As the water began to boil, a sudden clap of thunder rumbled from outside. In an instant, all the lights in the house went out, plunging everything into darkness. A power outage?

Clara quickly pulled out her phone and switched on the flashlight. She turned off the stove before heading out of the kitchen. She then tried flipping a few switches, but the power was still down. She thought of the electrical panel.

Deciding to check whether the circuit breaker had tripped or if the outage was widespread, she grabbed an umbrella with one hand and used her phone's flashlight in the other as she stepped outside. The neighboring house was also dark, but she didn't pay much attention as she made her way to the yard.

The electrical panel was mounted on the wall outside the main gate, higher than usual, to keep children from tampering with it.

Clara struggled to see clearly due to the rain, so she brought a small stool to stand on.

She noticed the switch had tripped. Thus, tilting her head to prop the umbrella against her shoulder, she reached up to flip the main breaker with her phone in her other hand.

Once it was back on, she prepared to grab the umbrella and step down from the stool. But just as she looked up, the umbrella slipped backward.

She instinctively reached for it, but in doing so, she stepped on the edge of the stool. She lost her balance and fell off the stool the next second. Though Clara reacted quickly and adjusted mid-fall to avoid hitting her head, she still landed awkwardly in the muddy water and twisted her ankle. A sharp, searing pain shot through her foot, making her face pale as she struggled to stand.

"Clara!"

Alexander stepped out just in time to witness the scene and rushed over with long, urgent strides.

Hearing his voice, Clara looked up at him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked as he helped her up, shielding her with the umbrella. He was about to say more when hurried footsteps sounded from behind. "Clara." Wren appeared, his face filled with concern. But as soon as he saw Clara with Alexander, his brows furrowed slightly.noveldrama

"She's injured," Alexander said, glancing at Wren as he raised the umbrella a bit to reveal Clara.

Wren took in the sight-Clara soaked through, the overturned stool, and the electrical panel on the wall. He pieced together what had happened instantly.

Realizing the power had gone out while he was in the bathroom, he'd worried something might happen to Clara and quickly dressed to find her. He'd guessed she went to check the electrical panel when he didn't see her downstairs.

But he was still a step too late.

A tense air surrounded Wren as he moved forward and scooped Clara up. He then swiftly headed back inside without saying a word.

Alexander watched Wren's anxious figure disappear into the distance before returning to his courtyard.

Once the power was restored, Wren carefully laid Clara down on the couch. He dropped to one knee in front of her, holding her leg as he reached to remove her slipper.

Clara instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but Wren held it firmly.

"Don't move. Let me check."

Clara hesitated briefly, then stayed still, allowing him to remove her slipper and sock. Her fair skin made the redness and swelling on her ankle stand out even more.

Wren's expression grew serious as

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he gently pressed on the injured area. The moment he applied pressure, Clara winced in pain and tried to pull her foot away.

His heart ached at the sight. He reassured her, "Hold on just a moment. It'll be better soon." Clara, her face pale, nodded slightly.