Chapter 244 - 243: Irene is in Trouble (3)
When Sophie Smith saw Asher Land, he was leaning against the white corridor outside the hospital room, lighting a cigarette.
He looked somewhat exhausted.
"Irene, is she okay?" Sophie softly stepped forward and stood in front of him.
"She’s out of danger, but she’s still unconscious for now." Asher Land exhaled a puff of smoke. Sophie frowned slightly in displeasure, reached out to take the cigarette from his hand, extinguished it, and threw it in the trash can.
Asher’s gaze shifted slightly, but he said nothing, permitting her to defy him in front of him in any way she pleased.
Sophie found herself at a loss for words with Asher, sensing his mood was quite low.
"You’ve been looking after Irene all night; you must be tired too. Why don’t you go back and rest well? I’m here, so it’s okay." Sophie suggested.
"No need." Taking care of someone in the hospital is indeed exhausting, and he didn’t want to let her get worn out.
The two sat side by side on a long bench in the corridor, with Sophie wisely maintaining silence.
"I really didn’t expect anything like this happening to Irene; otherwise, I would have definitely sent her to the airport." Asher’s voice was slightly hoarse.
"Irene must be very important to you, isn’t she?" Sophie turned her head to gaze intently at his handsome profile. "Only sometimes I don’t understand why, even though Irene is so important to you, you..."
That last sentence went unsaid; she actually wanted to ask why, if Irene was that important to him, did he insist on keeping her by his side?
Asher waited a long time but never heard her finish her thought, so he began to express himself freely.
"I just see Irene as my sister, not as my woman. You and her are different concepts, you know?" Asher seemed to have read her mind, "So, don’t misunderstand me."
Sophie felt momentarily lost, but she quickly collected herself.
"Oh." She merely responded lightly.
"Aren’t you even a bit curious about the past between Irene and me?"
For some reason, he felt a slight sense of defeat, as ever since Irene had moved into the Land Family, Sophie hadn’t asked anything about it. He was, after all, her man now, and deep down, he hoped she might show a tinge of jealousy, perhaps to prove that she actually had him in her heart too.
"If you don’t want to talk about it, then why should I ask?"
She knew well what she was to him; she didn’t want to cross boundaries and interfere in his personal life.
He chuckled lightly, a hint of helplessness at the corner of his mouth.
"Before I returned to Eastern City, I was always working under my father. My father was notorious for his ruthlessness and cruelty. I remember when I was fifteen, I accidentally angered my father, and he ordered someone to bring a whip, saying he was going to teach me a harsh lesson..."
Asher Land’s thoughts seemed to drift back to a long time ago, unwilling to touch that memory, and it was apparent his expression was somewhat restrained.
Sophie didn’t interrupt him, just sat quietly beside him, listening attentively.
"At that time, naturally, I didn’t dare to resist, and ended up taking many lashes from him, my body was all bloody and mangled, but the old man still wouldn’t let me go."
Sophie never thought Asher Land would have such a side; this greatly surprised her.
"By chance, that day, Irene’s father brought her to the Land Family to play, and she stumbled upon this scene. Do you know what happened after?" Asher’s beautiful eyes looked directly at her, and Sophie shook her head.
"No matter what, she threw herself over me, taking two solid lashes for me. She must have been only eight years old then..."