Chapter 154- in danger
After several rounds, Charles clearly had the upper hand, though Manfred fought fiercely. Soon, both men’s handsome faces were marked with bruises and cuts. Janet’s heart pounded with anxiety; unable to see, she dared not move recklessly, fearful that any sudden movement might harm the baby — and then everything would be lost.
Finally, the two stopped fighting — whether it was Janet’s voice that made them pause, or simply exhaustion, no one knew. Charles loosened the buttons on his suit jacket, wiping the blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Rolling up the sleeves of his black shirt beneath, he looked far from the composed man he usually was.
Seeing this, Manfred caught Charles’s arm and signaled with his eyes for him to leave. Charles nodded in acknowledgment, then slowly approached Janet, whose gaze was distant and vacant. Tenderly, he helped her button up the coat he had undone earlier.
In the quiet between her rapid breaths, his cool lips brushed against her forehead, then fell to rest on her closed eyelids. His eyes darkened, fingers gliding softly over her pale skin as a choked whisper escaped him, "Wait for me here."
"Where are you going? Charles? What are you going to do?" Janet tried to grab hold of him, but he had already released her. Some matters could not be settled with words; they had to be resolved as men.
"Manfred?" Janet’s worry resurfaced, sensing the unspoken tension between the two men. They had just fought, and now both bore injuries. She called Manfred’s name anxiously, desperate to stop further conflict, but powerless to act. Her frustration boiled — why, at this critical moment, was she blind to everything?
"It’s alright, Janet. Stay here. I’ll be back soon." Manfred wiped blood from his face carelessly, hands thrust into his pockets, and followed Charles a few steps forward toward a vast grassy hill on the far side of the resort. Their eyes locked onto Janet’s fragile form standing some distance away.
Janet resembled a lily wilting in the wind — elegant yet delicate, stubborn in her frailty, inspiring both pity and a fierce desire to protect. At this moment, the man by her side was exactly who she needed most.
Manfred stared at her for a long moment, his eyes burning with an ache so deep it made them sting. Then he turned and delivered a heavy punch to Charles’s chest. This time, Charles didn’t dodge — he knew the blow was deserved.
"Now, can you tell me?" Charles leaned back slightly, took a few steps, then steadied himself. The cuts on his lips and cheeks barely affected his spirit, but his heart ached with guilt and sorrow. She had been by his side all along, and he hadn’t even known she was ill.