Aria could voo his face every time she lowered her eyes, and she knew he was angry on her behall.
Finally, Deen dug the bullet out.
He stitched the wound, stopped the bleeding, and started to wrap
Bat she was still wearing the blood soaked T-shirt. It would only get in the way of cleaning and bandaging.
After a beat, Aria said quietly, “Just tut the shirt off. I’ll need to change anyway.”
When Aria said it, her expression barely shifted her tone so calm and matter of fact, it was like she was talking about something as ordinary as pouring a glass of water.
Owen glanced up, catching that chill steadiness in her eyes. In that moment, she was like an untouchable queen, utterly composed and unbothered by the chaos around her.
No matter how many admirers flocked nearby, she remained unmoved, untouched, simply because she didn’t care.
But Owen had no time for such thoughts. All he could see was Aria’s wound.
He picked up the scissors and said quietly. “Let me cut away the fabric on your shoulder so I can wrap this up.”
“Alright,” Aria
replied.
Her shoulder was soaked in blood, sticky and uncomfortable.
She hesitated, then looked at Owen and asked, almost testing, “Could I wash up a little first?”
Owen didn’t even glance at her. “No.”
“What about just a wipe–down?” she pushed,
He stayed silent until he’d finished cutting away the shirt, then finally said, “Fine,” and stood up.
Aria’s lips curled in a faint smile. “There are clean towels under the bathroom sink, and the green basin is clean too.”
Without hesitation, Owen headed straight for the bathroom.
Watching his hurried back, Aria felt an unexpected warmth bloom in her chest.
Back in the Solemnity Guild, there was nothing but rivalry and isolation.
She’d always tended her own wounds.
But tonight, someone actually cared enough to help. If Vanessa or Chloe were here, they’d worry about her too, but that would just be friendship.
With Owen, though… after yesterday, she knew what he felt for her. It wasn’t just friendship
That knowledge made her feelings complicated
Owen returned quickly with hot water, setting it on the floor and wringing out a towel before sitting in front of her. “I’ll be as gue as I can. If it hurts, tell me, alright?”
Aria nodded. “Okay”
Chapter 395
Owen confully wiped the blood from her skin.
As the fabric was cut away, a bloodstained bra came into view
He kept his eyes oed on her shoulder, pointedly not looking anywhere else.
Then he hesitated an If wanting to say something. “You…”
Ana glanced up, puzzled. “What is it?”
He remembered that Vanessa was probably nearby, so he swallowed whatever he was about to say “Nothing”
Aria looked down, noticing her bra was a mess, and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Pelax, can change the rest myself”
Owen didn’t reply, just focused on gently cleaning her shoulder, his face lening with embarrassment.
He kept his head down, refusing to meet her gaze.
Worried he’d tug on the wound, he wiped so slowly, so delicately, his hand practically trembling
But even with his head bowed, Aria could still see the flush burning in his cheeks.
She looked away, a tiny smile playing on her lips. For a guy in his twenties, Owen’s kind of endearingly shy!
Once the blood was cleaned off, Owen grabbed a fresh roll of sterile gauze. Till start bandaging now
“Go ahead.”
He knelt on one knee on the sofa for easier access, and as he wrapped the gauze around her shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the mass of scars stretching across her back.
He knew the story–how a seven year–old girl had nearly died in a fire, the insurance scam, her narrow escape.
But he’d never realized how severe her injuries had been.
Seeing the scars now, he wondered how she’d survived it at all.
The ache in his chest was almost physical.
Suddenly, Aria felt something warm land on her shoulder. She looked up instinctively, then realized that Owen was crying.
Snapping out of it, Owen continued to wrap her arm, careful and gentle.
The steady rhythm of his hands pulled Aria out of her thoughts.
When he finished, Owen wiped at the corner of his eye, trying to hide the evidence. “All done.”
“Thanks,” Aria said quietly
She glanced down at herself, with her tattered clothes, she looked like a beggar.
Standing up, she said, “I’m going to change.”
Owen nodded. “I’ll wait here. If you need help,
He caught himself, suddenly realizing what be’d almost offered
Aria tilted her head at him, a teasing glint in her eyes. “If I need help, then what?”
09:52 FM, 20 Jun
Chapter 395
She locked pale from blood loss, but her smile was dazzling
Is she flirting with me? Owen wondered, a shock of hope flickering in his eyes
Aria was never the type to flirt not with fiends, not like this,
But before he could respond, Arla was already walking away, throwing back over her shoulder, “Thanks for tonight Tran handle i
ilt ineant he could ge
The ruined shirt barely clung to her, and as she left, most of her back was exposed to the air.
Owen looked once, then quickly averted his eyes.
He listened for the door to click shut behind her. That final
left a flatter of hope in his heart–then dashed it
Owen didn’t leave. He ordered food and started cleaning up the mess on the floor.
Meanwhile, Aria stood in front of the vanity mirror, taking in her own battered reflection, Owen’s hands still vivid in her mind.
She hadn’t noticed it before, but now it struck her–just how messy everything was, and how exposed she’d been
Glancing
ng down, she caught sight of the awkward bulge at her chest. “Wait, did Owen see that?‘
She shook her head–between tending her wounds and his embarrassment, he hadn’t noticed a thing, other than her scars.
She looked up and watched as her cheeks flushed in the mirror.
With a deep breath, she peeled off the shredded shirt, pulled out a padded sleep top,
Unhooking was easy, but fastening a bra with one hand was impossible.
She’d have to be careful for a while–not to pull at the wound.
Once dressed, she popped two painkillers, then stepped out.
ing on the couch. At the sound of the door, he looked up
Owen was sitting on
and struggled to pull it on one–handed.
Aria’s face immediately warmed, but she tried to keep her voice steady, “You’re still here!”
Owen nodded. “You need to eat.”
She blinked, puzzled, then realized that he meant she needed to replenish her blood. “I took some medicine,” she said.
“Lordered food,”
“Owen replied. “I’ll leave after you eat.
He’d lived in Kanit City long enough to know where to get real food, the kind that helps you heal. He’d picked the best dishes for her
Aria was suddenly aware of how hungry she was, so the just sat across from him on the couch.
The moment she glanced up and met his eyes, her heart did a little flip.
Just then, a thought struck her. “What was that warm drop that landed on my shoulder earlier?‘
Chapter 396
