bChapter /bb338 /b

Jade’s POV:

77

bI /bsat on the edge of the bed with a cushion hugged tightly against my chest, my back exposed to Ethan. The room was quiet except for the soft sound of the air conditioner and the asional rustle as Ethan prepared the medication for my wounds.

“Hold still,” Ethan murmured behind me, his fingers gathering my deep brown hair.

I felt his touch as he used his long fingers as a makeshiftb, running them through my hair a couple of times before skillfully twisting it up and securing it with a clip at the back of my head.

His fingertips grazed the gunshot wound that had gone clean through my shoulder, then traced down to the two knife wounds on bmy /bback. They had already scabbed over, leaving behind pale pink scars that contrasted with my skin. I felt his touch linger on the raised scar tissue on my upper back.

Ethan’s voice was soft, almost reverent. “These must have been painful.”

I didn’t respond. There was no need to state the obvious. As Shadow, my body had collected far more scars than the ones he could currently see.

I felt warm lips press gently against the scar on my shoulder, and my body tensed instinctively.

“Can’t you stay focused on one task?” I said, my voice deliberately neutral. “Just apply the medication.”

Ethan chuckled softly, the sound vibrating against my skin. “Right. Sorry.”

I scrolled through my phone as he began applying the cream, his fingertips making small circles to spread the medication evenly across my scars. The sensation was oddly soothing, despite the clinical nature of the task.

After finishing with the scar on my upper shoulder, Ethan paused. I could sense his hesitation. fn3055 ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find[?]ovel/fn3055

Ethan’s fingers hovered near the scar before moving to treat the one lower on my right back, closer to my waist. Once he’d finished with that one, his attention returned to the middle scar.

“This one’sb… /bcovered,” he said, his finger lightly touching the fabric over the scar.

“Then unsp it,” I replied without looking up from my phone.

There was a moment of silence behind me.

“You know how to do that, right?” I asked, a hint of amusement in my voice.

“I do,” Ethan answered, his voice steady-

I felt his fingers work at the sp of my sports bra, skillfully unhooking it with minimal fumbling. bAs /bthe tension in the fabric released, I instinctively hugged the cushion tighter against my chest.

Ethan’s fingers returned to my back, spreading the medication over the newly exposed scar. His touch was efficient but gentle.

2200

“Done,” he announced a momentter. ‘Let’s wait for the cream to absorb before fastening it again. Otherwise, it’ll just wipe off”

I didn’t respond, continuing to scroll through my phone.

After a brief pause, Ethan stood up and moved around to face me. I lifted my gaze from my phone screen to meet his eyes.

“I’ve finished with your back,” he said, his expression unreadable.

“And?” I asked, my voice neutral.

“I should treat the front now,” he replied matter–of–factly.

“I can probably manage that myself,” I pointed out.

Ethan tilted his head slightly. “I might as well do it all.”

His eyes were clear and direct, his expressionpletely professional. I raised an eyebrow, holding his gaze steadily. For a moment, neither of us spoke, locked in a silent battle of wills.

Just as Ethan seemed about to concede, I looked away and lowered the cushion slightly, revealing the scar on my left chest.

The wound from my shoulder had been a through–and–through lower, and it would have pierced my heart. It had been a close call.

–

entering from the front and exiting through my back. Just a few inches

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