Worried that Clara might say something, Ryan quickly spoke up before she could, "Oh, so you're Ms. Salford's brother. There was a bit of a misunderstanding earlier. I noticed she didn't look well and got a little worried, so I wanted to check if she still had a fever.
"She must have misunderstood my intentions."
He turned to Clara with an apologetic look. "Ms. Salford, I stopped you earlier because you seemed nervous and looked pale. I just wanted to explain, but I didn't expect it to come across the wrong way. I'm sorry if I startled you."
Wren glanced at him but didn't acknowledge his excuse. Instead, he turned to Clara, lowering his head slightly to meet her eyes. With a serious expression, he stared at her and asked, "Clara, are you okay? Tell me what really happened."
Clara had regained her composure. She hesitated for a moment, taking in the serious look on Wren's face, then glanced at Ryan.
Ryan no longer wore the unsettling expression he had when they were alone. Instead, he looked diffident and resigned, as if she had completely misunderstood him.
Clara replayed the moment in her mind. Aside from his attempt to touch her forehead, he hadn't actually done anything inappropriate.
She had always felt the need to keep her distance from him, mostly because of Nina. Being alone with him in the ward earlier had only heightened her unease, making her more likely to misread the situation.
His explanation wavered her certainty for a moment, making her question whether she had overreacted.
However, the discomfort he caused her was real. No matter what, she didn't like him.
Still, without proof, she wouldn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble. Besides, Wren would be leaving Larkston soon. If he voiced her suspicions now with nothing to back them up… what then?
She then pondered for a while. In the end, she shook her head and said, "I'm fine, Wren."
Looking at Ryan, Clara frowned without even realizing it. "Mr. Chase, whether this was a misunderstanding or not, I hope you'll be more mindful of your actions in the future.
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