Chapter 199
Chapter 199:
Since Neal hadn’t seen them clearly, Fernanda knew he wouldn’t be able to identify Beckett directly. Still, she felt her suspicion was justified. If it was about Bonita, who else could it be but Beckett?
“I don’t have any sort of relationship with her. She’s the one after me, so why attack me?” Neal said, frustrated. “I don’t even like her, and I can’t figure out why she likes me. It all feels so unfair.”
Fernanda genuinely empathized with Neal’s distress. It was a difficult situation to be in.
She explained, “Bonita doesn’t even know about this yet. She was really shocked when she heard you were attacked this morning.”
“It doesn’t matter to me whether she knows or not. I just wish she would leave me alone,” Neal said, staring vacantly at the ceiling. “This time I was beaten, who knows what might happen next time?”
Fernanda remained silent, and Neal looked even more downcast.
Then a soft knock came at the door. Fernanda turned to see it slightly open, with Bonita cautiously peering in, asking, “Can I come in?” Neal remained silent. Bonita pursed her lips and stepped in, placing two large bags she was carrying on the table.
Fernanda’s eyes widened. “How much food is there?”
Bonita looked down and murmured, “The cafeteria has so many options. I wasn’t sure what he’d like, so I just got a bit of everything…” Fernanda approached the table and saw over twenty plastic containers. Some of the containers were quite large, divided into sections, and filled to the top.
Bonita clasped her hands behind her back, rubbing them gently, though the red marks from the heavy bags lingered. Carrying the heavy items had hurt her hands, but driven by her feelings for Neal, Bonita had endured the pain.
“I’ll wait outside. Enjoy your meal,” Bonita said before turning to leave.
Fernanda glanced at Neal, who looked quite frustrated.
“She’s obviously a spoiled rich girl who’s clueless about real life!” Neal exclaimed. “I’m too afraid to accept her kind gesture. If I do, someone may beat me to a pulp.”
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“Don’t overthink it,” Fernanda chuckled. “The police will handle them.” She pulled a box of oatmeal from one of the bags, then eggs and some vegetables. The hospital cafeteria food was generally mild, with only a few dishes being somewhat flavorful.
“Didn’t you say you waited outside for hours?” Neal said. “Then you probably haven’t eaten either. She brought so much, and I can’t eat it all by myself, so you might as well help.”
“Yes, I was there with Bonita, and she didn’t eat either,” Fernanda said. Neal rolled his eyes. “I don’t care if she ate or not.”
“She did come to see you, after all.” Fernanda sighed softly, opened a lunch box, and handed it to him. “Can you manage to eat on your own?”
“Not really, I can’t use one of my arms,” Neal answered. Fernanda arched her eyebrows. “Do you need me to feed you?”
“No, just hold it for me.”
Fernanda positioned herself in front of him, holding the bowl of oatmeal. Neal managed to grasp the spoon with his left hand, but as he attempted to scoop some oatmeal, it spilled over the blanket.
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