Chloe replied, “I’m doing alright.”
Fiona nodded. “I can tell. You look much better than you did this morning. But why is Walker so pale? Did he not rest at all?”
Walker ignored her.
Chloe held his arm. Through the fabric of his sleeve, she could feel his skin running rather hot against her palm. However, since men generally ran a little warmer than women, she didn’t think much of it.
She looked at Fiona. “What about you?”
Fiona let out a long sigh. “Don’t even ask. The moment I close my eyes, all I can see is everything that happened last night. I kept having nightmares even when I finally managed to drift off. It’s been so long since I’ve had a nightmare. I barely got any rest at all.”
Since returning to the fishing village to recuperate, her life had gradually settled into a peaceful rhythm. Seeing those terrifying scenes in her dreams again after so many years had been quite traumatic, and she still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.
A hint of guilt flashed in Chloe’s soft eyes. “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t say that!” Fiona immediately raised a hand to cut her off. “I chose to come with you, which means I was ready to face whatever dangers came our way. My life before this was just too peaceful, leaving me a bit unprepared. But after going through all this, I’ve come to terms with it.”
Her expression grew exceptionally serious as she looked at Chloe. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”
Seeing her resolve, Chloe nodded. “Let’s get something… to eat first.”
“Alright.”
Fiona stood up, glancing once more at Walker’s pale complexion. “Come here. Let me examine the two of you first to see how your bodies are holding up.”
Chloe didn’t refuse. She pulled Walker over to sit on the sofa.
Fiona checked Chloe’s pulse first. After going through a full traditional medical examination, a bright, excited smile broke out across her face. “Chloe, the toxins in your body are completely gone! All that’s left now is to repair your vocal cords. You’re only one step away from making a full recovery!”
Chloe’s eyes lit up, her heart surging with excitement. She was finally going to get better!
Fiona then moved on to check Walker’s pulse. The moment her fingers rested against his wrist, she gasped, “Oh, you’re running a fever.”
Chloe immediately looked over at him.
Walker’s tone was indifferent. “Am I? I didn’t feel anything.”
Fiona clicked her tongue. “It’s caused by the wind and cold. You must have caught a chill. I’ll give you a quick acupuncture session and you’ll be fine.”
Chloe suddenly remembered him taking a cold shower earlier, and her pretty brows instantly furrowed.
She thought, “He really is something else… Why would he take a cold shower out of nowhere? Does he think his body is made of iron?”
Walker didn’t show much of a reaction, but in reality, he had been waiting for Chloe to say something. However, she remained entirely silent.
Just then, a cell phone began to ring. It was Chloe’s phone.
“Hello?”
Chloe answered the call. She could communicate normally now, though she still had to speak quite slowly.
“Chloe, how are you holding up?” Preston Vance’s gentle voice came through the speaker.
Chloe’s tone softened a fraction. “I’m doing well… What about you, Preston?”
Walker’s hand, which had been resting on his knee, suddenly clenched into a fist.
Fiona noticed this and slightly raised her eyebrows, a faint, knowing smirk playing on her lips.
“I’m alright,” Preston replied. “The wound is just a little deep, that’s all. I figured you’d had enough time to rest by now, so I wanted to give you a call and check in.”