I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 378

Sasha's grip on her champagne glass tightened, though she didn't flinch.

"What message could possibly be that urgent?"

Lance's smirk deepened.

"Well, you know what they say. Even the greatest heroes fall for a beautiful woman."

Sasha took a slow sip of her drink, her expression meticulously composed.

She set the glass down and stood up, pretending to reach for the fruit platter on the center table. As she brushed past Finn's chair, she stole a downward glance at his glowing screen.

It was a shopping app. He was looking at an outrageously expensive desk lamp, currently debating between two colors.

Her eyes lingered on the screen for a fraction of a second before darting away.

She returned to her seat, her glass immediately refilled by a passing waiter.

Finn was completely oblivious to her proximity.

He was deeply engrossed in comparing the color temperature specs of two different lamps. He added one to his cart, reread Sienna's text—You're awfully bossy—and hit 'Purchase'.

Sasha sat rigidly in her chair. The mountain wind blew past, lifting the hair off her shoulders and letting it fall flat again.

She didn't ask Finn another question for the rest of the night. She seamlessly pivoted to chatting with the others, her tone light and her laughter perfectly practiced.

But her peripheral vision remained permanently tethered to his silhouette, as if bound by an invisible, suffocating thread.

A man of Finn's immense status was personally agonizing over the purchase of a simple desk lamp.

It was painfully obvious how deeply invested he was in the task.

And by extension... how deeply invested he was in her.

Sasha recalled the words Finn had so coldly delivered at the dinner table. I've always seen Sasha as a sister.

Those words were like rusted nails driven violently into her chest.

The agony gnawed at her all evening.

Yet she didn't show a single ounce of her devastation. In fact, her smile only grew sweeter.

-

A few days later, Sienna was in her living room, reviewing incorrect exam questions.

A knock echoed through the apartment.

Lately, whenever she heard a knock, her mind immediately jumped to Finn.

After a moment, a wave of dizzying heaviness crashed over her. She turned toward the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Her hand slipped.

The glass hit the hardwood floor, shattering into sharp, jagged pieces.

Finn dropped the lamp and rushed over in a heartbeat.

Moving with lightning speed, he grabbed Sienna's hand, turning her palm upward. His thumb swept frantically over her skin, thoroughly checking for cuts before he finally exhaled.

"Don't you dare try to pick that up with your bare hands!"

As the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized how incredibly intimate their position was.

He was gripping her wrist firmly, his thumb still pressed deep into her palm, as if he were tracing the very lines of her fate.

Sienna stood completely motionless, letting him hold her.

"Why is your face so red?" Finn asked, his Adam's apple bobbing sharply.

Sienna looked up at him, her voice strained and hoarse.

"...Is it possible that I'm running a fever?"