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"I know, you don't have to tell me twice. I'm not interested in getting beaten up again, so I'll keep it in mind," she interrupted, reaching out to grab his hand. Kiera instantly frowned.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, pulling his hand back slightly.

"What do you think I'm doing? And why are you so scared? I'm not going to eat you up," she shot back, her tone sharper than intended. Kiera was taken aback, his eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and irritation.

"Let me go!" He tried to pull his hand free, but Leo's grip was surprisingly strong. She pushed him backward toward the wall, her expression turning serious.

Kiera pulled away as much as he could, his teeth gritting together, but Leo didn't relent. She placed her other hand on his cheek, pressing gently on the bruises, making him hiss in pain. She watched him intently, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and determination.

"You're bruised badly. I bet it hurts like hell," she said softly, clicking her tongue in disapproval. Memories of her own past injuries flashed through her mind, bringing with them a familiar, crippling pain.

"I don't feel pain. Now get away from me," Kiera growled, pushing her off, but Leo remained firm.

"How did this happen? What did you do? And why didn't you get treated?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly.

"I said it isn't hurting—Agh!" He winced in pain, his eyes widening as Leo pressed on his arm, trying to locate the source of the blood seeping through his jacket. Her fingers found the wound, making him wince harder. Her lips curled up in a triumphant, albeit concerned, smile.

"Hah! You don't feel pain, my butt. I bet there are bandages around here somewhere. Let me help you," she insisted, her grip lightening around his arm but not letting go. Kiera's teeth didn't relax, but his gaze softened slightly. He got pulled along by Leo, failing to see the depth of her concern.

"Have a seat! And tell me, where is the medicine box?" she ordered, pushing him onto the still-covered couch. Kiera sat down, breathing heavily before pointing to a shelf in the corner of the room. Leo followed his direction and nodded, letting go of his arm. Her hand was red with his blood, but it didn't seem to bother her. Kiera, left alone for a moment, rubbed his chest, which had started to feel strangely tight.

"Found it!" she called out, returning with a heavy box. She dropped it at Kiera's feet and rummaged through it.

"Why are you doing this? This isn't something you should be concerned with," Kiera said, his voice flat.

Leo's hands suddenly stopped moving, and she paused to think. "I don't know—I feel like..." She trailed off, searching for the right words. Why was she doing this? She didn't have to help this man. She could just go and have a nice bath and get some good rest, but instead, she was here, tending to the wounds of the man who was supposedly the trusted aide of this body's attempted murderer. She shook her head and decided not to answer a conflicted question that both of them didn't have an answer for. 

"Okay, get that jacket off! I need to see the wound," she announced. Kiera slowly followed her orders, taking off the jacket, which had a faint rusty smell to it. As the jacket came off, Leo's gaze was met with a well-built, muscular body, perfectly proportioned and covered elegantly by his shirt. But before she could dwell on the sight, her eyes were drawn to the ugly, fresh scar on his arm, still dripping blood. She squinted, biting down on her teeth.

"Tsk—such a mess! Did you get stabbed or what?" she hissed. "I bet Liora would have hated seeing this," she added, bewildered as the words left her mouth. As soon as she uttered them, Kiera's reaction was swift and intense. He grabbed her arm, his eyes wide with a shaky fear and horror, his hand trembling.

"Why did you say that? Before, in the car, and even now? Why did you say that? Did she ever say anything to you?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

Leo felt a hint of fear this time. The sudden confrontation was unexpected because he had never treated her roughly before. But today, it seemed she had struck a chord in his heart that shouldn't have been touched.

"Nothing—I just," she stammered, pushing his hand away and standing up nervously. A heavy feeling settled in her chest. "I feel like I'm burdened with something, and I feel like Liora wouldn't have wanted you to be hurt like this. Even when I know nothing about the relationship between you two, I just had a gut feeling," she explained, her voice turning nervous, her hands starting to tremble.

'What is this? Why am I crying over this man's wound? It is definitely not me,' she thought as her lower lip trembled. Kiera noticed the sudden shift, and he seemed even more shaken. He stood up.

"It is fine. I already told you, you don't need to help me out. Just stop crying," he said, grabbing his jacket from the side and putting it on, but Leo grabbed it, shaking her head while patting her eyes dry.

"It's not like that—I just..." She pushed him back onto the couch, picked up some alcohol-soaked cotton, and crouched beside him, crying while cleaning the wound. The tears rolled down her eyes nonstop, but Leo was sure it wasn't her who was crying, so she didn't let the tears stop her from doing her job. Kiera watched her with a very complex look on his face, one that had never been seen on his stoic features before. His eyes didn't leave Leo's small face and those teary eyes even for a second.

Despite the confusion, Kiera couldn't help but feel a strange sense of connection. He hadn't expected this kind of reaction from Leo, someone he considered an outsider to Liora's past. Yet, here he was, his concern and empathy palpable, his tears genuine. The room fell into a heavy silence, only the sound of Leo's soft sobs and the rustling of bandages filling the space.

Leo finished cleaning the wound, her hands moving with a tenderness that belied her earlier sternness. She wrapped the bandage around his arm carefully, her fingers brushing against his skin, leaving a warmth that seemed to seep into his very bones.

"There," she said softly, tying the bandage securely. "That should help. But you really need to be more careful," she admonished gently, her voice barely above a whisper especially because of the ball that had formed in her throat because of the crying. 

Kiera nodded, unable to tear his gaze away from her. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft. 

Leo stood up, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Just... don't get hurt like this again," she said, her voice still trembling slightly. "I don't know why, but seeing you like this... it hurts." rubbing her chest she said roughly as it truly was a hurtful scene for this body as if it had some significant attachment to this man.