Chapter 701:

Darwin reacted instantly, his arm circling her waist while his other hand steadied her back, pulling her securely into his embrace.

Belinda regained her footing, her face flushing slightly as she quickly stepped away from Darwin. “Thank you,” she said.

Before Darwin could reply, a frantic voice rang out from behind them. “Excuse me, please make way!”

Darwin immediately grabbed Belinda’s wrist, pulling her to the side as a man came rushing out of a nearby private room. The man was holding a little girl whose arm was red and swollen, unmistakably from a fresh burn.

He hurried toward the elevators, the girl’s heart-wrenching cries echoing in the hallway. The girl’s mother followed closely behind.

Belinda’s chest tightened at the sound, her instincts kicking in.

Just then, a waiter carrying an ice bucket and a bottle of wine passed by.

“Wait!” Belinda called out to the waiter.

She quickly untied the scarf from around her neck, grabbed a handful of ice cubes from the bucket, and wrapped them in the fabric. Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted toward the elevators.

Darwin and the waiter stood frozen, momentarily stunned by her swift actions.

“Wait!” Belinda called out again as the family prepared to step into the elevator, her voice urgent.

She gently placed the scarf with the ice on the girl’s swollen arm and turned to the woman beside her. “Hold this in place and make sure to keep icing the burn on your way to the hospital.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The girl’s mother grasped the makeshift ice pack, her gratitude pouring out in rapid words.

Belinda shook her head lightly. “No need to thank me. Just get her to the hospital as quickly as you can.”

The family hurried into the elevator, the girl’s cries gradually fading as the doors slid shut. Darwin stood there silently, watching the scene. A sudden, unexpected wave of emotion surged through him—not pain, but something intense, resonating in his chest.

Darwin found himself at a loss for words, unable to fully describe the storm of emotions brewing inside him. Each encounter with Belinda seemed to etch a deeper impression on his heart, one he wasn’t sure he wanted there. This wasn’t a good sign.

The thought made Darwin frown slightly, his brows furrowing in quiet frustration.

As he watched Belinda walking toward him, he felt something unexpected. It was as though she was steadily carving a place for herself in his heart, and he couldn’t stop it.

When Belinda reached Darwin and the waiter, she turned to the waiter and offered a sincere apology. “I’m sorry,” she said, her tone apologetic yet composed. “I’ll buy this bottle of wine. Please bring a new one to the other table.”

The waiter, having witnessed Belinda’s quick action to help the injured little girl, shook his head with a kind smile. “No need for that,” he said, his voice warm. “I’ll just switch out the ice bucket.”

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