Chapter 4

Charlotte's POV

I'd been working on an old building restoration plan for three years.

After the accident at that old building, the barriers were never removed.

The cracks in the walls remained, and families of injured workers never truly dispersed.

Some moved away, some demanded compensation, and some still brought flowers to the ruins every year.

Unable to return to fieldwork, I sat in the rehabilitation room, bit by bit organizing old blueprints, lists of injured people, compensation gaps, and subsequent renovation plans.

I wanted to convert that ruin into a rehabilitation center.

Xavier didn't know about this.

Whenever he saw the words "old building," he would frown and say I was dredging up old accounts to provoke Mandy.

That morning, I printed out the plan, preparing to mail it to the head of the Rescue Research Bureau.

I went to the kitchen to heat some water. When I returned, the rehabilitation room door was open.

Mandy stood at the desk, her water glass tipped over beside her.

My printed plan was completely soaked.

The pages stuck together in a clump, ink bleeding out. The injured persons list and renovation diagrams were blurred beyond recognition.

I stopped in the doorway.

Mandy frantically grabbed tissues to wipe it up, her voice trembling first.

"Charlotte, I was just trying to tidy your desk. I didn't expect the glass to tip over... I start shaking whenever I see anything about the old building."

I walked over and picked up the top page.

The paper had gone soft, the logo in the bottom left corner completely ruined.

Tears quickly fell from Mandy's eyes.

"I really didn't do it on purpose. You know I'm most afraid of the old building, yet you spread these things all over the house."

I looked at her. "Why did you come into the rehabilitation room?"

Mandy's crying paused for a moment, then became even more aggrieved.

"I just wanted to get the shawl I left here last night."

The shawl was on a chair by the door, far from the desk.

When Xavier came in, I was peeling apart the soaked plan page by page.

The pages were stuck too tightly. The slightest touch would tear them.

Mandy went to him first.

"Xavier, I've caused trouble... I saw the old building materials and my hand slipped, knocking over the water glass. Charlotte seems really angry."

Xavier swept his eyes over the desk full of wet papers, his brow furrowed.

He didn't ask what those papers were, only asking me. "Why did you take out old building materials again?"

I said. "The restoration plan. I've been working on it for three years."

"Three years?"

Xavier's expression grew worse.

"Instead of properly resting your leg these three years, you've been clinging to that accident every day. No wonder there's no peace in this house."

I set aside the torn diagram.

"That ruin can't just sit there rotting, and the people injured that year still haven't been properly settled."

Xavier cut me off directly. "Don't use those words to pressure people."

He shielded Mandy behind him, his voice cold and hard.

"Mandy gets scared just seeing old building materials. You spread this stuff around the house, frighten her like this, and still want to lecture people?"

Mandy said quietly. "Xavier, I can't repay Charlotte for three years of hard work."

Hearing this, Xavier became even more impatient.

"It's just some worthless papers. You don't need to repay her."

I looked up at him.

"Do you know how many injured families are in this plan?"

Xavier paused, then quickly looked away.

"If you really want to compensate those people, first learn not to keep provoking the living person in front of you."

My hand still pressed on the wet paper, my fingertips covered in spreading ink.

I didn't ask anything more.

Xavier said. "Apologize to Mandy."

Mandy immediately tugged his sleeve. "Forget it, Xavier, I'm fine..."

Xavier looked at me.

"She just moved in. Her physical and emotional state are both unstable. You can't keep scaring her with old matters."

I looked down at that pile of ruined plan.

"I'm sorry."

My tone was flat.

Mandy froze, as if she hadn't expected me to back down so quickly.

Xavier also frowned, the reprimand he'd prepared stuck in his throat.

I turned to get a garbage bag and loaded the soaked papers in stack by stack.

Xavier stood in the doorway without leaving.

Mandy tugged his sleeve, saying she felt dizzy. Only then did he help her leave.

After the door closed, the rehabilitation room grew quiet.

I sat back at the desk and opened my computer.

There was still a backup in the cloud.

I redownloaded it and checked the attachments. Then I packaged everything. The injured persons list, renovation diagrams, risk assessment tables, and field assessment notes.

The director had sent an email this morning urging me to submit supplementary materials.

I uploaded the compressed file and wrote in the notes: The old building restoration plan can serve as proof of on-site assessment capability and may also be referenced for future assignments.

After sending successfully, a receipt quickly appeared in my inbox.

I picked up the last small piece of wet paper from the desk and threw it in the garbage bag.

Only half a line remained on the paper: Rehabilitation Center Preliminary Plan.

Upstairs came the sound of Xavier coaxing Mandy to rest.

I closed the rehabilitation room door and began organizing the remaining materials in the cabinet.