Chapter 76

She stopped about a meter from the bed and said with genuine concern, “Mr. Archer, how’s your injury?” She used formal language, clearly showing her respect for the man who had saved her life. But he didn’t even look at her. Claire froze on the spot. There was nothing she could do except wait for him to speak. Julian was reading, his eyes lowered. From the moment she knocked to now, standing at his bedside, he hadn’t lifted his gaze once. About a minute passed. His fair, slender fingers casually turned a page with grace. “Miss Richards, don’t you think your concern came a bit too late?” His voice was cool and distant, drifting through the quiet room. Claire's awkward smile stiffened even more. This wasn’t going well. She reacted quickly, explaining, “I actually wanted to visit earlier, but so many people were at the hospital. I didn’t want to cause unnecessary gossip, so I figured I’d wait till you got home.” “Gossip?” Julian finally looked up, his eyes sharp and deep. “What makes you