Chapter 1682

"You can try to avoid it, but you can't keep hurting yourself like this." She believed he could do it—it was only a matter of whether he would. Naomi gazed at him, her expression unusually serious. Scott watched her in turn, his eyes fixed on her as she carefully wiped his wound. Her attentiveness, her precision—it tugged at his heart. There was something different about her today, a change that set her apart from her usual self. And that change was because of him. She still cared about him, but it was just that—care. When the three-month deadline arrived, she would still leave. His arm tightened around her, pulling her firmly into his embrace. It was as if, by holding her like this, he could stop her from leaving. Naomi felt the shift in his breathing, the way his gaze darkened. Something in his eyes changed, a difference she could not ignore. Her voice softened as she spoke, gentle but steady. "I know you held back because John is my younger brother, but you can stop him. I k