He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 189

Alistair dropped Juniper off at her house. Right in front of him, she punched in the six-digit passcode to her door.

Alistair had grabbed his medical kit from the car. After settling Juniper gently onto the sofa, he knelt down and meticulously began treating her wounds.

Juniper remained entirely silent. It wasn't until he applied antiseptic to her raw wrists that she winced and let out a soft hiss.

Alistair immediately lightened his touch. "If it hurts, don't hold it in," he murmured softly.

She forced a faint, tired smile but didn't say a word.

Once he had bandaged her wrists, he moved on to the nasty gash on her forehead.

The swelling was severe, and the wound required careful sterilization.

By the time he finished, half an hour had slipped by.

Juniper had fallen fast asleep against the backrest. She normally struggled with severe insomnia, but the sheer emotional and physical exhaustion of the day pulled her under quickly.

Alistair moved with deliberate silence. His phone buzzed in his pocket—it was the update on the Blackwood Institute investigation.

He stepped quietly out onto the patio before answering.

"Dr. Vaughn, we've scoured the place top to bottom. There are absolutely no records of Ms. Lane. Blackwood Institute underwent a massive staff overhaul a few years ago. I asked around the area, and rumor has it that when Ms. Lane was originally locked up there, the guards watching her belonged to the Saint family."

The Saint family?

Alistair's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. Nelson, Nelson. Did he really think he could just magically patch things up with Juniper?

A dark, calculating look crossed his eyes. "Scrub the remaining traces clean. Make absolutely sure no one else can dig this up."

"Understood."

Alistair hung up but didn't go back inside immediately.

He spun the phone thoughtfully between his fingers, standing perfectly still in the quiet night for a long moment before finally stepping back into the living room.

Juniper was curled up on the sofa. She seemed trapped in a nightmare, her brows knitted together in distress.

Alistair wrote her a quick note, telling her to rest well and that he would be back to check on her tonight. He tucked a warm blanket around her and ordered dinner, scheduling the delivery to arrive right at six o'clock.

With everything taken care of, he quietly let himself out.

Juniper's sleep was restless. In her dreams, she hugged her arms tightly, shivering from a bone-deep chill.

Suddenly, she felt someone gently adjusting the blanket over her, followed by the soft brush of fingertips tracing the edge of her bandages.

The delivery driver, wearing a cap, asked, "Are you Mr. Vaughn? Here's your order, please take it."

Nelson took the bags and immediately tossed them straight into the garbage can.

The driver looked startled but didn't say a word, quickly turning on his heel and leaving.

Nelson pulled out his phone and ordered Quinn to have dinner sent over immediately.

A nearby luxury hotel quickly delivered a bland, easily digestible meal perfect for someone recovering from trauma.

He carried the insulated containers upstairs and eagerly set them out on the small bedside table. "I ordered you some food. Sit up and eat a little."

Juniper leaned back against the headboard, absolutely repulsed by the sight of his face. "Get out."

Nelson's hands froze mid-air. His Adam's apple bobbed heavily. "Just eat first."

"Nelson, I don't want you here. Seeing your face makes me sick."

All the blood rushed from Nelson's face. He stood completely paralyzed for several agonizing seconds, his hand instinctively rising to clutch his chest. When he spoke, his voice was utterly wrecked. "As soon as you start eating, I'll go."

Juniper's wrists throbbed with a blinding pain. She knew she should control her temper, but a suffocating wave of despair and betrayal crashed over her, instantly morphing into blinding rage.