Theodore was about to comfort Ariana further, but she suddenly changed the subject.

“I'm sorry. To be honest, I always suspected that you were pretending to be disabled. From now on, I won't doubt you anymore. You don't know how desperate I felt when you were stuck in that car. When it happened, I really hoped your legs were okay."

Ariana's voice trembled. She looked pale and frightened.

Theodore froze, hesitating. He silently put his hand back under the quilt. He went quiet for a long time. At some point, he broke the silence and said bitterly, "Would you be angry if I were pretending?"

Ariana sobbed, tears dripping from her lashes. She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and said exasperatedly, "Of course, I'd be angry! Wouldn't that be making fun of me? After getting to know you for so long, I think of you as my friend. If you were making a fool out of me behind my back, I wouldn't know how to face you. Luckily, it didn't turn out like that."

Theodore avoided looking at her. He was caught in a dilemma. He fell into an even longer silence.

Ariana raised her head. Her eyes were wet and puffy from crying.

She tilted her head at Theodore curiously, confusion in her glossy eyes.

"By the way, you said you were hiding something from me at that time. What is it?"

Theodore let out an awkward cough and made up a lame excuse.

“It's nothing. I just wanted to tell you that Horace broke the water heater in your hotel room last time."

Ariana was taken aback. Was such an insignificant piece of information pressing enough to tell her in a life-or-death situation?

She felt a tinge of disappointment and pursed her lips. She said disparagingly, “I thought you were going to tell me you have an illegitimate child or something."

Theodore almost choked. He looked at her, speechless. He said, "I don't understand why the hell you would think that."

His tone irritated her so, not to be outdone, Ariana retorted hotly, "I haven't even said anything to scold you! You're always so sarcastic. I don't even know how to talk to you sometimes."

“I'm sarcastic? Give me an example." Theodore was so infuriated that he laughed and stared at her pointedly. His expression obviously warned her not to say another word, or he'd kill her.

Ariana immediately gave in. She lowered her eyes and said insipidly, “I can't remember. I'll tell you if I think of one."

Theodore opened his mouth to say something else, but Horace and the doctor entered the room at that moment.

Ariana instantly diverted her attention to them and asked, “Doctor, how are his legs? Is he okay? Is it possible to cure him?"

The doctor glanced at Horace with a strange expression. He faced Ariana's hopeful eyes, decided to bite the bullet, and said, “The patient's legs are seriously injured."