Chapter 905

But the reality was that Leonie had saved his life. If she hadn't forced Hawthorne to step in, Dorian would have undoubtedly been beaten to death in Sully's club.

Dorian watched silently as Leonie peeled the apple. He was completely at her mercy now, his future entirely out of his hands.

Leonie sliced the peeled apple into neat, bite-sized pieces and prepared to feed them to him. Encased in a heavy cast, Dorian's mobility was practically non-existent.

But opening his mouth felt awkward, and keeping it closed felt ungrateful. Having Leonie feed him felt entirely too intimate. However, she quickly dismissed his hesitation with a single comment.

"Why aren't you eating? What's wrong? Am I not a good enough nurse?"

Afraid of upsetting her, Dorian opened his mouth and accepted the apple. Leonie beamed with satisfaction.

"There we go. That's more like it. You just need to let me take care of you."

She fed him several more pieces before Dorian's gaze drifted toward the doorway.

A tall, lean figure was leaning casually against the doorframe. Connor looked as arrogant as ever, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips as he watched them with a dark, unreadable expression.

Dorian spoke softly. "Leonie, your boyfriend is here."

Leonie followed his gaze and immediately spotted Connor.

She didn't want to engage with him, but she also knew that ignoring him would only provoke a barrage of sarcastic insults. She kept her tone flat. "If you want to come in, then sit down."

Connor tilted his head back and let out a dramatic scoff.

"I just came to see if you two were still alive. Why is this guy still clinging to you? Are you two really that desperate to be together?"

Leonie glared at Connor, her frustration boiling over.

"If you're here to check on Dorian, you're welcome to stay. But if you're just here to pick a fight, get the hell out."

Connor's eyes darkened slightly, his fiery arrogance dimming, though he refused to let the argument go.

He chewed aggressively on the unlit cigarette in his mouth. "I'm just trying to look out for you, but clearly, you'd rather bite the hand that feeds you."

With that, he vanished from the doorway. Leonie waited a moment before turning back to Dorian. "Just ignore him. He's always like this. Don't let it bother you. He's never going to change his awful attitude."

Dorian forced a strained smile, the movement pulling painfully at his stitches and making him wince.

"It's obvious Connor really likes you. Honestly, you two make a great couple I've never had any inappropriate thoughts about you, Leonie Being around you just reminded me of what it feels dike to live a normal life."

"If I had stayed with Felicia, I think I would have lost myself completely in that toxic, money-driven world. I would have never found a way out."

Leonie hadn't expected him to be so open about it. She had been preparing to give him that exact advice, but seeing that he had already figured it out made her incredibly happy.

"Felicia is way too old for you anyway. It would never have worked out. You're young! You can find a great girlfriend. If there's a type you like, tell me, and I'll help set you up!"

Leonie innocently began planning out Dorian's future. He wanted to laugh at her earnest enthusiasm, but the pain in his ribs stopped him.

But deep down, he was profoundly moved. Ever since his grandmother passed away, no one had cared about him like this. Felicia had 'cared' for him, sure, but that was a purely transactional arrangement.

Leonie was just a sweet, naive girl who constantly put others first. She didn't care about his background and never once questioned his motives for getting close to her.

When Dorian first met Leonie, he had undeniably harbored ulterior motives. With the skills he had honed navigating the elite circles, seducing a girl like her would have been effortless.

Most of those women were blinded by romance. Whether they were young or old, as long as a man provided the right emotional validation, they would throw themselves at him.

Leonie believed whatever people told her, and Dorian had genuinely considered making her fall for him. But the more time he spent with her, the more his conscience had warred with his ambition.

He simply couldn't bring himself to

manipulate her. Unlike the other wealthy heiresses he had

known who were arrogant

demanding, and utterly devoid of

respect for anyone beneath O

them-Leonie was different.

He had no problem scamming those superficial elites, happily draining their bank accounts with zero remorse. But faced with Leonie's pure, untainted kindness, he found he couldn't play the villain.

Dorian remained silent. Seeing him wince, Leonie realized her jokes were causing him physical pain and quickly stopped teasing him.

That evening, Leonie hired a private nurse for Dorian. She needed to head back and check in with Mr. and Mrs. Everhart.

She only dared to stay out overnight on rare occasions, usually relying on Gwyneth to cover for her, but she couldn't push her luck without raising her parents' suspicions.

Walking out of the hospital, Leonie assumed Connor had already left. She was dead wrong.

An obnoxiously flashy red sports car

was parked right out front, making it impossible to miss him. Wherever Connor went a steady stream of girls inevitably flocked to him, begging for his Facebook contact.

Connor's bleached blonde hair was impossible to miss. Leonie glanced in his direction, noting the small group of women eagerly trying to catch his attention.