Chapter 141 

Chapter 141 

Kaiden’s POV 

“What the hell, Introvert? Is this any way to play with your friend? What’s wrong with you?” 

The words exploded out of me before I could stop them, raw and sharp like a slap across the face–and the second they landed, I regretted them, 

Shit. 

I’m an idiot. A big one. 

I made it sound like Lucy had deliberately hit the ball hard just to hurt Rubina. 

Lucy’s head jerked back slightly, her eyes wide and brimming. Not with rage–no, that would’ve been easier to handle. Her expression held something far 

worse. 

Hurt. Real, gutting hurt. 

And just beneath it… shame. 

Her lips didn’t move. Not even to defend herself. And for someone like Lucy–someone who never took anyone’s crap–that silence hit me harder than any scream could’ve. 

“Lu-“I stepped forward, her name catching on the edge of my tongue, desperate to rewind time by even a second. But before I could finish, she turned her back to me and walked away. 

No storming off. No yelling. Just a quiet, soul–deep retreat. 

Like she was completely done. With us. With me. And, more heartbreakingly, with herself. 

I stood there frozen, fists clenched at my sides, heat crawling up the back of my neck–not from anger, but from self–loathing. 

As I was about to turn and go after her, Rubina’s voice stopped me. 

“Ow!” 

“Ru, are you okay?” Sheela asked, holding Rubina’s wrist gently. 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Rubina muttered, but the way her lips trembled betrayed her bravado. 

Thor rushed over and grabbed her hand too. “Let me see,” he said, bouncing her hand up and down like a stress ball. 

“Aow! Ow! Ow! Ow!” Rubina yelped in pain. 

Thor winced, “Oh dear. Looks like it’s fractured.” 

Even though Lucy didn’t hit her deliberately, it didn’t change the fact that Rubina was hurt by her. And now, Lucy had walked off without apologizin trying to make it right. As her boyfriend, I felt responsible. 

I know my Lucy. The moment she realizes what happened, the guilt will eat her alive. She’ll regret not apologizing or making it up to Rubina. 

So if I took care of Rubina on her behalf, maybe–just maybe–she’d regret it a little less. 

I gently slipped my hand beneath Rubina’s and helped her out of the water, her winces sharp and shallow with every step. She leaned into me, her brows drawn in discomfort but silent otherwise. 

As we neared the line of sun chairs, I spotted Amber lounging like a goddess on a throne–legs stretched long, bikini glittering like it had something to 

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Chapter 141 

prove. She saw me coming and immediately perked up. 

“Hey, Kaiden,” she purred, flipping her hair with practiced ease. “Wanna tan together?” 

I didn’t even blink. 

“Move,” I said, flat and unbothered. 

She blinked, lips parting. “E–excuse me, what?” 

“I said move.” My voice cut sharper this time. “I need that chair. Rubina’s hurt.” 

Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a rare second, she didn’t have a flirtatious comeback. “O–okay,” she stammered, quickly rising and stepping aside. 

I guided Rubina down gently, helping her lower herself into the seat. 

“Here, sit her down,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. Rubina winced again but nodded. 

I turned to Amber. “Do you have your phone?” 

Still blinking off the rejection, she pointed stiffly to the round table beside her. “Here it is.” 

I took it without ceremony. “Call the emergency number.” 

“Kaiden,” Rubina cut in, her voice firm but breathy. “Hey–it’s fine. I don’t think it’s fractured. I’m an athlete. I know the difference between a fracture and 

a sprain. I’m one hundred percent sure this is a sprain. There’s no need to call an ambulance.” 

“Then call Mrs. Delfort,” I said to Amber, “and ask her to bring the supplies to treat a sprain.” 

“Kaiden, it’s okay,” Rubina tried again. “You don’t have to-” 

“Actually, I do.” I interrupted her, firm. “Because this is exactly what Lucy would do if she wasn’t going through so much herself right now.” 

I crouched down so I could look Rubina in the eye. 

“Ru, please forgive her. I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

“Oh, she definitely meant to,” Rubina muttered, rolling her eyes. “I don’t know what’s up with her, but she’s been acting weird ever since we went to the museum. She’s bumped into me every chance she’s had. If it were anyone else, I would’ve snapped at the second shoulder bump. But because it’s Lucy- and because of her situation–I kept my cool. But now this,” she looked at her hand, “this is it. I can’t take it anymore.” 

She paused, then added, “I get it, she’s going through a lot. But that doesn’t give her a free pass to hurt people. Are you sure her therapist knows what they’re doing? Because I’m not seeing any improvement.” 

“Why don’t you,” a voice behind us cut in, “get kidnapped twice in a row, witness someone getting shot right in front of you, and then get over it in a second–then come repeat those exact words.” 

It was Jackson. 

I turned to see him standing there, disappointment written all over his face. 

He shook his head slowly. “Seriously, Ru… you’re just-” 

He didn’t finish the sentence. He just turned and walked away. 

Not long after, Mrs. Delfort arrived with the first aid kit and I left Rubina in her care–I couldn’t wait another second. 

I had to find Lucy. And I had to apologize, 

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Chapter 141 

Jackson’s disappointment was reasonable. 

Even I, caught in the swirl of laughter and adrenaline, had forgotten–just for a moment–how hard things already are for her. 

And when I yelled at her, I made it worse. So much worse. 

She’s already carrying so much… and then I added painfully more to it. 

To be continued…