Suddenly filled with regret, Calista closed her eyes and said, “You don’t need to console me anymore. I’m the cause of over a hundred people getting infected, which led to panic across the country. I understand the severity of this situation. If only I had been more careful…
Upon seeing her thoughts, Wanda felt a mix of amusement and despair. “Callie, if we’re going by that logic, then I should primarily blame Kallum. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have caught the infection and we wouldn’t be in today’s predicament”
Calista opened her mouth to speak, but Wanda cut her off, “Nobody wished for such a situation to occur, but solving it takes priority. Your intentions have always been good, and you’ve done so much already. There’s really no need to be overly hard on yourself.”
After Wanda finished speaking, Silas added, “You’ve done very well.”
Benedict rubbed his nose and said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice, “I admit I was wrong in this matter too. I sent Yelena away as soon as I got home. Callie, could you please not be mad at me?”
Calista hadn’t expected that they wouldn’t blame her. The enormity of the crisis that the Fairchild family was currently facing was obvious. Benedict even had egg whites on him, which clearly indicated that he had also fought his way out of the office building. She had brought such a huge trouble, and yet, these people weren’t blaming her at all.
“All right; stop overthinking. I’ll get you cleaned up. Take some time to rest properly.”
“With the situation being so tense, how could I possibly rest now?” Calista said flatly.
Wanda couldn’t help but give her a playful glare. “Being fully prepared will not delay one’s job but quicken the process. If you don’t rest well, how will you have the energy to deal with the side effects of the antiserum?”
As she spoke, she ushered Calista toward the bathroom. “Come on! This time. I’ll bathe you!”
Calista was injured, so she indeed couldn’t manage to wash herself.
Stripped naked and seated in the bath, Calista was still somewhat dazed. Why has my world, which I have perceived as harsh and cruel, suddenly become so gentle and forgiving?
She had grown accustomed to her solitude, to the schemes and exclusion of others. But now, it was as if she had suddenly fallen from a cold, monochrome space into a vibrant, brightly colored one. It was like the colorful bubbles in the bath, the warm, misty steam, and Wanda’s caring hand gently landing on her back.
Calista was incredibly tense as she became acutely aware of her surroundings. The unusual warmth. enveloped her, leaving her feeling out of place. It felt as if she didn’t quite belong. Suddenly, Wanda gave Calista’s waist a gentle squeeze.
“What are you thinking about?”
Snapping back to reality, a swift blush spread across Calista’s face.
In a state of utter confusion, she had allowed Wanda to bathe her.
However, it still felt rather weird.
Wanda was secretly amazed at how great Calista’s skin looked. It was tender, fair, and elastic, Kallum sure is a lucky man!
If Calista knew Wanda’s thoughts at that moment, she would have been absolutely exasperated. Clutching her chest nervously, she said, “I can do this on my own, Aunt Wanda.”
“That simply won’t do”
Wanda was not swayed by the tense atmosphere outside. Her heart was small and only filled with her family. As for the storms of the outside world, she decided to let the men handle them. Seeing how shy Calista was, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I had long hoped to have a daughter, to dress her up and raise her like a princess. Unfortunately, Kallum was such a strong–willed child that giving birth to him took a toll on my health. If not, I would have definitely given him a little sister.”
Calista tried to picture a young Kallum with a little sister trailing behind him. Hmm… I just can’t seem to imagine it.
Wanda offered to wash Calista’s back, but her offer was met with a blushing refusal. Seeing that Calista was genuinely shy, Wanda, although disappointed, decided to let her be. Only when she saw Calista was capable of washing herself with her right hand, did Wanda finally step back. After all, she did not want to make Calista feel uncomfortable.
Calista, however, felt embarrassed even though Wanda was just standing there. She asked Wanda to fetch some anti–inflammatory medicine from her room. She also secretly knew how to prepare some herself. never expecting it would actually come in handy someday.
After Wanda handed it over to her, Calista applied the greenish medicated cream onto her neck. She then gently massaged and patted the area, allowing the ointment to absorb into her skin.
Viewed from the side, her profile was still remarkably attractive. Her damp, long hair clung to her fair skin. It looked as if she were a piece of exquisite artwork.
“Callie,” Wanda suddenly called out to her in a hushed tone.
“Yes?”
“When did Kallum claim you?”
Having been caught off guard, Calista suddenly struggled to catch her breath, and began to cough. violently.
Startled, Wanda quickly tried to soothe her by rubbing her back.
“My goodness! I was just asking! You were bold enough to say it in front of a crowd back then, but now
My you’re being shy in front of your godmother?” Wanda teasingly remarked, referring to the day Calista reincarnated and forced Kallur to verify her virginity.
Indeed, Calista had publicly declared herself to be Kallum’s woman.
“Is it inconvenient for you to talk about it?”
Calista quickly shook her head in response, Worried that Wanda would ask even more inappropriate questions, she hurriedly stopped her.
“I’m done with my bath. Could you help me dry my back?” At this point, she didn’t care about being seen naked anymore. Staying in the bathroom any longer was simply too terrifying for her. Unexpectedly, her usually kind and loving godmother seemed to have a perverted side.
As expected, Wanda’s attention was indeed diverted. However, in the end, she playfully patted her very firm buttocks and said teasingly, “Kallum is indeed more fortunate than his father!”
The underlying implications of that statement were truly terrifying, so Calista decided to pretend she hadn’t heard it at all.
After washing up, Calista was originally planning to head to the lab, but Wanda said. “You’ve been worn out for a full day and night, so take some time to rest properly. We women shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves. Besides, Kallum can handle things out there.”
Even though she felt irresponsible for passing on her burdens to others, and she was consumed with guilt for lying idle while everyone else was busy, when Calista heard that everything was still under control and about Kallum’s involvement, an inexplicable sense of tranquility washed over her.
So, is this what it feels like to be protected? Could this be what trust feels like? I’ve always been fighting my battles alone, but for the first time, I am wholeheartedly entrusting all my trials and tribulations to another person. I don’t have to fear betrayal or abandonment. This feeling sure is unexpectedly beautiful!
With certain questions lingering in her mind, Calista initially thought she would have trouble falling asleep. However, in reality, she drifted off quite quickly.
When Kallum returned home, his face etched with exhaustion, it was already nine in the morning. Not. wanting to cause Calista any worry, he massaged his temples and rallied his spirits before stepping through the front door.
Calista was still asleep at the time. She had only gone to bed at five in the morning and was now in the deepest phase of her sleep. The medicine had worked wonders, as her face and neck were no longer swollen. However, there was still a horrifying ring of bruise around her neck.
Upon seeing her haggard appearance, Kallum found it hard to bear. He gently touched her forehead, and only after confirming her temperature was normal, he breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down by the bed. and for a moment there, he didn’t want to move at all.
When Calista woke up, she was greeted by the sight of a young man with delicate features curled up on the edge of the bed in a somewhat uncomfortable sleeping position. As if he was afraid of waking her, his tall frame only occupied a small portion of the bed. Even so, his face was very close, and Calista could see his flawless skin, slanted eyebrows, and long, curled eyelashes.
Kallum had foreign ancestry in his lineage, the best of which he had inherited. Calista knew this well. When he opened his eyes, which was the most captivating feature of his face, they were dazzlingly radiant like a peerless treasure.
Seemingly aware of Calista’s gaze, Kallum’s eyelashes fluttered. However, the moment he opened his eyes, his vision was abruptly plunged into darkness. It turned out that Calista had covered his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Kallum asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. He reached out to move her hand away as he spoke, but Calista stubbornly continued to cover his eyes with her hand.
Her voice came through with such seriousness that it took Kallum aback. Gradually, he relaxed under her touch, and said with a chuckle, “You must not have paid much attention to me before, then.”
Hasn’t I always handsome
Calista moved a bit closer, while Kallum turned to his side. He could sense her slightly approaching breath, along with the faint, almost imperceptible scent of medicine.
The two lay side by side, gazing at each other. Only her infuriatingly small hand obstructed the view between them.
“Why won’t you let me see you?” Kallum asked in a muted tone.
Calista remained silent for a long while.
“I don’t look good right now.”
Following that, she issued her ultimate command, “So, until I become more attractive, you’re not allowed to look at me.”
Kallum wore a face full of confusion but once he caught on, he suddenly pulled Calista into an embrace.
Even though her hand still covered his eyes, by now, Kallum’s face was already slightly above hers. Separated by just her hand, he could sense their lips were mere millimeters apart.
“Why won’t you let me see you? Has my young lady finally come to her senses and realized she wants to look pretty in front of the man she likes?” he asked, unable to hold back his laughter.
Calista pursed her lips, instinctively wanting to throw a few insults his way. But before she could utter a word, Kallum silenced her with a single finger pressed against her lips. “Your little mouth is fond of saying one thing but meaning another. I don’t want to hear anything that might ruin the mood.”
Calista remained silent for a long time, finally letting out a muffled grunt. I am not one to say one thing but mean another!
“Actually, the way you are now is good too. Every time I take you out, it’s as if everyone’s eyes are glued to you. It frustrates me so much that I always want to whisk you away, hide you somewhere only I can see, a place that belongs to me alone!” Kallum said with a laugh.
Calista’s face flushed slightly. She gently bit her lower lip, gazing at Kallum who was close at hand, his face wearing a smile. Then, she suddenly said, “But I’m really good at getting into trouble, and I won’t change!”
My goodness! This arrogant attitude truly is the result of being overly pampered!
Kallum slightly curved his lips at the thought of that. Unable to resist the urge to gently pinch her face, he naughtily pulled her cheeks from both sides.
“Callie, how is it that you become more adorable with each passing day? This won’t do! At this rate, I can’t help but want to keep you by my side every day!”
“Kallum!” This guy is as consistently irreverent as ever!
But at that moment, Kallum suddenly grew serious.