Chapter 21
I turned my head and saw Hannah standing not far away, her expression a mix of surprise and hurt.
At her feet lay a dented thermos and spilled porridge, looking utterly messy. Whether her emotions were genuine or just an act, I couldn’t tell.
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zach beside me. His expression flickered for a moment, as if caught off guard, then quickly returned to its previous calm.
I couldn’t help but smile. His earlier words had clearly been wishful thinking, but his mind clearly wasn’t aligned with them.
“What are you doing here?” Zach asked in a calm voice.
Hannah’s tone was plaintive: “You were so sick the other day, and I’ve been worried. I made you some porridge. I wanted to keep looking after you.
But when I got to your building, I saw you driving off somewhere unknown. I followed because I was concerned. But now… it seems like I’m not needed.”
She crouched down, cleaning up the spilled porridge and the dented thermos with exaggerated care, as if she’d been deeply wronged. Zach’s expression was subtle. He seemed about to say something, but Hannah interrupted him:
“Zach, I understand. I really do hope you and Serena can work things out. You should be good to her. It’s my fault for being so naive.” “You two focus on what you need to do. I’ll finish cleaning up and leave.”
As she spoke, she glanced at the teddy bear tossed on the back seat, then lowered her head and continued cleaning the porridge stains on the ground.
Seeing her act so responsibly, Zach seemed conflicted. He shifted his feet but stopped short.
“You should head back. I’ll have someone clean this up later.”
“No need,” Hannah shook her head. “Mr. Zach, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m no longer the little kid who needs your care. When you were sick recently, I took care of you for days. I know how to clean up after myself.”
Mentioning her taking care of him, Zach’s expression showed a hint of guilt. Yet he forced himself to look away.
“Get in the car,” he said, opening the door.
I didn’t get in. Calmly, I told him, “I’ll drive myself. Go take care of her. We’ve already broken up; there’s no need to put on a show in front of me.”
I saw a flash of surprise in Hannah’s eyes. She looked toward us, her words innocent, “You broke up? Why? Is Serena still upset with me? Did I come at the wrong time?”
“It’s none of your concern. We broke up peacefully,” Zach replied. He looked at me and added, “I said I would take you there. No matter what happens today, I will honor that promise.”
Just as his words fell, Hannah suddenly made a muffled groan, clutched her chest, and collapsed to the ground.
