Chapter 38: Chapter 38: No Comparison to Her
Claire Sinclair smiled faintly and said matter-of-factly, "When I was a kid, my dad used to beat me. One time, I came home late, and he broke my leg. Then he locked me in a pitch-black room for several days.
When they finally let me out, I was apparently in a coma for a long time. The doctors said there was nothing physically wrong with me, but ever since then, my legs freeze up whenever I’m terrified or panicked. To this day, I still don’t know why."
She recounted her story as if it were nothing, then gave a small laugh to herself and looked at the man’s grim face.
"Mr. Quincy, I’m just a cripple with unreliable legs. I’m completely useless to your political career and might even become a stumbling block. Have you considered divorcing me?"
Adrian Quincy’s cold eyes narrowed. ’So the bruises on her calves are from abuse at home.’
’No wonder Quinn was so worried about her. So she’s been miserable at home all this time.’
In that moment, Adrian Quincy felt a pang of sympathy for her, but also a surge of annoyance.
’Stupid woman! She can’t even walk down the stairs properly!’
The man abruptly lowered his head, gripping her chin and pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her, a gentle gnawing, as if he wanted to consume her entirely.
Claire Sinclair blinked, her mind going completely blank.
Her gaze accidentally met his deep, bottomless eyes. A strange, bewitching force tugged at her heart, as if it wanted to pull her down into The Inferno.
’She was starting to notice a pattern. Whenever she said the wrong thing without meaning to, if he didn’t scold her, he would kiss her.’
’So what’s the deal this time?’
...
Adrian Quincy truly was a "busy man." He made a special trip home to apply ointment for her, kissed her until the world spun, and then took his leave.
As he left, he said, "Go visit Grandpa at the hospital when you have a chance."
Seeing as the guy had made a special trip back just to treat her injury, Claire Sinclair decided she would go visit Grandpa White-beard at the hospital that very day.
...
The hospital was filled with the strong smell of disinfectant. Claire Sinclair didn’t like it, so she covered her nose with her hand, only lowering it once she’d grown accustomed to the scent.
She took the elevator to the 11th floor and went straight to room 1101.
As she approached the door, she could hear voices from inside.
"Grandpa, please don’t be mad that my brother hasn’t come to visit. The election is just around the corner, and this is probably the busiest he’s ever been in his life. That’s why I’ve come to see you in his place! Aren’t you happy I came, Grandpa?"
"Of course Grandpa is happy to see you, Yara. But that rascal of a brother of yours... he’s almost thirty and only just now registered his marriage with Quinn. Yara, when you go back, you have to convince your sister-in-law to hurry things along. Tell her to get right on it and give me a great-grandchild with your brother."
Yara Quincy was stunned. "Grandpa, what did you just say?"
The old man thought his granddaughter simply hadn’t heard him because he was speaking too quietly, so he raised his voice. "I said, you tell your brother and Quinn to hurry up and give me a great-grandchild! State affairs are important, but family affairs can’t fall by the wayside."
Yara Quincy said frantically, "No, Grandpa, that’s not what I meant! You said my brother and Quinn got their marriage license? When did this happen? How come I don’t know anything about it?"
’Quinn died in the line of duty two years ago. But my brother was afraid it would devastate Grandpa, so he never told him.’
’If what Grandpa just said is true, then the person who actually married my brother is...’
’It can’t be...???’
The mere thought of that possibility seemed unbelievable to Yara Quincy, and almost impossible to accept.
’Quinn had been a prodigy at the training camp. Later, she was assigned to be my brother’s personal bodyguard. She stayed by his side until that one mission, the one she had to lead personally... and she never came back.’