CHAPTER 332: CHAPTER 332: FIRST MEET

She was busy with her studies, far from Lucas’s world.

Aurora smiled in relief. "This is better," she whispered.

"As long as Lucas, Adeline, and Alex do not end up tangled in that love triangle, everything will be fine. Whether Adeline falls in love with Alex, or Lucas falls in love with Adeline, or they all remain strangers to each other, it does not matter. The important thing is that they live well, without pain or destruction."

With that comforting thought, Aurora opened her laptop. She started typing quickly.

Coding always calmed her down. Her first product had already become a huge hit, but she knew she could not afford to relax too much.

Success today does not guarantee success tomorrow. So she pushed herself to begin working on her second product.

Hours passed as she typed line after line of code.

Far away from her, something unexpected was happening.

Alex, who had been out on business, had just saved a little girl from danger. But in doing so, he had suffered an injury.

Blood flowed freely from his hand, and he pressed it tightly with his other hand, trying to stop it. His face grew pale, and his head felt heavy from the loss of blood.

He climbed into his car, planning to rush to the nearest hospital. But halfway there, the car broke down. Smoke rose from under the hood, and the engine refused to start.

Alex cursed softly under his breath. "Is today cursed?" he muttered.

Feeling weaker by the second, he stepped out of the car and waved at passing vehicles, asking for help. But one by one, they ignored him and drove past.

Finally, a young girl walked by. She noticed his bleeding hand and froze for a moment. Then she quickly approached him.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked with concern.

Alex glanced at her. She looked unfamiliar, someone he had never seen before. Not wanting to trouble her, he forced a small smile and shook his head. "It is nothing. Just a little injury."

The girl frowned. "That is not just a little injury. You are bleeding a lot. If you keep ignoring it, you could faint."

Alex was about to brush it off again, but the girl continued, "I am studying medicine. If you want, I can help treat your wound right now."

Alex raised his eyebrows slightly. "You are a nurse?"

The girl shook her head with a small smile. "No. I am a doctoral student. But I know how to deal with simple injuries like this. I can stop the bleeding for you."

Alex checked his watch. A lot of time had already passed, and no help had come. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright. Please help me."

The girl smiled warmly and took his hand gently. From her bag, she pulled out a small cloth and antiseptic. Her movements were precise, careful, and skilled. She dabbed at his wound, cleaning it before wrapping it with the cloth.

As she worked, her soft black hair fell over part of her face. The gentle breeze lifted a few strands, and Alex found himself staring. Her pale skin was as white as snow, and her expression was calm and focused.

Without thinking, his hand lifted. He tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. The girl froze, her hand pausing mid-movement. Slowly, she looked up at him.

For a long moment, their eyes met. Neither of them wanted to look away.

The world around them grew silent, as if only the two of them existed in that moment.

Finally, the driver returned. He reported quickly, "Sir, I checked. There is no hospital nearby." He paused, then noticed the scene in front of him. His boss and the young girl were locked in an intense gaze, their faces only inches apart.

Alex snapped out of his daze, clearing his throat. The girl also blinked and looked away, her cheeks slightly pink.

She tied the final knot on the cloth and smiled. "It is done now. The bleeding should stop. Just be careful not to get it wet for a few days."

Alex nodded slowly. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Then he paused and asked, "May I know your name?"

The girl’s smile deepened. She looked at him with her clear eyes and said softly, "My name is Adeline."

Alex whispered the name softly, almost as if it was a secret only meant for him. "Adeline..."

The word lingered in the air. He looked at her carefully before saying in a low, gentle tone, "Since you treated my injury, I must return the kindness. Let me treat you to coffee one day."

Adeline froze for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat, but then her reason quickly pushed that feeling away. She shook her head firmly and stepped back.

"There is no need. I am fine. I only helped you in passing. That is all."

Her tone was polite but distant, as if she wanted to build a wall between them. Before Alex could say more, she turned around and began to walk away, her figure growing smaller with each step.

Alex’s lips parted as if he wanted to call her back. His heart tightened, almost crawling with unease. Something inside him whispered that letting her go was wrong.

From the moment he had seen her, from that first deep eye contact, his heart had fluttered in a way he had never felt before.

He wanted nothing more than to stop her, to talk to her longer, to know who she really was. Yet, all he could do was watch her retreating back helplessly.

Alex had met many women before. Women who smiled sweetly, who laughed at all the right moments, who spoke as if they cared. But behind their eyes, he had always seen calculation. They came to him for his reputation, for his wealth, for the power of his family name.

But Adeline was different.

She did not ask who he was. She did not seem to care about his status, his money, or his position.