Chapter 4 You Don't Need To Be This Harsh

With her injured leg dragging and no time to react, Kaelyn stood closest to the oncoming motorcycle-and took the full impact as it slammed into her, sending her crashing hard onto the ground.

Right before darkness swallowed her whole, her fading gaze caught Andrew hovering over Xenia, carefully checking her over-never once sparing Kaelyn a glance.

When Kaelyn finally came to, she found herself back in her room at Reynolds Manor.

The ornate ceiling patterns swam into focus above her, dizzying and distant.

A faint movement of her fingers sent a jolt of pain up her arm, the tight bandage around her hand pulsing with sharp, relentless throbs.

Her injured leg had already been agony, and now even her hand felt like it had been shattered beyond repair.

Soft, stifled sobs drifted through the quiet room just then. Turning her head with effort, she found Xenia nearby, teary and fragile-while Andrew remained at her side, attentive as ever.

"Dr. Hudson... this is all on me. If you hadn't been shielding me, you wouldn't have missed Kaelyn... and she never would've been struck by that motorcycle."

Reaching out, Andrew rested a steady, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "How could this possibly be your fault? Kay simply wasn't paying attention-she didn't even notice the motorcycle coming up behind her. You walked away without a scratch. That's what matters, so stop blaming yourself, alright?"

Lifting her tear-stained face, lashes fluttering with fragile hesitation, Xenia searched his eyes. "Dr. Hudson... you really don't blame me at all?"

A faint, gentle smile curved his lips. "Of course not. Now dry those tears."

Completely wrapped up in their shared concern, neither of them realized Kaelyn was already awake behind them.

Patience snapped at last, and Kaelyn let out a sharp, brittle laugh. "If you two are going to act like that, take it somewhere else. I'd really appreciate a little quiet."

Her voice cut through the room, making the two flinch. Startled, Xenia instinctively shrank against Andrew's chest, fingers clutching his sleeve before she seemed to catch herself and hurriedly stepped back.

"Kaelyn... you're awake," she murmured, cheeks blooming with embarrassed color as her hands twisted together. "I-I was just talking with Dr. Hudson because I was worried about you. Please don't get the wrong idea."

"Honestly, if you hadn't rushed to explain, I might not have thought anything of it." Disgust flickered in her eyes as Kaelyn turned her face away, her voice flattening. "Now do me a favor-get out. I don't want to keep looking at you."

Xenia pressed her teeth into her lower lip, unshed tears welling up again until her eyes turned glassy and rimmed with red, her whole posture shrinking into something fragile and pitiful. "Get some rest... I'll leave you be."

Covering her mouth as if to hold back a sob, she turned and hurried out, her steps uneven as she fled the room.

A crease formed between Andrew's brows, and he rose halfway from his seat on instinct. Yet Kaelyn's steady, unblinking gaze pinned him in place, and after a tense pause, he sank back without taking a single step.

"Kay." A restrained edge slipped into his tone as he added, "You shouldn't be directing your anger at Xenia."

Cold amusement flickered across Kaelyn's eyes as she tilted her head slightly. "Oh? Then who exactly am I supposed to aim it at-should I be taking it out on you instead? Tell me something, Andrew, let me remind you-you're my personal doctor. Your job is to look after me. Did that slip your mind?"

In truth, with Xenia by his side, he had looked almost carefree, as if every other role he carried had quietly slipped his mind.

Silence stretched between them before Andrew finally exhaled, a flicker of unease crossing his face as if he'd just realized he'd crossed a line. Lowering his voice, he said, "Xenia just happened to be closest. I reacted without thinking. Kay... are you seriously this upset over something so minor?"

Nothing about his response surprised Kaelyn. Of course he would fall back on the same worn excuses, using Xenia as a shield while brushing her aside.

Refusing to listen to another hollow explanation, she shut her eyes, her voice turning sharp and icy. "I need to rest. You can go."

A hesitant note crept into his tone as he called out, "Kay..."

"Get out."

Silence settled for a brief beat before the faint sound of retreating footsteps echoed down the hall, growing softer with each step.

Only after he was gone did Kaelyn release the breath she'd been holding, her chest loosening as a quiet sense of relief crept in.

Rarely had she ever snapped at Andrew like that, but today's outburst felt necessary-something sharp enough to force him to actually think about what he'd done.

Over the next few days, while she recovered, Andrew seemed to return to his role, staying home and tending to Kaelyn with deliberate care.

Despite his efforts, Kaelyn remained distant, her expression cool and unreadable; nothing he said or did stirred even the slightest ripple from her.

"Kay..." A flicker of helplessness surfaced in Andrew's eyes, softening his expression. "What do I have to do for you to forgive me? Just say the word, alright?"

In truth, had Kaelyn not already seen through him, those gentle, carefully chosen words might have shaken her resolve.

Yet once her heart turned, it turned completely-just as quickly as she had fallen for him, she had learned to feel nothing at all.

Now, when her gaze settled on Andrew, it carried the distant chill of someone watching a fool put on a show.

A bitter clarity settled in her chest, making her feel as though the two of them were nothing more than a pathetic spectacle.

Fixing her gaze on that all-too-familiar face, Kaelyn kept her voice level as she said, "I've been stuck eating bland food these past few days, and it's driving me crazy. I've been craving a proper steak from that place on the south side of town. Go get it for me, and I'll let this go."

That place was known all over Esterford for its steaks, and even with a booking, they'd only keep your order for an hour.

Considering their current place sat more than an hour's drive away, the timing had to be nearly perfect to make it work.

At her request, a faint shadow crossed Andrew's face, his expression tightening for just a second. Still, after that brief hesitation, he said nothing to object.

"Alright, just wait here for me."

After slipping into his coat, he headed out, and Kaelyn promptly summoned the family's cook, telling her to push dinner back by an hour.

There was a brief pause before the cook replied uncertainly, "But Dr. Hudson said earlier... we wouldn't need to prepare dinner tonight."

She said softly, "Go ahead and make it like I asked. Thank you."

Deep down, she already knew better. Something told her that steak was never going to make it onto her plate tonight.

As expected, time dragged on, the minutes stretching into two full hours-yet Andrew still hadn't come back.

When a maid came upstairs to help Kaelyn downstairs for dinner, she muttered softly, "Your father is away on business, but your sister usually comes home to eat. Why hasn't she come back tonight?"

A faint, knowing smile touched Kaelyn's lips.

Because Andrew had taken Xenia out for steak, obviously.

That place was hard to get into, and he would never pass up a chance to indulge the woman he truly cared about.

Kaelyn hardly ever stayed at Reynolds Manor, and even though the maid knew the two sisters were on bad terms, she had no idea just how bitter things had become. More than once that evening, she asked whether Kaelyn wanted her to call Xenia.

Each time, Kaelyn simply told her not to bother. There was nothing to worry about.

After all, Andrew was already by Xenia's side.

By eight o'clock, the sound of tires rolling into the driveway finally drifted in from outside.

Xenia and Andrew walked in shoulder to shoulder, but the easy laughter on their faces disappeared the second they spotted Kaelyn sitting on the sofa.

Xenia murmured quietly, "Kaelyn..."

Without saying a word, Kaelyn looked at the two of them with a faint, icy smile curling at her lips.

Caught off guard, Xenia stood there helplessly for a second before finally setting the takeout bag on the table. "This is the steak Dr. Hudson brought back for you. We stopped by a restaurant nearby and had it reheated. You should eat it while it's still warm."

Not once did Kaelyn spare the bag a glance. Instead, she looked at Xenia with sharp, deliberate interest. "Then why was the steak he bought for me in your hands?"

Her eyes moved slowly between the two of them, the mockery in them almost impossible to hide. "And you reheated it together at a nearby restaurant? The two of you?"

"I..." Xenia twisted her fingers together, flustered and unable to come up with an answer.

A trace of concern crossed Andrew's face as he looked at Xenia, but when he turned back to Kaelyn, his features had already gone cool and distant. "Kay, Xenia's heart had been acting up, so I took her to get checked out first. I didn't have the chance to tell you. I can apologize for that, but you don't need to be this harsh."