Chapter 5 Why Are You So Afraid

Callan's eyes fixed on the severe burn on Lacey's wrist, and his breathing grew heavy.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

Without answering, Lacey tried to pull her hand away, but Callan's grip tightened.

With a stern look, Callan led Lacey to the sofa and made her sit down. Despite his serious expression, his shaking fingers betrayed his worry and panic.

"You should tell me when you're injured. You're not a child!" he reprimanded, frowning, and quickly signaled his assistant outside the office to bring first aid supplies.

Hearing Callan's mix of concern and reproach, Lacey felt tears welling up.

Shortly after, the assistant arrived with a medical kit.

Callan retrieved some burn ointment and sat next to Lacey.

Not wanting to trouble Callan, Lacey attempted to shift away, but he ordered coldly, "Stay still!"

He then took her hand firmly and gently applied ointment to her burn.

As he tenderly applied the ointment, he was careful not to cause her more pain. He leaned in close from time to time, blowing softly on her wrist to ease the sting.

Lacey remained quiet, her eyes fixed on Callan.

His caring demeanor left her feeling unsettled.

She yearned for Callan's gentle touch, yet feared it might weaken her resolve to go through with the divorce.

This inner turmoil caused her great distress.

Lacey withdrew her wrist that Callan was tending to and looked down, saying dejectedly, "We should keep our distance, to avoid any wrong impressions."

Callan's expression darkened instantly at the words "keep our distance."

Was she afraid of being seen and misunderstood by someone? But who? Christopher?

He gazed intently at Lacey and questioned in a cold voice, "Are you that worried about people finding out about us?"

How could he say something like that? Lacey found his question almost amusing. Wasn't he the one concerned about their marriage being exposed? Wasn't he the one pushing for a divorce? Why did he sound like she was the one backing out of their marriage?

Callan interpreted Lacey's silence as yes to his question, his expression growing more stern.

He stood up abruptly, pushing Lacey onto the couch, his handsome face close to hers.

His sudden move left her startled.

Seeing his flushed face and the prominent veins on his hands, Lacey furrowed her brows, puzzled by his anger.

"Lacey, why does it bother you so much if people know about our relationship?" Callan questioned in a low tone, his voice strained.

Feeling cornered, Lacey bit her lip in frustration. She found Callan's attitude unreasonable. She pushed against his shoulder, reluctant to respond to his question.

Just then, Lacey's phone suddenly rang. She pushed Callan aside and took the call.

"Director? Understood. Alright. I'm on my way."

After a brief phone conversation with the director, Lacey stood up to leave.

"Thanks for taking care of my burn. I need to get back to work." After expressing her thanks, Lacey turned around and was about to leave, but she was stopped by Callan's grasp.

The phone conversation seemed to add urgency to Callan's already troubled expression. "You shouldn't continue working here. I..."

A sharp pain hit Lacey's heart. She cut him off before he could finish. "What do you mean? Are you saying I should quit?"

She assumed he wanted her out of the way, possibly for Sylvia's sake.

Callan was momentarily taken aback. He had intended to transfer Lacey to the headquarters. What was going through her head?

Before he could clarify, Lacey continued, "Don't worry. I'll hand in my resignation and leave the company soon."