Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Chapter 212

Just remembering the strain between them caused a sharp pain in Lily's chest. But she had to maintain a clear mind.

she pulled her hand away!

y from his when she stopped looking at him.

The warmth from his palm lingered, spreading through her chest. The pain was far more unbearable than when he had been cruel to her.

Xavier's hand was left empty, and for some reason, his heart felt hollow too. He furrowed his brows and glanced at her.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a soft glow on Lily's face. Her delicate, fair cheeks were tinged with a soft pink flush that reached her ears. He realized that he had never taken a good look at her before.

Her lips were red, ber teeth white, her skin flawless-she was the most stunning woman he had ever seen. It was a realization that came late. "Beep! Beep!"

The car hom sounded, and Xavier snapped out of his reverie as the light turned green. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal.

They arrived at Jadeford Hospital half an hour later. They didn't see Rowan right away in the operating room, but they heard his cries first.

Lily followed Xavier through the crowd of anxious family members waiting for surgery, heading toward the front.

Just as she steadied herself, Rowan hopped barefoot toward Xavier. "Xavier, help me! My hand is going to scar!"

Lily stood behind Xavier when, suddenly, a pair of arms were wrapped tightly around his waist

Rowan had curled his legs around Xavier and clung to him like a woman, his head pressed against Xavier's chest as he hugged him.

"Rowan!" Xavier gritted his teeth, his hands gripping Rowan's shoulders to push him away. "Are you messing with me?"

"If I get a scar, I'll kill myself! This is life or death, how could you not come?" Rowan clung to him, crying as he exaggerated his voice.

Xavier, who cared about his image and reputation, felt utterly uncomfortable being hugged by another man. The strange stares of those around him made it impossible to hold his head up.

"Let's talk inside."

He pushed Rowan into the surgery waiting room and closed the door before speaking to the doctor about Rowan's condition. During the experiment, Rowan had accidentally mixed two chemicals, causing a reaction that spilled onto his hand and burned it. The burn, which was about the size of a coln, was deep due to the corrosive nature of the chemicals and would leave an unsightly scar. The doctor explained that surgery was needed to clean the necrotic tissue and inject an antidote to prevent further damage. While the injury wasn't life-threatening, it would be painful and leave a permanent scar.

"What are you still standing there for? Xavier extended his hand to the doctor. "Start the surgery."

"Of course," the doctor replied quickly, handing him the surgery consent for

Xavier signed it swiftly, grabbed Rowan by the hair, and pulled him away from his chest.

"You like hugging men? Once your surgery's over, you can hug them as much as you want."

Rowan was now genuinely crying, his eyes brimming with tears. "I just want to hug you, you can bring me-

"Shut up!" Xavier couldn't stand another word. He showed him toward the doctor and turned to leave the room.

Countless eyes turned toward him at the door, examining him curiously. The gaze of the crowd was filled with questioning. Thankfully, Lily was there she could

vouch for his orientation

But Xavier's gaze suddenly narrowed as he looked at where Lily had been standing just moments ago. The spot was now empty.