Chapter 43 Can’t You See That I’m Trying to Woo You?
Chapter 43 Can’t You See That I’m Trying to Woo You?
William wrapped the pieces of ice in the towel and pressed it on his face several times. After making
sure that the ice pieces would not pierce out and hurt his skin, he went back to the living room.
Riley was not in the living room. The bathroom door was open. He walked over and saw Riley putting
on a gloomy face. Her shoulder trembled, and she was trying to keep her weeping sound low as if
someone had bullied her, and she did not dare to speak out her pain and humiliation.
The scene stung William.
She was neither strong enough to be invincible, nor she didn’t need to be taken care of. It was just her
putting on a strong shield to protect and hide her fragile heart.
“Cry if you feel like crying. It will make you feel better. You can do anything you feel like doing here.
Anything!”
William gently patted on her shoulder, suggesting that she could forget about her worries here. She
needed not to have any burden and make herself feel at home.
Drops of tears started to drip from Riley’s face, who was trying to restrain her weep. She could not hold
back anymore when William said that and began to cry.
William helped her out of the bathroom and took her to have a seat on the sofa. He pulled out a few
sheets of tissue, “I won’t ask anything if you don’t want to talk about it. But don’t hurt yourself.”
Riley covered her face, and her shoulder trembled more violently. Her tears seemed to have
accumulated for many years and had finally reached the limit. The tears seeped out and flowed
profusely.
Riley was like a child in front of William. She could express her emotions as she wished without
embarrassment or shame.
William silently accompanied her. His big warm hand gently caressed and patted her back, “It’s alright.
Everything’s over. Don’t be afraid.”
Riley’s heart and dignity that was crushed into pieces were slowly healed in William’s quiet and gentle
voice. She sobbed, “I’m so tired…I feel so tired…”
Every word from her pierced into his heart.
What kind of life did Riley experience? What in the past hurt her so much that she could endure it to
this point?
“Have a good rest if you feel tired. Let your heart take a good rest. I’ll help you anytime if you need me.”
After crying for some time, she raised her head. Her tears smeared her face, and a wisp of wet hair
stuck to her face on her chin.
She wiped off her last tears with a tissue. Not only her face was swollen, but her eyes were also
swollen. The red eyelids wrapped around her bright eyes, making her look like a wounded rabbit.
She sniffled and threw the tissue she used to wipe off her tears and snot into the bin. It was a handful
of tissue. “Sorry…did I scare you?”
It had been a long time since she had cried like that. She had almost forgotten the feeling of crying as
she wished and had almost forgotten how to cry. Riley didn’t expect a person that was so strong like
her would cry with all her might in front of William, who she did not know well.
“No. I’m very…happy that you can cry here. At least, you don’t reject me from within and were willing to
show me your vulnerable side.”
It was trust and entrusting herself to him by willing to show him the vulnerable side of hers.
Riley rubbed her sore nose, “I…I’ll leave.”
William said with a smile, “Leave? Where are you going to go? Going out with a pair of redden eyes
and an obviously swollen face because of a slap? Take a seat. I’ll give you a cold compress.”
He took the towel and rubbed it gently on her face. Then he carefully asked, “Does it hurt? I’ll be
gentler if it hurts.”
Both of them sat too close. Riley felt uncomfortable and moved aside, “I…I’ll do it myself.”
William didn’t resist either, “Okay. Here you go. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Or
some hot water?”
Riley rubbed her face, “Anything would be fine.”
William got up, “Some hot water then. You haven’t slept all night. Drinking coffee would affect your
sleep.”
Riley gazed at William’s back. She felt sad. She was not silly. She could see that William’s concern for
her had gone beyond the ordinary relationship between a superior and his subordinate. But Riley
couldn’t afford to enjoy the gentleness he was giving her.
They were not destined to be together.
William brought a cup of hot water, “I added some glucose in it. You need to replenish your energy. You
can take a nap here after that. This is my private area. No one would disturb you.”
“Never mind. I’ll go back and take a rest.”
William chuckled. He raised his hand and wanted to help her to tidy up her hair. But he stopped the
intention once he thought about their identity, “Don’t force yourself in front of me. Why should you go
home? Won’t you be alone at home too? The bedding is new, and I seldom rest there.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Since that was not what you meant, then don’t worry about staying. Tell me what you want to eat if you
feel hungry when you wake up. I’ll get something for you.”
Riley’s movement on her hand had stopped. She raised her head and looked at the tall William. The
sun shone through the window, and on him, a golden beam was surrounding him, “Mr. Hardesty, why
are you…”
“Why am I so nice to you?”
She was speechless for a moment when he saw through what she was about to ask.
William shrugged, “I’m a failure in my life. I have been trying to woo someone to this point, but that
person is still unaware of it.”
Riley was stunned by his self-mocking words. She tried to speak, “Mr. Hardesty, thank…thank you. But
let’s forget about it. It’s impossible between us. You don’t know me. You don’t even know me in
person.”
William lowered his body and approached her. Riley thought he was trying to do something to her, and
she quickly backed away. Unexpectedly, he smirked and laughed, then he touched the cup with his
clean fingers, “You can drink the water now.”
Riley was speechless.
“You do not have to reject me so quickly. I’m very patient. Doctor Watson, it takes more than ten hours
for a heart operation to end. This is about the happiness of my life. You don’t have to give me a
rejection so soon?”
Riley was feeling awkward a moment ago, and he made the atmosphere relaxed again with a few
words. That moment, Riley had a thought that it would be nice if she had met William first.
But the matter about the relationship was always about who came first. Her heart was too small to have
space for others when Euan was already in it.
“You may go to work. Thank you for your personal space.”
“Well, I’ll go ahead, but promise me one thing. Don’t sneak away when you wake up.”
God, he saw through her thoughts. She wanted to slip away while he was away.
Riley was back to herself, “Mr. Hardesty, you must be thinking too much. I’ll be waiting for you to treat
me a meal and send me home.”
He chuckled. His chuckle was gentle and elegant, like the breeze of spring, “Wait for me. Please do.”
William left and closed the door. Riley was exhausted. She lay on the bed with her eyes closed. The
messy thoughts in her mind did not prevent her from dozing off.
At that time, in the VIP ward…
Anika just left, and Jeanne came in.
“Lydia, how do you feel?”
Lydia sat on the sofa, fiddling with the jewellery Anika had just given her. “I’m fine. Just suffocated due
to anger. Riley the bitch was lucky and had survived again.”
Jeanne sneered. She tidied her doctor robe and sat down, “A bad thing would never die. How would
she be gone so easily? But don’t worry. She would not have a better life in the future either.”
“Jeanne, which man was Riley with last night? Did you take a clear photo of it?” Lydia looked into her
eyes.
Jeanne was a smart woman. She would not show her bottom card even in front of Lydia, “I did not see
clearly. I was afraid that I would be noticed and quickly took a photo and left. We will put the matter
today aside. I’ll deal with her slowly in the future.”
“Jeanne, I can’t wait anymore! Make it quick! Finish her as soon as possible!”
Jeanne frowned, “Lydia, do you know why you couldn’t fight against her all these years? You are just
too anxious and not calm enough. You have to deal with Riley step by step. If you are not careful
enough, you’ll be strangled by her instead. Do you think she had been living for three years for
nothing?”
Lydia clenched her teeth, “I hate her! I want her to die!”
“What you must do now was not to deal with her. But to find a way to get the heart of Euan. You
shouldn’t be wilful in front of Euan. Riley is strong, and you must be gentle. Why should you be afraid of
Riley if you can catch Euan’s heart?”
Lydia tugged on Jeanne’s arm and said with a grin, “Jeanne, it’s good to have you back and give some
advice to me. You have great ideas. Here, take this. Euan’s mother gave this to me just now. It’s a
limited edition.”
Jeanne pointed to Lydia’s head with her finger, “Are you silly? Euan’s mother had given you a gift. You
must choose all occasions to wear it and tell others who gave you this. At that time, everyone will
regard you as the daughter-in-law of the George family.”
“Jeanne, you’re right! It’s good to have you here!”
Riley, who was lying on the bed, was having a nightmare. Droplets of sweat drenched her forehead. In
the dream, she was standing in the endless corridor in the hospital. She was running with all her might.
But a black tornado rolled up her father and took him away faster than she could run!”
“Dad…Dad!”
She woke up with a start, holding the blanket, and her body was drenched in sweat.
The nightmare. She hadn’t had it for a long time and didn’t expect to dream it again.
Riley got out of the blanket and walked to the window. It was already 5 pm. She didn’t expect that she
had been sleeping for so long. As she rubbed her swollen temples, she went back to the mirror. Her Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
face was still swollen.
After washing her hands and cleaning up her face. Her phone began to vibrate rapidly on the sofa.
Hendrix?
Why was he calling?
Riley wiped the water off her hands on her clothes, “Hello.”
“Riley, you finally answered the phone. I’ve been calling from morning till now. Where are you?”
Riley thought for a while and chose to speak the truth, “I’m in the restroom in the hospital.”
“Riley, did you cry?” Hendrix felt that Riley’s voice was not quite right.
“No! Hendrix, I’ll hang up if you have nothing to say.”
“Don’t hang up, Riley. I saw the news. Lydia was bullying you again, am I right?”
The brat, Hendrix, was he thinking that the situation was not chaotic enough?
“This is my matter. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t interfere.” Riley was afraid that something would
happen to Hendrix. Then she would suffer more in George’s residence.
“How can you say it had nothing to do with me? You are my sister-in-law! I’m going to find Lydia now!”
“Hendrix! Don’t rush into things, Hendrix! What are you doing!”
“Going to the hospital. Teach Lydia a lesson and take you home!”
“Hendrix! Get back here! Fuck, get back here!”
Unfortunately, Hendrix had hung up the call.
Damn! Hendrix, don’t be a fool!