Chapter 237 The Girl Who Wouldn’t Eat Bread

Chapter 237: Chapter 237 The Girl Who Wouldn’t Eat Bread

After Alpha Killian and the others left, the hospital room grew quiet.

Only Eira and Miss Gwen remained with Sam. Some color had returned to his face, and his breathing was steadier.

He had not only whispered "Sis." He had also opened his eyes and called for Miss Gwen.

Miss Gwen took Sam’s hand and gently patted it.

"Sam, sweetheart, the worst is behind you now. From here on out, it’s clear skies. I promise."

Eira pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.

"You’ve been here almost a week," Miss Gwen said softly. "Shouldn’t you be heading home soon? I’m sure your team is waiting on you."

Eira had not exactly been resting. Even from the hospital, she had answered a steady stream of emails and joined several video meetings.

But there were limits to what she could handle from a hospital chair. Classified files could not be sent through ordinary email, and some of her research team’s problems required her to be there in person.

She needed to go back.

"The day after tomorrow," Eira said.

She turned toward Sam and spoke slowly, making sure he understood.

"Your sister has to go back to work for a little while. But I’ll fly back every weekend to see you. Miss Gwen will stay with you, and Dr. Wood will keep checking on you. You’re going to get better. I promise."

Sam gave a quiet, obedient nod.

At the mention of Dr. Wood, Miss Gwen raised her eyebrows. She knew the doctor was one of Alpha Killian’s people.

"So you and Killian are really just friends?"

Eira stayed quiet for a moment.

"Honestly, ...friends’ probably isn’t the right word," she admitted. "I’m his client."

Miss Gwen blinked.

"So you started as business partners, then became friends?"

Eira did not deny it, but she felt the need to clarify.

"What I’m saying is that the contractor is helping the client eliminate distractions so she can focus on the project."

Miss Gwen stared at her.

Then she smiled.

It was the kind of smile that said, Sure, honey. And I was born yesterday.

Eira pressed her lips together and changed the subject.

"Is Lainey still at the Omega Home?"

"Gone," Miss Gwen said. "The minute you all left, she got a call from her family. She said there was an emergency and caught a flight back."

Eira frowned.

"Did she say what happened?"

"No. Just that she had to leave right away."

Something about Lainey had never felt right.

"While she was staying at the Home," Eira asked, "did she do anything unusual? Besides asking about the Home’s history and its notable alumni?"

Miss Gwen thought for a moment.

"She refused most of the food," she said. "Wouldn’t touch anything spicy and barely ate the local dishes. Every day, she ordered a car into town for bread and bottled water. She said she couldn’t stomach anything else."

"That is unusual."

"It was." Miss Gwen gave a small shrug. "But everything else? She fit right in. She played with the kids, helped in the kitchen, served lunch, and even taught them how to use her expensive camera. She acted like she’d been part of the Home for years."

The uneasy feeling in Eira’s chest grew stronger.

Miss Gwen noticed the deep line between her brows.

"Is something going on between you two?" she asked. "She didn’t come all the way out here because of you, did she?"

Eira looked up.

"Don’t forget, she mentioned having a congenital heart condition. The altitude here can be rough on people with heart problems. Yet she still came all the way to the mountains."

"Killian’s mother grew up with Lainey’s father," Eira explained. "Their families have been close for generations."

She paused, choosing her words.

"Lainey has feelings for Killian."

Understanding flashed across Miss Gwen’s face. Then her expression clouded with concern.

"Eira,I don’t know what really happened between you and Sebastian. And I don’t know what’s going on with Killian." Miss Gwen swallowed. "But after hearing all this and learning what kind of family he comes from, I’m scared for you."

She reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Eira’s ear.

The worry in her eyes was painfully familiar. It was the fear of a parent who could not protect her child from every danger in the world.

"Maybe I’m just a small-town woman who hasn’t seen much beyond these hills," Miss Gwen continued. "But when I hear you’re getting involved with people that powerful, my first reaction is fear."

Her voice trembled.

"The world is complicated enough without dragging old family names and bloodlines into it. I’m just the director of Omega Home. I couldn’t even protect you from what happened with Sebastian."

She tightened her fingers around Eira’s hand.

"What happens when you get pulled into their world? What happens when I can’t stand beside you or catch you if you fall?"

Eira felt every word settle in her chest.

"Miss Gwen, you don’t have to worry." She gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "My entire life is focused on the project right now. I don’t have the time or energy for anything else."

Her lashes lowered.

"And Killian..."

His face rose in her mind. His silver-gray eyes. His strong jaw. The quiet certainty in his voice when he had told her in the hospital that Sam’s injuries were not her fault.

Eira stopped before she could finish.

Instead, she held Miss Gwen’s hand and offered her a faint smile.

"You’re reading too much into it. Even if I weren’t his client, Killian would still help me because I’m his little sister’s best friend. That’s all."

Outside in the hallway, Alpha Killian had made it halfway down the hall before turning back and stopping beside the open door. He had heard every word.

He wanted to correct her.

It isn’t because you’re my client.

And it isn’t because you’re Lila’s best friend.

There is something more.

Everything between us is more than that.