Chapter 204: Anything would’ve been better than this.
Karl stared at the bowl again.
He could tell that whatever was in it had once been edible ... however, whether it still was —he couldn’t be sure.
And what confused him more than the food was—
The woman sitting across from him.
He slowly lifted his head and looked at her again. "Were you really preparing this just now ... chopping all those vegetables so well?"
Adelyn simply hummed in response and picked up her fork and spoon.
"Eat while it’s hot," she said casually, her tone so natural and convincing that Karl almost followed it instinctively.
"Don’t wait for it to go cold."
But just as he was about to pick up the food, he paused again.
The egg looked slightly burnt. The rice underneath appeared overly sticky, as though the water hadn’t been drained properly. And the vegetables ...
They looked overcooked.
"Sister-in-law, is this really edible—?" he asked cautiously, lifting his gaze to her once more.
But his words halted midway.
Because Adelyn had already started eating.
He froze.
Watching her.
Carefully.
He waited for some reaction —anything that could guide his decision.
A flinch. A pause. Even the slightest discomfort.
But nothing came.
She swallowed a bite ... then calmly moved her spoon for another.
Karl blinked.
Maybe ... he had judged too quickly?
His gaze dropped back to his bowl.
So what if it didn’t look appealing? The vegetables were still cut evenly ... neat and precise.
Surely, it couldn’t taste that bad.
"Still not eating?" Adelyn asked, noticing his untouched bowl.
Karl snapped out of his thoughts and quickly shook his head. "No, no—I was just deciding which vegetable to try first. I’ll eat now."
And finally—
He picked up a bite and brought it to his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue—
He froze.
Completely.
His expression turned blank.
He had thought the dish looked bad ... maybe burnt ... maybe bland...
But he had never—
Not even in his worst imagination—
Expected it to taste like this.
What kind of recipe had his sister-in-law followed to create something so ... indescribable?
For a split second, instinct took over.
He almost spat it out.
But then, her voice made him stop.
"You promised to enjoy every bite," Adelyn said calmly, without even looking at him. "So don’t rush. Take your time."
Karl stiffened.
He didn’t know whether that was a gentle reminder ...
Or a quiet threat.
But at that moment —it felt like both.
Swallowing hard, he forced the bite down.
Then picked up another.
And another.
Repeating the process like a man walking toward his own doom.
If he had known this would be the outcome—
He would have waited an hour for the takeout.
Or better yet—
He would have gone out and chosen to starve for the rest of the night. Anything would have been better than this.
—
Meanwhile—
On the other side—
Liam and Charlotte decided to complete the discharge procedure the next day.
Clara still looked weak, so they wanted her to spend one more night under the doctor’s care before taking her home.
"Liam, you should back home and rest," Charlotte said as she saw Clara having her dinner without resisting anymore.
Liam also watched Clara quietly before replying, "Mom, I’ll stay here with her. You go and rest."
"No," Charlotte refused immediately. "I’ll stay and take care of her. You go home and come back in the morning to take us."
Liam hesitated for a moment.
But when he remembered that Bryer hadn’t shown up at all, he decided it would be better to check on him.
"Fine," he agreed, nodding. "But call me if anything happens."
His gaze shifted toward the door. "The bodyguards will stay here. And—"
"Liam, I don’t need bodyguards," Clara said, looking up at him.
Liam walked over and gently caressed her hair. "Be good," he said softly. "The news of your hospitalization is already online. Without the security, it might attract unnecessary trouble."
Clara reluctantly nodded to him
Charlotte then turned to Xavier with a warm smile and said, "Xavier, you should go back and rest as well. You’ve been here since morning."
Clara’s gaze shifted to him instantly.
Charlotte noticed. And she understood.
She had asked Liam to leave, but she couldn’t say the same to Xavier —not if Clara wanted him to stay.
She was just about to suggest it—
But before she could—
Xavier stepped back slightly and nodded.
"Okay, Aunt Charlotte," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "The nurses and staff here are responsible. There shouldn’t be any issues. Still I’ll ask someone to keep an eye on things for you."
Charlotte’s expression changed ...
She glanced at Clara.
The disappointment in her daughter’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed.
Turning back to Xavier, she spoke again, "I should have asked you to stay, considering how much Clara feels at ease having you around. My mistake. Can you—"
But before she could finish—
Xavier interrupted.
"I’m sorry, Aunt Charlottte," he said calmly. "I have an important patient to meet tomorrow. I won’t be able to stay the night here."
Charlotte froze slightly ...
A hint of awkwardness crept into her expression.
She hadn’t expected him to refuse.
Not like this.
But before she could say anything further—
Clara spoke.
"Xavier, don’t worry about it," she said gently with a voice soft and understanding.
"You’ve already done enough by staying this long. Go back ... and rest."
Her gaze flickered briefly toward her mother before she added, "Mom will stay with me. And that’s enough."
Xavier nodded without any hesitation.
"Alright ..." he said. "I’ll visit you tomorrow, then. Rest well."
Clara nodded, watching him leave.
Liam gave her one last gentle pat on the shoulder before following after him.
Once they were gone—
Charlotte turned to Clara, her brows furrowed.
"If you wanted Xavier to stay, why didn’t you say so?"
Clara didn’t look at her.
She lowered her gaze instead, her voice soft —almost fragile.
"Mom ... don’t force him toward me," she said quietly. "He doesn’t belong to me."
"He doesn’t belong to you?" Charlotte repeated, frowning deeply. "What are you saying, Clara? He’s your fiancé. You two—"
"He’s not my fiancé, Mom," Clara interrupted softly.
"He’s Adelyn’s."
Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, "... and now that she’s back, it’s only right for me to ... return him and everything that belongs to her."
Her words faded into a quiet sob.
