The man reached for his phone, and the moment he saw the name on the screen, a sweet smile appeared on his face.
Without a second thought, he pulled the car over to the side of the road and focused on replying to Serena's message.
Only after finishing his reply did he restart the car and continue driving toward the hospital.
Dara felt both curious and relieved.
From the way he acted, it was obvious he truly loved and cared for his wife. Otherwise, why would he stop the car midway just to answer a text?
She wondered what kind of amazing woman was lucky enough to be with him.
Back at the Carter residence, it had been clear that he wasn't interested in Miss Carter. So, she could safely assume his 'wife' wasn't Karina!
She felt thankful. With Karina's character, she didn't deserve this kind-hearted young master.
Thankfully, his heart already belonged to someone else, so Miss Carter hadn't gotten her chance.
As her thoughts wandered, the car drove into the hospital grounds.
After parking, Xavier tilted his head toward her. "Can you still walk?"
"I can!" Dara nodded, surprised and flattered.
"Good," he said simply and got out of the car.
Inside the hospital, he walked ahead while she followed behind.
On the way to the surgery department, Dara couldn't help but look around curiously.
So this was what a big city hospital looked like. It was so much better than the health clinic in her town.
If only her father had a chance to get treatment in a place like this-maybe he'd recover faster?
They arrived outside the treatment room, and Xavier registered her and paid the fees. Before long, a nurse called out, "Dara Smith? Dara Smith?!"
"Here! I'm here!" Dara raised her hand like a schoolgirl being called on by a teacher.
The nurse chuckled. "Put your hand down. Come in with me to treat your wounds."
"Oh, okay!"
Dara glanced at Xavier, who was seated nearby, eyes fixed on his phone. "Sir, I'm going in now."
"Yeah, go ahead."
The man had a smile on his lips, clearly in a good mood as he stared at his screen.
Dara figured he was probably messaging that 'wife' of his.
Inside, the nurse shut the door behind them. "Lie down on the bed over there. I'll disinfect your wounds first."
Dara nodded and walked over to the exam bed by the wall.
As she lay down, the nurse casually asked, "So, the man who came with you-he's your brother?"
"Huh? He..." She bit her lip, thought for a moment, then replied, "I guess... you could say that."
The nurse smiled and was gentler with her touch, as if afraid of causing pain. "Wow, your brother is so handsome. Does he... have a girlfriend?"
"He does!" Dara answered firmly, thinking of how Xavier had acted. "He loves his wife very much."
A flicker of disappointment passed through the nurse's eyes, and she replied with a simple "Oh," saying nothing more.
Once the treatment and bandaging were done, the nurse opened the door. "Okay, you're free to go."
This time, her tone was noticeably cooler than before.
Dara didn't mind. She simply bowed her head politely. "Thank you, nurse."
Seeing her genuine expression, the nurse seemed slightly embarrassed and waved her hand. "Be careful. Don't get your wounds wet for the next seven days."
Dara's eyes dimmed as she softly replied, "Got it."
But deep down, she thought, Seven days without water? Impossible.
Karina wouldn't let her rest even a day.
If anything, seeing her injured might make her purposely assign her laundry or pool-cleaning duties.
Xavier had also heard the nurse's warning.
He stood from his seat and walked over. "All done?"
"Yes," Dara nodded.
"Here, this is for you."
She looked down at the package in his hands and asked in confusion, "Sir, what is this?"
"Antibiotics, fever meds, painkillers, some basics-cold medicine, band-aids, things like that."
"No, no, I can't take that!" Dara waved her hands in panic. "You've already spent so much on me. I can't accept your medicine too. Please tell me how much the hospital visit cost-I'll pay you back!"
"What nonsense," Xavier shrugged casually. "If I went around collecting this kind of money, my reputation as a gentleman would be ruined."
"Just take it. These meds are cheap. And if you don't take them and your wounds get infected, then this whole hospital visit will have been for nothing."
After some hesitation, Dara finally took the package.
She bowed deeply. "Sir, I'll never forget your kindness. If you ever need anything from me in the future, I'll do whatever it takes to repay you!"
"No need to be so formal."
He gave her a once-over and teased, "You barely weigh anything-couldn't even sell you for much. Better take care of yourself. At least then I'll feel my effort wasn't wasted."
Dara smiled awkwardly. "I... I'll try my best!"
With a squint of his eyes, he asked, "The nurse said not to get your wounds wet for seven days. Think Karina will let you rest for that long?"
"..." Dara didn't respond.
He thought for a moment, then said seriously, "If I'm going to help, I might as well see it through."
"Help... again?" Dara looked at him in surprise, not quite understanding what he meant.
Casually, he explained, "I'll make sure Karina stays out of the house for the next few days, so you can rest properly. Take care of yourself and heal up."
Dara nearly dropped to her knees in gratitude.
She truly felt like she'd won the lottery-meeting a living deity.
With teary eyes, she looked up at the tall figure before her and choked out, "Sir, you've been so kind to me. I really don't know how to repay you..."
His eyes darkened slightly, and this time, he didn't deflect. Instead, he lazily replied, "No rush. Once you're healed, maybe I will have something you can help with."
***