"What do you want us to do?"
Ethan Lancaster endured the pain and looked at her. "Who is this ’us’ you’re talking about?"
Minnie Hale wasn’t willing to just leave like that. She had gone to great lengths, following Ethan Lancaster, to find this place. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Caron Fairchild get away unscathed.
Raina Reddington forcibly pulled her past Ethan Lancaster, hearing a chorus of voices behind them.
"Fourth Master, let’s get you to the hospital first."
"Yeah, it looks like the bleeding won’t stop..."
Raina reached the entrance and yanked open the private room’s door. Minnie Hale stumbled along behind her. Once they were in the car, Raina finally spoke. "How do you know them?"
Minnie Hale leaned back in the passenger seat, her fra gaunt. The incident was a colossal shadow that had been tornting her for months.
"My roommate tricked into going. We were usually so close, and she said she wanted to et her new boyfriend... I never thought sothing like that would happen. I had a little to drink that night, but I struggled. I told him no..." Minnie Hale’s words trailed off as she covered her face and began to cry.
Raina’s chest felt tight with discomfort. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"I want to report him."
"Do you have any evidence?" Raina rested one hand on the steering wheel. "Why didn’t you call the police at the ti?"
"I was scared."
"Then why pursue it now?"
Minnie Hale choked back her sobs, but tears still welled in her eyes. "I didn’t think I’d get pregnant..."
Raina sighed softly. "You don’t even know about ergency contraception?"
She just kept shaking her head, and Raina didn’t have the heart to say anything more. "Reporting him is the right thing to do, but there’s no way you can hide this from your parents."
"I don’t know, I don’t know what to do..."
First, Raina arranged a place for Minnie to stay. She had been exposed now, so she couldn’t go back to the university for the ti being.
It was already evening when Raina got ho. She pushed open the bedroom door to find the room dark. She reached for the light switch, but after taking a few steps inside, she saw Ethan Lancaster sitting on the edge of the bed.
Her eyes imdiately fell on his injured hand, now wrapped in gauze. The wound must have been deep; it was definitely stitched up.
Raina took the bag from her shoulder and tossed it onto the bed. Ethan’s voice was like a taut bowstring, frayed and raspy. "You’re back."
"Is your hand okay?"
Ethan moved his palm slightly. "Raina, can’t we just stay out of other people’s business? Wouldn’t it be nice for the two of us to just be together like before?"
"I’m not getting involved. Minnie has to make her own choices."
"She can’t win a case against him. She’s no match for Caron Fairchild."
Hearing this, Raina felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. "I know. It’s not just other people backing Caron Fairchild—it’s you guys too, isn’t it? Just like how you threw yourself in front of that knife for him. You’re childhood friends, so his business is your business."
"She’s still a student. What good would it do her to blow this up? Can she handle the gossip and rumors at school?" Ethan’s hand was still throbbing with intense pain, and he couldn’t use it at all. "The worst-case scenario, the one where the costs far outweigh the benefits, is that after you make a huge scene, the person you’re trying to accuse is found innocent."
"He did sothing so monstrous. How could he possibly be innocent?"
Ethan shook his head slightly, and it was unclear if he found Raina naive or was genuinely amused by her. "There are many things in this world that defy logic."
"But Minnie Hale has evidence."
Ethan’s gaze t Raina’s. "What evidence? Even if she really has sothing, it’s been so long that it’d be hard to explain the delay."
"Modern dicine is so advanced. Even if Caron Fairchild left behind the slightest trace, he won’t be able to get away with it."
Ethan understood. That night, Caron must have assud that the girl brought over for fun was a willing participant. He didn’t take Minnie’s resistance seriously, thinking she was just playing hard to get. That’s why he didn’t use any protection. Now, it seed Minnie held the leverage against him.
He saw that Raina’s eyes were full of wariness as she looked at him. Ethan’s lips twitched into a slight smile, and he reached out his other hand to pull her closer.
Raina dodged him and moved to the side. The man frowned but stood up and grabbed her wrist anyway.
He pulled her toward him, but Raina stood her ground, unmoving. Ethan put on a look of soone dying from the pain. "I’m injured, you know! My whole palm was sliced open! Didn’t you see? The flesh was practically peeling back..."
Raina’s resistance slackened slightly, and Ethan pulled her down to sit on his lap. He carefully wrapped his arms around her front. She stared at his hand, which was wrapped up like a dumpling, and didn’t struggle too much.
"This ss Caron got himself into, that’s his problem. I’m done with it. I’m on your side."
Utter shock was written all over Raina’s face. "Are you trying to trick ?"
"What a thing to say," Ethan said with a completely serious expression, raising his hand for her to see. "I took that knife for him because he’s my friend. I couldn’t just watch him die, could I? From now on, they can solve it however they want. I’m not getting involved."
’That’s more like it,’ Raina thought. Ethan’s finger traced circles in her palm. "You too. Only help if you can. Don’t force yourself."
"Okay," Raina agreed, glancing at his injured right hand. "A wound like that will probably be difficult to heal, especially since it’s on your palm."
"Oh, so now you realize I’m injured? Where were you when I was all alone in the hospital, nearly bleeding to death?"
But Raina was, after all, used to handling a scalpel. Even after he’d laid it on so thick, she just gave a faint smile. "You’re a man. What’s there to be afraid of a little blood?"
"What I’m most afraid of is you turning a blind eye. When I think about how you reacted back then, my heart truly grows cold."
"Then why don’t you try putting yourself in Minnie’s shoes? A college student going through sothing like this, with nowhere to turn for help, too scared to even go ho. Isn’t that even more heartbreaking?"
Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist, patting it gently twice. "Alright, alright, let’s not talk about other people anymore. I’m in so much pain right now I can’t stand it. Can I take so painkillers?"
Raina noticed the prescribed dicine on the table. She glanced at the man’s face; his complexion was indeed pale.
She reached out and felt his forehead. It was a bit warm. "Take two. I’ll go get you so water."
"Okay."
Ethan watched Raina get up, saw her pick up the cup from the nightstand and walk out. His gaze was fixed on her back until her retreating figure vanished from his sight.
Raina was especially busy the next two days, juggling her work at the hospital with Minnie’s affairs.
She had hidden Minnie in a fairly secluded place. Raina was so afraid of being followed that she avoided visiting her as much as possible.
The security footage from that night was key, but Caron Fairchild had long since destroyed every trace of it. It would be incredibly difficult for them to find evidence now.
Raina had just finished lunch and was about to step into the elevator when she got a call from Ethan Lancaster.
"Hello?"
"You need to move Minnie Hale right away. Caron Fairchild found her, and he’s on his way there now."
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