Rift in the perfect picture

I wasn’t accustomed to handling such a large SUV. It felt unwieldy. Even though not everyone recognized the brand, the luxury of the Hawks‘ vehicle was unmistakable as it cruised

down the road.

I floored the pedal, and other cars started to veer aside. My attention was solely on the road ahead.

“Claudia, you can’t keep putting yourself in harm’s way. Your blood is precious and rare. You need to take care of yourself. I’ve told you this many times,” Nicholas said, his expression serious and tense.

He may have appeared aloof at times, but he consistently showed patience when it came to Claudia.

Claudia offered him a smile. “I promised I’d look after Ariana. I’d be just as concerned if something happened to her.”

“It’s easy to find someone else’s blood, but finding yours would be harder, especially since there are only three people in the entire city with Rh–negative blood. Where would I find a blood donor if something happened to you?”

“Nick, you have their contact information and know where they live. Don’t worry.”

The siblings‘ interaction was deeply touching. I was so “moved

that tears started to well up and blurred my vision..

I clenched the steering wheel, trying to tune out their words, but his mention of “someone else” lingered in my mind.

What did Nicholas imply by that? Did he think Claudia shouldn’t be hurt, and that I deserved to bear the brunt? My chest constricted, making it difficult to catch my breath.

Suddenly, the blare of a horn startled me. I hadn’t noticed a delivery motorcycle zooming around the corner until then, and I slammed the brakes.

The sudden stop jolted everyone in the car forward from the inertia, and my abdomen thudded hard against the steering wheel. Thankfully, no one was injured.

However, Claudia’s wound split open from the violent shaking. Her façade of strength shattered instantly, and she couldn’t hold back her tears, tracing lines down her face. With her head tilted back, she sobbed in Nicholas‘ embrace. “Nick, it hurts so badly!”

Nicholas‘ focus remained entirely on Claudia. He didn’t even look my way. Yet, his protective stance toward her was palpable as he snapped, “Ariana, don’t push it too far!”

“It’s just-”

“Nick, ease up on Ariana. It’s her first time driving this car, so, understandably, she’s not familiar with it!” Claudia interjected.

I clenched my jaw, holding back the need to justify myself. Despite the discomfort in my abdomen, I powered up the car

again.

Claudia had lost a significant amount of blood. Frances felt lightheaded as she watched Nicholas lift Claudia, soaked in

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blood, out of the car.

Despite his frail health, Daniel drew on his years as the head of the Hawk family to manage the unexpected situation with a practiced calm. He pinched the bridge of his nose tightly, gradually regaining his composure.

Our entire family escorted Claudia into the operating room. Meanwhile, I received a call from Mom, who arrived soon after.

“Ari, what’s happening? I had a meeting with Nicholas scheduled for a project. Why are you always creating issues?” Mom scowled impatiently, irritated that I was disrupting her chances to make money.

“Brenda, please don’t. It was just an accident. Ari was scared too. What happened, Ari? Tell your mother,” Frances spoke up in my defense.

Yet, the glance Nicholas shot my way afterward left me feeling. cold and disheartened. I could feel his silent accusation, even though he didn’t say a word to me. His stare bore into me as if silently questioning why I hadn’t been the one hurt.

“Frances, Daniel. I…” I faltered, struggling to find the right words to explain the urgency of the situation at that moment.

I wondered if I should simply kneel and apologize to them. After all, Claudia did protect me from the knife. Otherwise, I might have been the one headed to the operating room for stitches now.

My knees weren’t quite about to buckle when Nicholas suddenly.seized my arm and led me away from the scene. He

forcefully shoved me out of the hospital entrance, suppressing

his anger, and spoke in a controlled tone.

“Go back. There’s no need for you to stay here.

Today’s musin