Chapter 1709


    Raeleigh knew Callis was worried about her, so she made noments about his behavior. For


    Raeleigh, Callis needed someone to take care of him, but he had his way of thinking.


    Plus this mindset of his had already taken shape, and it would be difficult to change it.


    As she gazed at Callis''s clean yet mature countenance, Raeleigh closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    It grew quiet inside the ward. Xanthus stared at Callis''s back and frowned slightly. "Your back


    reminds me of a certain someone."


    Callis just sat there as if he hadn''t heard a thing.


    He did not turn at his remark, and Xanthus was also tired. The problem wasn''t due to age but


    mental stress. He would have to take a long break for now. Otherwise, he would really throw himself


    off a cliff.


    And he could stay and take care of Raeleigh in the meantime as well.


    Xanthus made himselffortable and began to doze off. The ward was nowpletely quiet.


    Callis''s eyes stayed on Raeleigh, and for the following couple of days, his gaze never strayed from


    her, not even for food or sleep.


    But he burned out in the end. By the time Raeleigh got out of bed, he had fallen asleep from fatigue,


    three days straight at that. Even when Raeleigh was ready to be discharged, he still hadn''t woken


    up.


    She waited for the whole of that morning for him to get up before she woke him up herself.


    Raeleigh returned to the manor, and Callis returned to work, but he took up another daily task of


    taking care of Raeleigh.


    Particrly during the evening, he would knock on Raeleigh''s door and provide bone broth for her.


    "Callis, I don''t need to drink this every day." Raeleigh had had enough. She stood at the door, not


    intending to take the broth from him, but he wouldn''t budge, patiently waiting for her to take it.


    Raeleigh felt both frustrated and amused. Not being able to speak had its advantages for sure.


    Resigned, Raeleigh took the bone broth; only then did Callis leave. Watching him as he turned, she


    asked, "Your brother still doesn''t know you''re here. Do you want to send him a text?"


    Callis turned and looked at Raeleigh, his expression somewhat baffled. Raeleigh said, "Hand me


    your phone; I''ll call him for you."


    Once he handed her his phone, she proceeded to


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    make the call.


    The dial tone rang in her ear, but it took quite a while for someone to pick up.


    Fortunately enough, someone did.


    Raeleigh exined to Leander what was going on. He took it easily enough, saying he was in the


    midst of work and wouldn''t be able to return either. He also told her to keep in touch and that he felt


    assured to leave Callis in Raeleigh''s hands.


    After a quick chat, Leander ended the call.


    Raeleigh looked at the phone with a troubled heart. Though it wasn''t implied, she feared Leander


    had made his own ns, and Callis was left on the wayside.


    They may be close; nothing was forever, however.


    Raeleigh stayed up all night. The next morning, she went to find Callis. She told him to put down his


    work for the day and took him out for a stroll.


    Raeleigh liked watching the sea. She could feel the sea breeze there and thought it was more


    pleasant than any other time.


    But since Raeleigh''s hand was still recovering, Xanthus didn''t allow her to go as he nagged and


    lectured her about it, so she could only sit in the car and eagerly look at the sea like a child going


    there for the first time.


    Callis sat in the front passenger seat, looking between the sea and Raeleigh from time to time.


    They remained so for two, three hours. Then Raeleigh came back to reality and asked Callis, "Have


    you and your brother been in contact frequentlytely?"


    He stared at her but didn''t answer and got out of the car instead. Then he walked around to


    Raeleigh''s side, took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulders before he held out his hand to


    her.


    Bewildered, Raeleigh looked up at Callis. Recently, she had given Callis her brother''s clothes to


    wear. When she was free, she would ask Xanthus if he had any clothes he would like to give away


    since some of them had been left in the closet to collect dust for several years. When Raeleigh


    noticed this, she would bring it over for Callis.


    Xanthus just had too many clothes, and he couldn''t even recall what he had. Whenever Callis wore


    his clothes, he would question why they looked familiar and remark how Callis wore them like it was


    tailor-made for him.


    Every time Xanthus said so, a particr someone would always pop up in his mind.


    Raeleigh said that the clothes were a little bigger and a little smaller in size, so they all had the


    same effect.


    Xanthus did not refute it. Just like that, Callis''s wardrobe grew day by day, and with a little bit of


    tidying up, he looked much different than before.


    Callis''s hands were even so clean there wasn''t even a speck of dirt in the lines of his palms.


    Sometimes, Jepherson would even pop up in Raeleigh''s mind when she looked at Callis, but they


    were clearly not the same person.


    Jepherson wasn''t viinous overall, but he would never do this.


    Callis refused to take his hand away. Raeleigh sat for a while before she gave in, giving her hand to


    Callis, letting him lead her out of the car.


    When Raeleigh stepped outside, Callis immediately bent down at the waist and scooped her up into


    his arms, which made her yelp in fright at the sudden movement.


    "What are you doing? Put me down."


    She was nearly scared to death!


    Raeleigh patted her chest with her good hand, quite beside herself.


    Callis took a look at Raeleigh, bypassed the car, and walked toward the beach with Raeleigh in his


    arms, and she understood his intention instantly.


    As it waste autumn, the weather was pretty


    cold.


    Raeleigh didn''t struggle. Knowing Callis, she wouldn''t be able to change whatever he had set his


    mind on.


    He held her in his arms until they came to the windier part of the area. He then stopped to put


    Raeleigh back on the ground and no longer continued his trek forward.


    Raeleigh felt a little cold, but with Callis by her side, she couldn''t really feel the chill anymore.


    "It was also autumn when I first came here. My heart was in chaos then, facing my biggest


    resolution at that time."


    Raeleigh recounted nonchntly as she stared at the calm surface of the sea.


    Callis looked at her, waiting for her to fall back into silence before he picked her up again. He then


    turned on his heel and carried her back. Raeleigh giggled in delight, knowing he was worried she


    would catch a cold, so they returned to the car after such a short jaunt. She felt ted.


    But when Callis saw her giggle, he stopped in the middle of the sandy stretch and spun her around.


    Raeleigh froze for a moment before she let loose a joyousugh. At the sound, Callis simply spun


    her around again.


    Raeleighy in his arms andughed uncontrobly whereas Callis had not a single smile on his


    face.


    They left the beach and were on their way back when Raeleigh received a phone call. Soon after


    she picked up, her face immediately turned pale.


    Raeleigh put down the phone and told the chauffeur to send Callis back first as she got down from


    the car midway.


    She then hailed for a taxi to destinations unknown and left just like that.


    Callis was ill at ease, wanting to get down from the car as well, but the chauffeur told him that he


    couldn''t stop, and Miss Raeleigh would disagree.


    When Callis arrived at the manor, Xanthus wasn''t there either. He called Raeleigh, but she didn''t


    pick up.


    Until Raeleigh came back, Callis had done nothing but stood behind the window. The servants and


    Bernardo reassured him that it was all right; it wasn''t the first time a simr thing had happened, and


    they would be back after settling their business.


    But Callis stood behind the window still. At present, even Jared wasn''t at the manor''s entrance,


    unaware as to where he had gone.


    Three days had passed when Raeleigh returned during the night, and Callis didn''t have a bite to


    eat, only taking a few sips of water at most during the time.


    The servants were all convinced Callis''s temperament was too obstinate, absolutely stubborn.


    Raeleigh came through the door with the same clothes she wore that day on the beach, Callis''s


    coat still draped around her. She looked as if she was about to drop dead from exhaustion as she


    entered, her haggard face as white as a sheet of paper.


    She looked up and saw Callis just then, who had stood by the door. She forced a smile as she


    asked. "Why are you here?"


    Raeleigh checked the time and saw that it was already ten.


    It was time for bed.


    Callis walked to Raeleigh, pulled her into his arms, and held her tight.