All I Can Give You Is This
1333 Words
Sharing juicy gossip and insider news isn’t as fun when you keep it to yourself.
Lucas Graves immediately started a group chat and uploaded the photo he’d secretly snapped of Adrian Blake and Sara Hart at the hospital.
Within minutes, his phone began buzzing with new messages.
Eric Thorne: "Adrian? Why were you at the hospital?"
Noah Ashford "And the girl next to him… that must be his new wife, right?"
Lucas Graves: "Ugh, you guys are no fun. How did you guess it right away?"
Anyone familiar with Adrian Blake would instantly recognize his distinctive posture and silhouette in the picture. And the petite girl beside him, wrapped in his shirt while they were at a hospital, couldn’t be anyone other than his newly wedded wife.
Lucas Graves eagerly filled them in on the whole story, recounting every detail of the day's events. He even added a little dramatic flair, emphasizing Adrian Blake's reactions and their interactions.
The two others, Eric Thorne and Noah Ashford, fell silent as they looked at the voice messages piling up with red notifications. Normally, they wouldn’t even bother listening to Lucas Graves’s chatter, but gossip about Adrian Blake? That was worth tolerating some noise.
Lucas Graves: "I think Adrian's little wife is quite interesting. Looks like I’ll need to stay in closer contact with him from now on."
Noah Ashford: "A college student? interesting, huh?"
Eric Thorne: "She even stepped in to take the hit for him. Intriguing. But I wonder if she’s sincere or just putting on a show."
Satisfied with their responses, Lucas Graves grinned to himself.
“Dr. Graves, a patient needs you,” a young nurse came to find him.
“Alright, I’m coming!” Lucas Graves slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed for his office.
---
Back at the Villa
When Adrian Blake and Sara Hart returned to the villa, Alice Miller greeted them at the door.
“Young Master, Young Madam, welcome back.”
Her eyes widened as she noticed Sara Hart's disheveled state and the faint red marks peeking out from her neck.
“What happened? Are you alright?” Alice Miller asked, concerned.
“It’s nothing, just a little burn,” Sara Hart said, trying to downplay the situation.
But Adrian Blake interrupted, “We went to my father’s house.”
Alice Miller froze for a moment. The tension between Adrian Blake and his father was no secret, and every time they met, it was like walking into a battlefield.
“Did you see a doctor? How bad is it?” Alice Miller asked, her worry growing.
“It’s not serious, nothing to worry about, Auntie Alice,” Sara Hart replied with a faint smile, as if the pain didn’t even touch her.
Adrian Blake glanced at her. She was smiling so calmly, as if everything were fine. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he might have believed her.
“Can you make something light for dinner? We haven’t eaten yet,” Adrian Blake said.
It was already past seven, and while he didn’t have much appetite, Sara Hart needed to eat. After everything that had happened, he couldn’t let her suffer more now that they were home.
“Of course! I’ll get started right away,” Alice Miller nodded and hurried to the kitchen, muttering to herself, “Why haven’t they eaten yet? What a day…”
Every time Adrian Blake visited his father’s house, it ended in some sort of argument. He never stayed for a meal, and more often than not, he came back with minor injuries. But this time, it was Sara Hart who had gotten hurt.
Sara Hart went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes. The T-shirt she had worn earlier had been cut open at the hospital, and now she was still wearing Adrian Blake’s shirt. As she hesitated with the shirt in her hands, she wasn’t sure whether to wash it herself or leave it for the staff who handled Adrian Blake’s laundry.
Adrian Blake, freshly showered and changed, came out of the bathroom to find Sara Hart sitting on the bed, still holding his shirt and looking a little lost.
“Your shirt…” she began, uncertain.
“Just leave it there,” he replied.
He had a specific place for worn clothes, and someone would collect them for cleaning later.
“Okay,” she whispered, placing the shirt where he had indicated.
Alice Miller knocked on the door to call them down for dinner. She had worked quickly, preparing chicken soup, braised pork ribs, sweet and sour pork, and a simple vegetable stir-fry. The dishes were mild and nutritious, perfect for Sara Hart’s recovery.
While Adrian Blake and Sara Hart ate in the dining room, Alice Miller retreated downstairs to call Adrian Blake’s grandmother.
When she finished recounting the day’s events, the old woman sighed heavily over the phone. “Those two… it seems the rift between father and son is too deep to mend.”
Alice Miller tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Madam. They just need time. Though I did notice that Young Master’s attitude towards Young Madam seems to have softened a bit after today.”
“Is her burn very bad?” the old woman asked.
“It looks quite serious, but she’s been to the hospital, so it should be fine.”
“That’s good. Stay there for a few days and look after them both,” Adrian Blake’s grandmother instructed.
“Yes, Madam.”
---
That night, Sara Hart couldn’t let the burn on her back get wet, so she had to carefully wipe down instead of taking a full shower. She changed into a nightgown, choosing one with a backless design so the medication wouldn’t be disturbed.
Adrian Blake caught a glimpse of her as she passed by, and he couldn’t help but notice how pale and delicate her skin was. The contrast between her fair skin and the angry red burn made the injury look even worse, like it was still oozing with blood.
As he looked closer, he noticed another bruise forming on her back, probably from where the base of the cup had struck her.
His father had thrown the cup with real force. Given the short distance, the impact must have been painful.
Of course, Adrian Blake thought bitterly, his father hadn’t held back at all.
“Why did you shield me from that tea?” Adrian Blake finally asked the question that had been on his mind all day.
Sara Hart looked up at him, standing under the warm glow of the lamp. His usually cold profile was softened by the light.
“I didn’t really think about it,” she said, her voice quiet as she lowered her gaze.
At the time, she truly hadn’t thought. She had simply reacted on instinct, throwing herself in front of him without hesitation. But now, looking back, she was glad she had. Otherwise, Adrian Blake would have been the one injured.
After a long silence, Adrian Blake handed her a bank card. “I’ll transfer money to this card every month.”
Sara Hart looked up in surprise, her long, dark lashes trembling as she blinked. She didn’t take the card.
“This is all I can give you,” Adrian Blake said, placing the card on her nightstand.
As his wife, she was entitled to financial support, and he would make sure she never lacked for anything material. But beyond that, there wasn’t much else he could give her.
Without another word, Adrian Blake moved to his side of the bed and pulled the covers over himself.
Sara Hart, unable to sleep on her back due to the injury, carefully lay on her stomach, resting her head on her pillow.
She reached over to switch off the lamp, holding her breath as the room plunged into darkness.
In the silence, a single tear slipped down her cheek, unnoticed and unacknowledged.
- Writer
