Chapter 1036:
âSeems sheâs been keeping quite the secret,â he remarked casually.
Harlee raised her sole working hand, rubbing the back of her neck, which inexplicably felt crushed, despite her injury being in her arm.
âDoes your neck hurt? Iâll call the doctor!â Rhys offered immediately, his tone filled with concern.
âNo need. I just want to sit for a bit,â Harlee replied evenly. She didnât bother asking why he didnât call Tonya over since she knew that the moment Rhys left, Tonya would show up.
âAlright, lie down and rest. Iâll handle some matters and let Tonya take over,â Rhys said, brushing his hand lightly over her head and ruffling her hair. Suddenly, he bent down, his face inches away from hers.
âI havenât told anyone about your injury, but if you try something reckless like that again, Iâll make sure everyone you care about knows and worries themselves sick!â
Before Harlee could respond, Rhys planted a brief kiss on her forehead, stepped back, and left without looking back.
Harleeâs fingers brushed the spot heâd kissed, leaving her momentarily speechless but strangely unbothered. Tell everyone she cared about? He really knew her soft spot. Once the door closed behind Rhys, Harlee slumped onto her pillow, weak but determined to stay partially upright, her gaze fixed on the door. The ache had already drenched her in sweat, but she stubbornly held her position until the door creaked open again.
As expected, Tonya entered, though her expression seemed off.
âHarlee,â Tonya murmured, her voice trembling as she hurried to the bedside.
Her reddened, swollen eyes betrayed how much sheâd been crying.
Harlee wondered whether Tonya had been this distraught the entire week.
Tonya grasped Harleeâs hand, tears brimming in her eyes.
âHarlee, youâre finally awake!â Tonya exclaimed, tears spilling over as she took in Harleeâs pale face.
âI was terrified you wouldnât wake upâ¦â
With a faint smile, Harlee lightly patted Tonyaâs head.
âSilly girl, arenât you a doctor? You shouldâve known better than anyone that Iâd recover.â
Tonya, however, inwardly dismissed the thought. If she truly knew better, Bart wouldnât be stuck in a coma, and Ritchie wouldnât have lost the use of his legs. Of course, she didnât dare voice those regrets.
Harlee had just woken up and needed peace to heal.
âEven as a doctor, I was scared out of my mind! Youâre my only friend, Harlee. No amount of skill guarantees success,â Tonya said softly, sitting at the bedside and wiping her tears. She was visibly worn out.
âBut Iâm awake now,â Harlee replied softly, noticing the exhaustion etched on Tonyaâs face.
âHave you been skipping sleep this whole time?â
âHow could I sleep when I was so worried?â
âThen rest here with me,â Harlee suggested, shifting despite the discomfort to make room on the bed. She signaled for Tonya to lie beside her.
After hesitating briefly, Tonya slipped off her shoes and carefully lay down beside Harlee, ensuring she didnât disturb Harleeâs injured arm.
To avoid lingering on topics that might lead back to Ritchie, Tonya awkwardly brought up Rhys instead.
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