Chapter 1641:

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Jarrod clenched his lips for a moment and said, “It hurts.”

Nicole began to wonder if Jarrod might be exaggerating his condition, but his pale face seemed genuinely unwell. His skin was clammy, and cold sweat clung to his forehead. His back wound felt wet, possibly reopened.

Since the wounds from the acid attack were filled with pus rather than blood, Nicole was unsure if the wound had actually reopened.

Remembering his selfless act of protection that day, Nicole found herself feeling sympathetic. She spoke more gently, “Don’t push yourself. Let me assist you. Be careful.”

Jarrod relied on her support, careful not to breathe too hard. It had been quite some time since they were this close. Nicole’s subtle fragrance was calming, almost therapeutic. Jarrod felt no pain at that moment.

Nicole helped Jarrod back onto the bed and adjusted it to a more comfortable height.

As Nicole was about to leave once more, Jarrod quickly said, “Nicole, I’m hungry.”

Nicole suspected that his fall might have been intentional, especially now that his hand seemed too injured for him to eat by himself. “Where’s your caregiver?” she asked.

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“I don’t have one. Conor usually helps me,” Jarrod said.

Nicole, visibly frustrated, responded, “Why don’t you hire a caregiver? You can certainly afford one.”

Jarrod answered, “I prefer not to have strangers around.”

Nicole said, “Then wait for Conor to return. I’ll give him a call.”

Nicole called Conor, and his weak voice answered the phone. “Miss Lawrence… What’s going on?”

Nicole asked, “Conor, when are you coming back?”

Conor’s response was hesitant. “Miss Lawrence, I’m dealing with stomach troubles, and my legs feel weak. I might need an IV. Could you possibly feed Mr. Schultz his meal?”

Jarrod secretly admired Conor’s quick-witted response. Conor’s improvisational skills were indeed impressive.

Left with no other choice, Nicole reluctantly picked up the spoon to feed Jarrod.

Jarrod ate with focus, quickly consuming half the bowl of congee.

Nicole said, “You have a table full of nutritious meals, yet you choose to eat this plain congee.”

Nicole bought the congee for Rhett yesterday because he had a high fever and needed something light and non-greasy. However, Jarrod needed more substantial food. This congee was too simple for his needs.

Jarrod said, “I was curious about the congee you bought for someone else.”

Nicole was surprised and asked, “Did you investigate me?”

Jarrod replied, “No, Conor told me. You were taking care of Rhett but didn’t visit me, and you even bought Rhett congee.”

Jarrod’s voice carried a genuine hint of grievance.

From last night until now, Jarrod had not felt like eating anything but the congee that another man had enjoyed—brought by Nicole.

Nicole was aware of Jarrod’s tendency to be petty. To prevent any potential issues for Rhett, she explained, “I looked after Rhett because he was injured helping me. It was quite serious. He suffered a lot on my behalf, so I felt obligated to care for him.”

“Well, you are so kind,” Jarrod said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

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