When fate plays its hand

Miranda was stunned. Before she could even protest, Paul had already removed her shoes and her socks

She looked down at him and noticed the serious expression on his face. It was as if he were condu an important experiment. Her breath hitched, and her heart started to race

Miranda realized she had never truly considered why Paul treated her so well. Maybe it was simply because he was a genuinely good person–kind to her and everyone around him.

But at that moment, she couldn’t deny that he treated her differently. No matter how kind or pincere he was, it didn’t seem possible for him to treat a stranger this way.

After removing her shoes and socks, Paul gently held her ankle, just as Alaric had instructed.

His palm was cold. When his fingers brushed against Miranda’s foot, a strange jolt seemed to pass between them. Both of their hearts skipped a beat.

The skin beneath his fingers was smooth and delicate. Paul swallowed hard as he tried to fight the emotions stirring within him.

Miranda couldn’t quite put the feeling into words. It was a mix of itchiness and heat, almost like she was being burned–but she couldn’t tell if the intense warmth was coming from him or herself.

She instinctively wanted to pull her foot away. But when she recalled Alaric’s earlier words, she forced herself to stay still.

Their expressions must have been awkward because even the assistant, sorting the medicinal herbs nearby, couldn’t help but glance at them several times.

“Well, this is a first–Paul is sitting so close, and he’s not passing out from the needles?”

Whenever Paul had come to the clinic with Susan in the past, he would turn pale at the sight of needles and try to hide as far away as possible. One glance would make him uncomfortable. If he looked too long. he’d pass out. But today…. © NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

“Ah, I get it! He’s with his girlfriend today, that’s why!” The assistant, Odessa Shade, chuckled. Her eyes crinkled with warmth.

Since Miranda couldn’t move or speak, she simply pretended she hadn’t heard that.

Paul cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure of where to look.

Alaric noticed their discomfort and quickly stepped in to break the tension. “Have you got all the licorice root ready for tomorrow? Several patients will need it in their prescriptions for tomorrow.”

Odessa, eager to gossip, hesitated but then remembered the work at hand. She eventually returned inside to prepare the medicinal herbs.

Once Alaric applied the medicinal patch, Miranda felt a comforting warmth spreading through her ankle, and the swelling pain eased considerably.

“It’s normal to feel some heat after the patch is applied, Alaric explained. “Leave it on for 12 hours, then remove it. Make sure it doesn’t get wet, and be careful when walking. Don’t stand for too long.”

He was concerned that young people tended to forget things, so he made sure to remind them once again before they left.

Miranda nodded patiently. “Got it. Thank you.”

Just as they were about to leave, Odessa came running out from the back and handed her a few packets of medicine

“What is this.” Miranda asked, puzzled.

“Mr. Lockhart mentioned that you might be dealing with some energy imbalance during your period. He prescribed some herbal remedies to help with that. The instructions for preparing them are on the packaging. Once you take it, you should feel much better during your next cycle.”

Odessa squeezed her hand gently, and her voice softened with affection. “I’ve never seen Paul this concerned about someone before. You really need to take care of yourself, especially if you’re planning to have children someday.”

Miranda and Paul exchanged an awkward glance.

Alaric, unable to stand it any longer, said, “Alright, that’s enough. Paul knows what he’s doing. Just prepare the herbs and mind your own business.”