. We stitched up over twenty cuts, thankfully none to the bone,” the doctor removed his mask.
“Will this hand be affected in the future?” Mary asked anxiously.
“The wound is deep, and there will definitely be some impact. He can’t exert too much force, but given his status, that won’t be much of an issue,” the doctor earnestly replied.
Hayden, pale from blood loss, appeared frail, his once pristine white shirt now drenched in blood.
“Hayden, how do you feel? Is it very painful?” Susan quickly squeezed to his side. Hayden scanned the surrounding people but did not see Aurora.
“Aurora…”
As soon as he spoke her name, Susan’s expression changed, and Aurora quickly emerged from Julian’s embrace, rushing to Hayden’s side.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine, and you?” Hayden had also been keeping an eye on the situation outside, having seen Susan and Mary slap Aurora.
“Yeah.”
“Come here, let me see your face,” Hayden beckoned, his weakness making it impossible for Aurora to refuse, and she slowly squatted beside him.
Hayden reached out his other hand towards her cheek, but before he could touch her, Julian grabbed his hand.
“She’s fine, you need to rest.”
Their gazes sparked in the air.
“The patient is very weak, get him to a room to rest,” Julian spoke, urging someone to quickly take Hayden away, lest he cause more trouble.
The nurse hurriedly pushed him to the ward. The Alvarez family, witnessing the scene, understood what had happened. Since Hayden had seen Susan hitting Aurora, he must have also seen Julian punch Susan. As Susan’s husband, he showed no concern for her, instead showing much more for Aurora. It seemed that after all these years, he still couldn’t let go of Aurora, the woman he loved, while Susan, ignored and constrained by the presence of others, dared not react.
Once everyone had left, Julian finally spoke, “Now you can rest assured, right? He’s not in serious danger.”
“Yeah, but the doctor said he shouldn’t use much force with that hand in the future, although it’s not completely disabled, it’s almost there,” Aurora still felt some regret. Every human organ is crucial, and hands are especially important. Even with his status and not typically using much force, there would still be many times in life when it’s necessary.
“This is only temporary. As long as he rests well, he will definitely recover to a normal range. I’ve always said humans are not so fragile. Let’s put this matter to rest. You shouldn’t carry this burden; it was them who attacked you first, and he came to your rescue willingly, so it has nothing to do with you.”
Julian wanted to alleviate the guilt weighing on his heart, but he still felt uneasy, as the situation had originated from her actions.
“Alright, I’ll take you home to rest properly; you haven’t slept well all night,” Julian said, noticing the brightening sky outside, aware of the fright Aurora had endured throughout the night.
“Okay, we’ll come back to see him later then,” Aurora agreed, thinking about the hostility the Alvarez family held towards her and recognizing that there were others to care for him, making her presence unnecessary. She was about to leave.
“Wait.”
Suddenly, Susan’s voice came from behind. Aurora paused, her mind much clearer now.
Aurora, who had just suffered a slap from Susan, looked at her coldly, “What is it?”
“He wants to see you,” Susan said with sadness in her eyes. As Hayden’s wife, she was pained that he desired Aurora’s company instead.
Aurora was puzzled; Julian’s worst fears were materializing, and indeed Hayden was using this situation to get closer to her.
“Aurora, he was injured because of you; let’s go see him,” Julian urged, knowing Aurora’s clear sense of right and wrong. Since Hayden now had a claim on her gratitude, she would not ignore him.
“As long as I am with her, even if Hayden tries something tricky, it won’t work, and it won’t make Aurora resent me, making her think I am petty,” Julian reasoned internally.
“Alright.”
Aurora and Hayden went to the hospital room together, where Mary handed a cloth to Aurora.
“Since his injuries are because of you, you should care for him until he recovers,” Mary stated, not fond of Aurora but resigned to her son’s preferences.
“Me? Shouldn’t Susan be the one doing this?” Aurora glanced at Susan, whose face was ashen.
“Hayden hopes you will take care of him,” Mary said reluctantly.
“My nephew was injured because of Aurora; indeed, we should take good care of him,” Julian’s magnanimity surprised everyone. This was out of character for him; when had he become so generous?
“Thank you, Uncle Julian.”
“Don’t worry; we will take good care of you until you are fully healed,” Julian emphasized ‘we’.
Hayden knew Julian intended to keep close, “Uncle Julian is busy with many matters; surely he doesn’t have the time to care for me?”
“That’s not for you to worry about. Since I’ve promised, I will take good care of you,” Julian asserted seriously.
Aurora, unaware of the tension between the two, accepted the situation, “That’s fine, since this all started because of me, let us be the ones to resolve it.”
Hayden suddenly realized Julian was an extraordinary figure, willing to set aside his work for Aurora.
People cherish different things; some prioritize their futures, but Julian was distinctly devoted to Aurora, placing her above everything else in his life.
“Alright, then I’ll start by washing him,” Julian volunteered, taking the towel from Aurora’s hands, rewetting it with hot water, and began to wash Hayden in front of the entire Alvarez family.
Previously, the two men had been at odds, so it was indeed a rare sight to see Julian tending to Hayden.
Aurora watched, stunned, as the proud man she knew willingly served his nephew for her sake. Her heart warmed by the gesture, touched deeply. Julian, accustomed to caring for Aurora in this intimate way, reluctantly imagined it was her as he closed his eyes.