Benjamin shook his head, letting out a long, dramatic sigh.

"Alexander, Evelyn has you completely wrapped around her finger."

He did.

For once, Alexander didn't react defensively to the teasing.

He simply raised one eyebrow, offering no argument, as if he fully accepted the statement.

Evelyn, however, felt her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.

Alexander was the subject of the conversation, so why was she the one feeling flustered?

Benjamin clapped a hand on Alexander's good shoulder and guided him toward the examination room.

His arm had taken the brunt of the impact.

The sharpest pain had subsided, but the visible marks were still alarming.

At the door to the exam room, Evelyn moved to follow Alexander inside.

He held up a hand, stopping her.

"Wait for me out here," he instructed, his voice firm.

Evelyn frowned, a flicker of concern in her eyes. "Why?"

She needed to see the extent of his injuries for herself.

Alexander didn't offer a lengthy explanation.

Instead, his voice softened into a gentle reassurance. "Be good, Evelyn. Wait here. I won't be long."

Benjamin shot Alexander a knowing look and immediately understood his friend's reasoning.

Alexander simply didn't want Evelyn to see his wounds and become distressed.

Love really did make people act in irrational ways.

Lately, reading Alexander's thoughts had become almost effortless.

Yet, Evelyn remained completely unaware of his obvious devotion.

As Alexander's closest friend, Benjamin naturally played along.

"Don't worry, Evelyn. With me here, Alexander will be just fine," he said, flashing her a reassuring smile.

The moment the words left his mouth, Alexander swatted him lightly on the arm.

"What was that for?" Benjamin asked, genuinely baffled.

Alexander, his face completely expressionless, issued a quiet warning. "Don't smile at my wife like that."

Evelyn swatted Alexander's uninjured arm this time. "Stop it."

Given all the fuss he was making, she decided not to press the issue further.

She turned to Benjamin and spoke softly. "Dr. Carter, I'll leave him in your care."

Benjamin nodded.

It was just a standard wound check and redressing, but these two were behaving as if it were a major surgical procedure.

Half an hour later, back in Alexander's private hospital room, Benjamin studied the test results in his hand.

He suddenly wished he could retract his earlier confidence.

His brows drew together as he examined the X-rays, his expression growing increasingly grave.

Evelyn's heart lurched. "What's wrong? Is it serious?"

Benjamin glanced at Alexander. "Seeing how calm he was, I assumed it wasn't too bad. But the bone in his arm is nearly fractured. Furthermore, his other injuries narrowly missed critical areas."

He let out a sharp, frustrated breath before turning to Alexander. "What were you thinking? You were practically risking your life!"

Sometimes, he forgot just how high Alexander's pain tolerance was.

It far exceeded that of most people.

Evelyn's heart skipped another beat at Benjamin's words.

It was that severe?

Her eyes darted to Alexander's arm, her face clouded with worry and lingering fear.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Alexander's chest tightened.

His voice was low and slightly hoarse as he tried to comfort her. "It's truly not that bad. For me, this is minor. Benjamin is exaggerating. Once we're home, I'll rest properly. I'll recover in no time."