Chapter 228 +25 BONUS If Brian and Ariana had actually gotten married , would they end up like this couple decades from now ? The shop owner handed him the neatly packed buns and smiled .
I hope your girlfriend has a speedy recovery ! Brian returned a faint smile before scanning a QR code to pay .
When the owners checked the amount , they froze .
He had paid ten thousand dollars ! By the time they rushed outside , Brian was already getting into a taxi .

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In the hospital room , Ariana had finished the chicken noodle soup .
When Brian walked in and turned on the light , he noticed the empty bowl on the table .
Without a word , he placed the bag of buns on the bedside tray .
Seeing the amount of buns , Ariana raised her brows .
Why so many ? .
I didnt know which flavor you liked , so I got two of each , he said nonchalantly , as he began tidying up the remnants of her meal .
You took so long .
Im already full .
Ariana said .
Oh , Brian replied flatly .
Ariana frowned .
Youre not angry ? I know you were messing with me .
Considering youre injured , Ill let it slide this time .
Brian finished cleaning up and moved to the nearby sofa to relax .
Eat them if you want .
If not , throw them away .
His calmness caught her off guard .
Annoyed that her little prank hadnt gotten to him , Ariana opened the bag , grabbed a random bun , and took a bite .
.As he watched her from across the room , Brian asked , When was the last time you ate at that bun shop ? Ariana paused mid bite .
Her tone cooled noticeably as she replied , I dont remember .
Was it when your father was in the hospital ? The moment those words left his mouth , her expression turned icy .
What does that have to do with you , Mr.
Lodge ? Were no longer engaged , so my personal affairs are none of your business .
Ariana set the bun down , her appetite entirely gone .
The memories of her fathers hospitalization came rushing back .
She had been the one running herself ragged to care for him , while Gwen only showed up to feign concern and waited to inherit the family fortune .
The so called friends and business partners of the Torrey family had circled like vultures , eyeing her fathers assets even before his passing .
Ariana felt like a defenseless rabbit , vulnerable and lost as she faced the overwhelming burden of her fathers Illness .
At that time , Belinda had already chosen her as the future daughter in law of the Lodge family .
But Brian , in his defiance of his grandmother , had treated her with cold disdain .
She still remembered her father , gravely ill , had asked to see his future son in law .
Desperate to fulfill her fathers wish , she had gone to Lodge Co herself , pleading for Brian to visit her father even if only as a formality .
But he had refused , coldly and unfeelingly , leaving her father to pass away with lingering regret , worried about her future .
The most laughable part ? Back then , she had naively believed she could win over Brians heart with time and effort .
+25 BONUS Chapter 228 But all her sacrifices had led to nothing but heartbreak .
Brian noticed a change in her demeanor , and an inexplicable wave of guilt washed over him .
Perhaps if he had been there for her back then , even just a little more kind to her , maybe things wouldnt have turned out this way between them .