He clearly hadn’t expected me to show up. I noticed the laptop in the living room still had an active video conference, with someone speaking on the screen.
Chase glanced at it, then at me, and gave me an apologetic look. After muttering a few words to the participants, he quickly ended the meeting.
"Emma, you’re hurt?" His voice was laced with concern as he helped me sit down and gently examined my arm.
His fingertips brushed against my skin, and I felt an electric-like sensation spread through my body.
"How could you be so careless?" he said, his tone warm, filled with both reproach and care.
I shook my head, not wanting to bring up Jason and Ava again. Those painful images would only make me even more upset.
"I’m hungry," I said, changing the subject.
Chase didn’t ask anything more. He simply walked into the kitchen, grabbed a few ingredients, and started cooking. I sat on the couch, quietly watching him move about.
Compared to the fake affection from Jason and Ava, Chase’s presence felt so much more genuine.
At that moment, everything became incredibly clear to me.
The smell of food wafted through the air, and I looked up to see Chase bringing a steaming bowl of chicken soup.