Perhaps because she was back under Jarrodâs control, the anxiety within her grew.
She felt as if a long-concealed secret was on the verge of being revealed.
She glanced at the door.
Four bodyguards stood outside, and two nurses were switching shifts inside.
On the bedside, a thermos-held honey water a nurse had prepared for her earlier.
After taking a sip, an idea began to form in her mind.
Over the next few days, Jarrod was busy and didnât visit her for three straight days.
During this time, Nicole grew quite fond of a particularly compassionate nurse named Leila Hunt.
Leila was warm-hearted and sociable.
Nicole came to get close to Leila, and while Leila was caring, she was cautious, never intruding into personal matters and always speaking with tact.
Noticing that Nicole had a good appetite today, Leila carefully peeled and sliced fruits, placing them neatly on a plate before offering them to Nicole.
âMiss Lawrence, please try this.
Alec brought them in just this morning.
Iâve never seen them before.
He mentioned theyâre imported and very good for your health.
â
Nicole ate half but couldnât finish them all.
âYou can have the rest, Leila.
â
Leila hesitated, feeling unworthy to eat such a Luxury.
These were delicacies sheâd never even seen before.
How could she casually consume them?
Only after Nicole insisted a few times, mentioning it would spoil if left uneaten, that Leila gave in and tried them.
The fruits had a rich, creamy texture like ice cream, and Leila found them incredibly tasty, though she couldnât quite place the flavor.
She wanted to take these to her child.
She felt a slight guilt, knowing her child had never tasted such delicious fruits while she enjoyed them.
Noticing Leilaâs expression, Nicole encouraged, âLeila, why donât you take some home for your child to try?â
Leila quickly refused.
âOh no, I couldnât.
I have tasted them.
I canât take them home.
These were specially ordered by Mr.
Schultz for you to help regain your strength.
â
Leilaâs husband worked as a driver, and together, they used their earnings to support their childâs education and purchase a small apartment measuring around 6@ square meters, which they had taken a loan for.
It wasnât extravagant, but at least they had a place to call home now.
But the burden of the loan pressed down on Leila, forcing her to be extremely thrifty, never allowing herself a moment of rest.
Her child mostly ate apples, bananas, and pears because Leila hesitated to buy unfamiliar fruits from the store.
The ones they already had were both affordable and nutritious.
In her heart, Leila wished her husband and child could taste such delicious fruits because they might never have the chance to try something so special again in their lives, apart from what their employers had gifted them.
However, Leila held firm to her principles.
She never took things from her employersâ household without a genuine reason, nor did she blindly accept the employersâ casual kindness.
She had witnessed many employers who would offer things but Later gossip about her, calling her a country bumpkin lacking in sophistication.
Even though Leilaâs family was far from wealthy, they held their heads high with self-respect.
Normal food could satisfy their hunger.
They refused to compromise their principles for a mere meal.
âLeila, I genuinely respect you,â Nicole reassured her.
âIf you donât take the fruits, they will just be thrown away, and that would be such a waste.
â
Over the past few days, Leila had realized Nicole was unlike previous employers.
Nicole was compassionate and treated the staff with kindness.
Seeing the desire in Leilaâs eyes, Nicole added, âYou know I donât have much of an appetite, and I canât eat too much fruit every day.
Itâs a shame to throw all of this away daily.
If you donât mind, please take some back for your family to enjoy.
â