Chapter 75
Rain opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Alexander stepped forward. “I’m Lex, Rain’s husband,” he said, extending his hand toward Dina for a handshake.
Dina accepted his hand with a firm grip, her lips curling into a sneer. “Lex what? Can you at least introduce yourself properly p>
“Lancaster,” Alexander replied in his usual stoic manner. Despite his slightly dirty appearance at that moment, his handsomeness still managed to turn heads, including Dina’s, though she tried to hide it behind her mocking words.
Dina’s eyes briefly widened before she quickly masked her surprise. “Lancaster? I’m sure you’re not related to the Lancaster Group, are you?” she asked, her tone dripping with skepticism as Alexander pulled his hand back. “I’m Dina Clayton, Rain’s legitimate sister,” she added, her voice tinged with pride.
Rain’s face flushed with embarrassment. Did Dina really need to emphasize the word “legitimate”? The thought of Dina discovering the truth about Alexander sent a thrill of anticipation through her. What a shock it would be.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed her father approaching, his expression stern. “Father,” Rain muttered, her voice subdued.
He frowned as he stopped in front of them. “If it weren’t for this accident, we wouldn’t have had the chance to meet your husband,” he said, his tone clipped.
Rain’s hand instinctively tightened around the bedsheet, her knuckles turning white. Rain inwardly fumed, thinking, ’Can’t he at least check how I’m feeling right now p>
“Rain will need to stay here for another twenty-four hours. I want her under observation,” her father suddenly stated, directing his words to Alexander.
“No! I don’t want to stay,” Rain objected, her voice firm. She didn’t trust her father or Dina, not after what happened before. The memory of Dina drugging her to miss a competition during senior high still haunted her, a bitter reminder of the lengths her sister would go to sabotage her.
Rain’s frustration grew as she watched her father’s indifferent reaction. He always tolerated Dina’s actions, leaving Rain to bear the brunt of his scolding.
“My wife doesn’t want to stay, so we’ll leave,” Alexander stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Her father and Alexander locked eyes in a tense, unblinking stare, the air between them thick with unspoken challenge. Rain’s heart raced, and she quickly intervened, sensing the growing tension. “We’ll visit another time to see Aunt Melanie,” she added hastily, her voice edged with urgency.
They were in the middle of the emergency room, and the last thing she needed was more attention.
Rain took charge of signing her discharge papers, deliberately keeping Alexander out of the process. She knew her father would seize any opportunity to dig into Alexander’s background, and the last thing she wanted was to drag him into her family’s messy affairs.
As they were about to leave, Dina hurried over, blocking their path. With a pointed look, she launched into a lengthy reminder. “Don’t forget to visit. Aunt Melanie misses you too much, even if she doesn’t say it. You know stress can be harmful to her health, right? She might smile and say she’s fine, but deep down, I’m sure she’s not. After all, you two are more like mother and daughter, aren’t you p>
Rain’s grip on her bag tightened, her face betraying none of the turmoil Dina’s words stirred within her. She nodded stiffly, not trusting herself to respond without revealing how much Dina’s jab had struck a nerve.
Alexander was every bit the gentleman, his protectiveness evident as he guided Rain carefully to his car, one hand steadying her as they walked through the parking lot. Once she was settled inside, Rain immediately reached for her mobile phone to call Matt and reschedule her meeting with Luis.
Before she could even fully explain, Matt’s voice on the other end cut her off, tense and urgent. “We have a problem p>
Rain’s heart sank. “What do you mean p>
“Luis was declared dead just minutes ago. There was a riot at the detention center, and he was badly injured,” Matt informed her.
Rain’s face flushed with frustration. Of all the times, why now? She hadn’t even had a chance to speak with Luis, to extract any information that could have been crucial to the case.
She cursed under her breath before responding, “Keep me updated on the situation there. Something’s off, and I need to know exactly what happened p>
Rain’s mind raced as she ended the call. The timing of Luis’s death felt too convenient, almost orchestrated. She clenched her fists, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.
“Is everything alright?” Alexander asked, his voice steady, though concern flickered in his eyes as he watched her.
“No,” Rain admitted, letting out a shaky breath. “The witness I was supposed to meet, Luis… he’s dead. There was a riot at the detention center. It just feels like… like this is more than just a coincidence p>
“Even your accident seems suspicious, Rain. It’s only your second day at the prosecution office, and you already need to be extra cautious,” Alexander said suddenly, his voice laced with concern. “Do you really have to handle such dangerous cases so early in your career? Can’t you start with something simpler p>
Rain raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “You almost sound like a real husband right now, you know that p>
Alexander kept his eyes on the road, still frowning. “I’m just practicing since we’ll be doing a lot of husband-and-wife work to keep up appearances for my father p>
Rain couldn’t suppress a small smile as she noticed Alexander’s reddening ears. His usual stoic demeanor was cracking, revealing a more human side to him.
“Practicing, huh?” Rain teased, her voice light as she leaned back in her seat. “Well, you’re doing a pretty good job so far p>
With a playful glint in her eye, she added, “And maybe we can keep practicing this husband-and-wife thing. You seem to have a knack for it p>
Rain couldn’t resist teasing Alexander, especially when he blushed like that. It was such a rare, precious sight that she immediately grabbed her phone to snap a photo of his side profile.
“What’s that for?” he asked, eyes still focused on the road.
“Hmm, just a little souvenir of you blushing,” Rain replied casually, grinning.
Alexander glanced at her briefly, then back at the road, his ears still pink.
Rain suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, “By the way, how did you know I was in the hospital? Or were you just there coincidentally and saw me p>