Elin could only manage to eat a small amount before feeling full.

But Erick's encouragement led her to eat almost half of her meal.

Later that evening, Erick returned with a first aid kit to tend to Elin's injuries. Under the soft glow of the room's lights, his focused attention exuded a captivating charm.

Lost in her thoughts, Elin found herself gazing at him until their eyes met. Embarrassed, she quickly looked away.

However, Erick gently lifted her chin and whispered, "Feel free to look. I don't charge."

Elin's cheeks flushed crimson at his words. The meticulous arrangements Erick had made helped dissipate almost entirely the fear she had felt.

Seeing Elin's dispirited appearance at the police station had pained Erick deeply, causing him to no longer dwell on her previous distant behavior toward him.

Men like Erick admired and pursued by many, often held strong pride.

Even if it was just companionship, he hoped for genuine affection, not fickleness. Elin's casual mention of having accustomed to being Dayton's wife had wounded his pride deeply.

Despite having grown up together like childhood sweethearts, it seemed to Erick that Elin placed more value on Dayton, who had suddenly appeared and treated her poorly. Even though she claimed not to love Dayton anymore, it still stung, as they had surely married for love initially.

Erick knew he couldn't have entered the picture at all if it hadn't been for Dayton's mistreatment of Elin, which led her to give up on Dayton.

Erick tried not to dwell on these thoughts, feeling somewhat embarrassed for pondering such concerns.

But Erick couldn't shake his desire for Elin. During the years she was away, he had lived a celibate life, but upon reconnecting with Elin, he found himself truly struggling to control his desires.

Elin, being more straightforward than Erick, comforted him afterward by saying, "We're both adults, and having needs is normal. Don't worry about it. We can simply be companions."

By uttering those words, Elin unmistakably acknowledged that their relationship was solely that of companionship.

However, Erick struggled to fully accept this term. Especially when Elin assumed the role of companion, it heightened the complexity of their emotions. He hoped she loved him, yet deep down, he harbored a certain fear of her developing feelings for him. He knew he couldn't provide her with what she truly desired. All he could do was provide her with the necessary assistance and some solace, nothing beyond that.

Erick stood up and said softly, "You'll sleep in this room, and I'll be next door. Call me if you need anything. Try to get some rest early."

With that, he turned around, ready to leave for a rest.

However, a delicate hand caught the corner of his nightshirt.

As Erick looked down, his gaze moved from Elin's hand to her face, and he asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong?"