After All the Hurt, She Chose Herself novel Chapter 215

After hanging up, she saw Raphael staring at her. She pursed her lips. “What are you looking at me for? Do you think I’m cruel?”

“Not at all.” Raphael stood up and looked at Aria. “Are you going to the institute now?”

She had just called the police, so she should be at the scene. But in her current state, even getting out of bed was a struggle, though her wound had healed a bit over the past few days.

“I should go. If it’s too difficult, I’ll just call the professor…”

“I’ll take you. Wait for me a moment.”

Raphael straightened his clothes. He was wearing an off-white sweater, his hair slightly messy from sleep, but he didn’t look disheveled. Instead, he had a youthful energy she hadn’t seen before.

Raphael returned quickly, pushing a wheelchair and carrying a thick blanket he had thoughtfully prepared.

Aria propped herself up, but as she moved her legs, the pull on her abdominal muscles sent a sharp pain through her.

“Excuse me.”

Raphael leaned over Aria, slipped an arm under her knees, and easily lifted her into his arms.

It still hurt, but only for a second.

Aria’s senses were filled with the faint, medicinal scent on Raphael.

He must have kept up with his fitness routine; even through his clothes, Aria could feel the toned muscles in his arms.

After he gently placed her in the wheelchair, Raphael wrapped the thick blanket snugly around her. Then he put a mask, scarf, and hat on her.

Aria felt a bit overwhelmed and amused. “Do I really need to be bundled up this much?”

“It’s cold outside.”

He said it was cold, but he himself had only thrown on a trench coat before coming out.

Alden snorted. “I can tell whether a surgery is ‘small’ or not!”

Aria touched her nose, feeling awkward, and decided to play it off. “Professor, I’m fine, see? Don’t worry so much! Let’s deal with the matter at hand first!”

“Aria, why do you keep targeting me?” Hazel lunged toward Aria like a madwoman. “You’ve been trying to steal everything from me since college! You still won’t let me go! What are your intentions?!”

Before Hazel could touch Aria, Raphael had already stepped between them.

Aria was baffled. “What did I ever steal from you?”

“The spot at the Flourish Research Institute! You used your relationship with Charles to get into the professor’s lab, didn’t you?!”

“And the scholarship! The Brent family is already rich! As his girlfriend, were you short on money?! Why did you have to fight me for the scholarship?!”

“Do you have any idea how many beatings I took because I didn’t get the top scholarship?!”