Considering he was locked in the basement last night, he was probably seriously injured, which made her panic immediately.

"Where is it?"

She was so anxious that sweat broke out from her nose.

"Here."

He grabbed her hand and placed it over his chest. "Heartache."

"Let me help you sit down, and I'll take a look."

Freya quickly assisted him to the sofa opposite, then reached to unbutton his shirt to check for bruises.

Full of concern, she didn't notice the slight smirk on the man's lips.

As the shirt opened, his robust and powerful chest muscles were alluring.

Freya's face reddened, and she swallowed nervously.

But when she saw the numerous scars on his body, her eyes immediately welled up.

Last night, she heard painful roars and the sound of him hitting the walls from inside the basement.

She knew he must have been injured, but she didn't expect it to be this severe.

Her delicate fingers gently traced his skin, tears clouding her eyes.

Seeing her cry, Bradley panicked.

He had only intended to tease her, not make her cry.

"What's wrong, baby?"

He hurriedly wiped her tears away.

With a choked voice, Freya said, "What happened with Dr. Jackson? How come nobody treated your injuries?"

Her voice trembled, and then she stood up to fetch antiseptic and bandages, carefully tending to his wounds.

When the iodine was applied, the man couldn't help but let out a low groan.

"It hurts, doesn't it? I'll be more careful."

Her tears were like a faucet that couldn't be stopped.

Even though she hadn't experienced last night's events firsthand, the thought of Bradley being trapped like a wild animal made her heart ache.

After tending to his wounds, she meticulously checked his entire body and found shackles marks on his wrists and ankles.

Most notably, his fists showed signs of impact, likely from him hitting the walls.

"Honey, I'll heal you, no matter how difficult. I'll make you return to how you were before."

She helped him blow on the wound distressedly, and her eyes were swollen from crying.

Bradley tried to wipe her tears, but they quickly returned.

He was unaware of her tendency to cry so easily; once she started, she couldn't seem to stop.

"You're the best remedy. With you by my side, no matter how I change, I'll always remember you."

Freya held him tightly. "I want you to remain as the original Bradley. You're terrifying when you lose control. It scares me..."

Bradley understood her fear.

He shared the same apprehension as hers.

He feared the possibility of being mentally manipulated one day, forgetting even her and causing harm.

"Alright, you stay here and rest. I'll conduct an experiment. It won't take long. Once I'm finished, we'll head home."

She assured him before leaving.

However, after a few steps, she turned back, planting a deep kiss on his lips.

"Consider this... my reward for making you wait."

She blushed so much that she returned to the test bench and devoted herself to the experiment.

Half an hour later, when she finished, she found Bradley asleep on the sofa.

Freya opted not to wake him and sat beside him instead.

She knew he had not slept all night and must be exhausted.

Seeing that he was sleeping deeply, she felt a little tired, so she gently put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep too.

"Fre…"

Just then, the laboratory door creaked open.

Ella cautiously entered but silently retreated upon seeing them asleep.

She signaled to Xavier, who stood behind her, "They're asleep, shh..."

Xavier also gestured in agreement.

The two quietly closed the door and returned to the lounge.

"Ella, let's take a walk together."

Glancing towards the window, Ella nodded in response.

In the late hours of the night, the two strolled hand in hand along the street.

The clinic faced the beach, alive with the sounds of people laughing and chatting.

Xavier couldn't help but feel his ears burn as he gazed at Ella's profile.

Suddenly, a little girl approached them, carrying a basket of flowers. With sweetness in her voice, she said, "Sir, buy a flower for the pretty lady!"

Xavier bent down, a playful smile on his lips as he looked at the girl's flower basket.

"I'll take all the flowers."

Delighted, the girl handed him the entire basket. "Sir, that's 7 dollars in total," she said.

Xavier took out a 20-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to her. "It's not safe for a child to be out so late. Hurry back home."

"But, Sir, that's too much money."

The girl hesitated.

Her mother had always taught her not to take advantage of others.

"It's okay, consider it a tip for you," Xavier pinched the girl's cheek affectionately, his eyes full of indulgence.

After hesitating for a moment, the girl thanked him and left.

Xavier then gave the flowers to Ella, who lifted them up to smell them.

Despite being a little wilted, they still emitted a tantalizing fragrance.

"You seem to like children."

Ella casually remarked.

Xavier's eyes suddenly filled with sadness upon hearing her words.

He looked up at the sky as if confiding in it, or perhaps speaking to himself.

"I actually had a younger sister, just as innocent, cute, and kind as that little girl earlier. But she was kidnapped and killed by those criminals."

Ella was taken aback by Xavier's sorrowful past.

As she looked into his eyes, her heart softened, and she couldn't help but tightly grasp his hand. "If she knew she had a brother who always remembered her, she would feel incredibly happy in heaven."

Xavier smiled at her words, about to say something when suddenly, the girl who sold flowers ran towards them.

"Sir, these strawberries are for you."

The girl said shyly, handing the strawberries to Xavier before running off.

Xavier looked at the strawberries in his hand, but by the time he regained his senses, the girl was already gone.

"It seems like she likes you too."

Ella's eyelashes fluttered as she smiled sweetly.

Xavier opened the box, each strawberry vibrant and glistening with water droplets, clearly washed.

He picked up one strawberry and held it to Ella's lips, saying. "Open up."

Ella felt a bit uncomfortable, as her personality wasn't one to be affectionate like most women.

But seeing the seriousness in his expression, she complied and took a bite.

The sweet and sour taste was reminiscent of... first love.

"Is it delicious?" Xavier eagerly asked.

"You'll know if you taste it."

Xavier took a bite from where Ella had bitten, grimacing slightly at the sourness.