Chapter: 145
Just as she began to doze off, a sharp pain jolted her awake.
She gasped, opening her eyes to find herself lying in the bathtub.
Caden knelt beside her, carefully tending to her injured knee.
The water wrapped around Alicia like a tender embrace, its warmth so luxurious she almost wondered if she was dreaming.
Drowsiness overtook her; keeping her eyes open seemed impossible. She managed to glimpse Caden through her haze, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, “Are you done showering?"
Her senses were still dulled, not fully aware of the situation, her guard completely down.
The softness of her tone, the delicate vulnerability in her gaze—she was like a petal drifting on a calm breeze.
Caden's lips curled into a subtle smile, barely noticeable, as he gently pressed his fingers against her skin.
"You still awake?" he whispered.
Alicia flinched at the gentle pressure, her foot jerking reflexively and sending a small splash across the water.
The sudden jolt cleared the fog from her mind.
Realizing where she was, she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, her pulse quickening. "What's happening? Why am I here?"
Hadn't she been waiting outside for him to finish just now?
"You dozed off," Caden replied, his tone casual, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “So I carried you in."
Alicia blinked in shock.
Had she fallen into so deep a sleep that she hadn't felt a thing?
Her gaze dropped to her bare body beneath the water, and her cheeks flushed with sudden heat.
"Did you.. take my clothes off?!"
Caden's eyes shifted briefly to the soaked dress strewn on the floor.
Earlier, when he stepped out of the shower, he found her curled up and shivering in the cold, her lips tinged with blue.
He didn't think twice; he scooped her up into his arms.
He knew she'd catch a terrible cold if he hadn't helped her into warm water.
"Yeah," he admitted without a trace of hesitation.
Alicia's face burned a deeper shade of red. “Why didn't you just wake me up?" she demanded, her voice rising in embarrassment.
“I couldn't," Caden said, his tone still unbothered. “Why else did I wake you up like that?"
“Like what?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.
Instead of answering right away, Caden's fingers grazed her knee again, the touch sending an unexpected jolt through her.
"Hey!" Alicia gasped. The pain startled her into kicking her legs beneath the water.
The sudden movement sent ripples across the water's surface, momentarily revealing glimpses of her smooth skin.
Caden didn't even bother to pretend to look away.