I Returned to the Day He Brought His First Love Home-Chapter 78: I Don’t Want a Relationship for the Time Being

"Cough, cough..."

Grace Winslow woke up in the middle of the night.

She had been overwrought with anxiety, and now that she could finally relax, her whole body ached.

The pain from her wounds felt magnified, exceptionally sharp in the darkness.

"Are you okay?"

A familiar voice sounded beside her.

Grace looked up in surprise, meeting Archer Rhys’s worried gaze.

She forced a smile. "I’m fine. What are you doing here?"

"I heard there was trouble at the textile factory, and I figured it had to be you." Archer turned, poured Grace a glass of water, then helped her sit up, tucking a pillow behind her back.

Grace took the glass. "Thank you."

"It’s nothing serious, so you can go home. I should be safe here in the hospital, and besides, Gordon Lynch has already been arrested."

’It wasn’t proper for an unmarried man and woman to be alone together like this. After all, she and Archer barely knew each other. She didn’t care if rumors started about her, but she was afraid they might affect him.’

"I promised your brother I’d look after you. I’ll leave tomorrow when your family gets here." Archer didn’t explain further, simply sitting back down.

Grace sighed in resignation. ’He clearly has no intention of leaving.’

She drank the water, which soothed her throat.

’Her wounds really hurt. She’d barely felt it when she fell, but now the pain was searing, as if ants were gnawing at her skin.’

Tossing and turning, she found it impossible to sleep. She turned over and saw Archer sitting quietly in the chair beside her. After a moment’s thought, she spoke up, "Archer."

Archer’s gaze fell upon her. "What is it?"

"I know you’re good friends with my brother and that you promised him you’d help look after me, but I don’t need anyone to take care of me."

"You probably know a little about my situation. After my divorce from Caleb Forrest, I have no intention of remarrying. There are some things I want to make clear to you now, so I don’t waste your time."

Grace’s tone was soft, but it held an unquestionable finality.

Archer’s expression didn’t change. His voice was cool and devoid of emotion. "You’re overthinking things. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. Just rest. I’ve already notified your family."

Grace glanced at him. Seeing his blank expression, it seemed he truly had no interest in her that way.

She finally let out a sigh of relief.

She had been worried Archer might have feelings for her. After everything she’d been through with Caleb Forrest, she simply had no mental energy for that sort of thing anymore.

Quiet settled over the hospital room once more.

Grace gradually drifted off to sleep.

Archer watched the drip of her IV, his gaze falling on her clean, pretty face.

He cursed under his breath, "You little heartbreaker. When we were kids, you said you’d marry me when you grew up. Liar."

But his voice was too soft, and Grace, deep in sleep, didn’t hear a thing.

The next morning, Grace was woken by a commotion.

When Irene Lynch and the others received the news that Grace had been in an accident at the factory, their hearts leaped into their throats.

Arriving at the hospital, they saw that Grace had injuries on her face, arms, and legs.

The shock was too much for Irene Lynch; she fainted on the spot.

Nolan Winslow pulled Archer aside to ask what had happened.

When he learned that Grace had audaciously reported human traffickers and been discovered by them, leading to her dangerous ordeal, he was scared half to death.

"You damn girl, you’re absolutely reckless! Are human traffickers people you can afford to provoke? No, this won’t do. They might have accomplices. What if they come looking for you to cause more trouble?"

Grace rubbed her temples, exasperated. "Brother, you’re exaggerating. They’ve already been arrested. I’ll be fine. We have to trust the police."

"I don’t care. From now on, when you have a day off, you call home in advance or call my office, and I’ll come pick you up myself." Nolan Winslow wasn’t listening to a word she said.

’If the police were really so reliable, how could Grace have gotten so badly hurt? The situation must have been incredibly dangerous. If his little sister hadn’t been so quick-witted, something far worse would have happened.’