Under the Heiress' Facade
Chapter 152

"You left in a hurry, claiming you were coming back to check on Tiramisu. Yet here you are, meetingthat guy?" Bernard questioned, his expression souring.

Glancing at Christopher, whom he recognized as Aaron's cousin, Bernard scoffed again. He wasclearly physically superior to Christopher, so he couldn't fathom why Hera would acceptChristopher's bouquet.

Bernard had thought Tiramisu was his only competition, but apparently, there was this guy too!

"That's none of your concern," Hera replied, remembering he hadn't explained himself either whenhe was alone with other women.

"You're underage, so I forbid you to date!" Bernard retorted.

"I also forbade you from moving around, and yet you're here," Hera stated, her displeasure evidentas she stared at him in the wheelchair.

Despite the biting winter cold, Bernard was clad only in thin casual attire, his hands on the armrestturning ashen from the chill.

Hera wondered why he was there alone in such weather. Judging by the red stain near his left thighon his pants, Hera assumed his wound had been reopened.

"Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair?" Hera asked, her brows furrowed.

Even though the surgery was successful, his wound still required time to fully heal. Hera couldn'thelp but question whether Bernard truly cared about his health.

Sensing her anger, Bernard lowered his gaze to his legs and said, "Aaron needs to go on a mission,so he decided to send me back."

He then raised his head and looked into Hera's eyes, his eyes tinged with innocence. "He didn'teven have the time to send me back to my unit, leaving me here alone."

Hera quietly observed him, amazed at his skill at playing the victim.

…

Meanwhile, as Aaron drove away from Skyview Heights, he suddenly sneezed. Glancing at therearview mirror, he noticed a black coat in the backseat. He cursed. When did Bernard take off hiscoat and leave it here?

…

Back at the entrance of Skyview Heights, Hera questioned Bernard again, "Where's Douglas then?"

"He's on vacation," Bernard replied without hesitation.

Hera gazed at him in silence.

Meanwhile, Douglas, who was sent to buy some bottled water near Skyview Heights, suddenlyreceived a message from Bernard. The message read, "Don't come back. You're on vacation."

Douglas was left puzzled by the message.

Speechless, Hera handed Bernard the bouquet and pushed his wheelchair toward his unit.

Glancing at the bouquet, Bernard scoffed in disdain at those 30 pink roses.

…

When Hera and Bernard arrived at Block 8, Hera heard a noise from the nearby trash can as shereached for the elevator button.

She turned around, only to see a big bouquet forcefully thrown into the non-recyclable trash bin,with a few pink rose petals scattered on the ground.

Recognizing it was her bouquet, Hera stared at Bernard.

"My leg was hurting, so I couldn't hold onto it. It just slipped out of my grasp. I'll buy you anotherone," Bernard replied casually, already searching for nearby florists on his phone.

While Hera was left speechless, Bernard's response deeply impressed a man standing next to theelevator.

…

Arriving on the top floor, Hera was greeted by Tiramisu as soon as she opened the door.

It had been a while since Tiramisu had seen Hera, so it enthusiastically rubbed against her feet, itstail wagging joyfully.

"I missed you so much, Tiramisu!" Hera exclaimed, lifting the little pig in one hand while guidingBernard's wheelchair with the other.

Setting Tiramisu on the couch, Hera turned on the heater and fetched a blanket to cover Bernardbefore making him a cup of tea.

After completing her tasks, Hera cradled Tiramisu and casually remarked, "Take off your pants onceyou've warmed up. I'll take a look at your wound."

Feeling a bit self-conscious about her words, she turned to Bernard, who sat motionless in hiswheelchair, his smile bearing a hint of mystery.

"My leg hurts. I can't move. Can you please help me take them off?" Bernard pleaded affectionately,his tone laced with laziness.

Hera quietly looked at his thigh. Due to the urgency of the surgery, she hadn't paid much attentionto the wound's exact location.

Now, without the sterile cloth obstructing her view, she finally realized the wound was quite close tohis groin. If the bullet had deviated a little more, Bernard might have lost his manhood.

"Hold on," Hera said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Bernard as she contemplated the potentialseverity of his injury. Setting Tiramisu down, she turned to fetch her medical kit.

Bernard smiled victoriously at Tiramisu, suddenly replaceing it adorable. However, his smile didn't lastlong.

Hera, holding a medical kit in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other, approached him. Withouthesitation, she began to cut down his pants. Her demeanor appeared somewhat inappropriate tobystanders.

With a few snips, Hera swiftly cut a large hole around the bloodstain on Bernard's trousers,revealing the wound beneath. As she had anticipated, the wound had reopened, and blood wasseeping out.

Removing the bandage, Hera retrieved a few silver needles from her kit and used them to stem thebleeding. After cleaning the wound, she applied a fresh bandage.

As Hera knelt between Bernard's legs, meticulously tending to his wound, his gaze fixated on herfair nape, feeling an inexplicable dryness in his throat. Whenever her fingers brushed against histhigh, he felt a surge of sensation coursing through him.

"All done. Now, go lie down in bed and stay put," Hera instructed, snipping the bandages.

Raising her head, she noticed Bernard's expression seemed somewhat uneasy. She couldn't helpbut wonder if his wound hurt—which was odd because she was sure she had administered painrelief with her needles before tending his wound.

"Okay," Bernard responded, obediently wheeling himself to his room.

Feeling worried, Hera casually tidied up the medical kit before following him to the room.

As Bernard struggled to rise from the wheelchair, Hera rushed to assist him, fearing his woundmight reopen. However, she accidentally stumbled over Tiramisu, who suddenly darted out fromnowhere.

"Oof!" With Tiramisu's squeal, Hera fell into a solid embrace.

Bernard winced at the pain from his thigh wound, emitting a soft grunt as they both tumbled onto thebed.

"Are you okay?" Hera scrambled to get up.

"Don't move!" Bernard said, his voice hoarse.