---- Chapter 246 The sky outside the window was gradually brightening. Liam, leaning over the hospital bed, finally couldn't hold back any longer and fell asleep. Voices came from the hallway, and Wendy slowly opened her eyes. All she saw was a sea of white, and the familiar scent of disinfectant filled her nose. She laughed bitterly to herself. She had just gotten discharged from the hospital.

She hadn't fully healed from her fracture and still needed crutches to walk steadily, yet here she was again. Misfortune really did come in waves. Hearing her laughter, a half-awake Liam propped himself up and instinctively asked, "Are you okay? Do you feel unwell? Do you need to go to the bathroom?" The flood of questions made Wendy laugh softly. "You don't need to be so worried.

Since I'm awake, that means most of the stimulant has worn off."" Liam rubbed his nose and said apologetically , "Sorry. I must have dozed off." She looked at him and asked, "Did you sleep here by the bed allnight?" He nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't really tired anyway." ---- He said he wasn't tired, but his eyes were bloodshot. Wendy frowned and opened her mouth, but she was unsure of what to say. Since Liam returned, he had been by her side, protecting and caring for her.

She was deeply grateful, but now, no words seemed enough to express how she felt. "Liam, you didn't have to go this far for me," Wendy began, but her words took a different turn. She pressed her lips together and, seeing the confusion on his face, explained, "I appreciate everything you've done, but you've done so much that I don't even know how to repay you. " Liam's expression softened, but a firm determination shone inhis eyes. "I don't need your thanks.

It's my responsibility to protect and take care of you." When he saw her in such pain last night, he had asked himself why he felt so powerless as a doctor. He had to get her away from danger, bring her to the hospital, and rely on medication to slowly ease her suffering. As Wendy leaned against his shoulder and finally calmed down to fall asleep, only one thought remained in his mind. He wanted to protect her and never let her be hurt or manipulated like this again.

---- He looked at her sincerely, without hiding the deep feelings in his eyes. Wendy froze for a moment. She sensed a subtle shift in the air -a faint, heated tension had begun to rise between them. She clutched the blanket tightly and stared at Liam. However, when their eyes met, she suddenly looked away, flustered. She couldn't even hold his gaze. She felt a strange, unfamiliar feeling stirring within her. Everything had come too suddenly. Her emotions were tangled and overwhelming .

She couldn't sort through this reckless , confusing new feeling so quickly. Biting her lip, she chose to remain silent. Liam never looked away. How could he not notice her unease? Her silence and averted gaze spoke volumes. She was avoiding him. His eyes darkened, and he broke the silence. "There's no need for us to be so formal with each other. We're friends , aren't we?" Wendy quickly nodded, as if clutching a lifeline in an endless sea. "Yes, we're friends.

If you were in a situation like this, I would do the same for you." That was the truth, but she still couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. ---- A flicker of disappointment passed through Liam's gaze, but it was quickly replaced by a helpless smile. "Of course, we're good friends. We always have been."