Chapter 5

Charlotte's POV

At breakfast, Mandy cradled a mug of hot water, dark circles under her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep all night. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the old building collapsing."

Xavier had the servants change her to a guest room.

But Mandy shook her head.

"The guest room is too dark. That room at the end of the hall has good lighting and handrails by the door. I'd feel safer there."

That was my rehabilitation room.

I put down my knife and fork.

"There's rehabilitation equipment and old building materials inside. It can't be used as a bedroom."

Mandy immediately lowered her head.

"I was just making a suggestion. I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Xavier looked at me and said directly. "Move your things out."

I reminded him. "That room is where I practice with my leg every day."

Xavier set down his chopsticks.

"You've been practicing with that leg for three years and this is all it amounts to. Going without the room for a few days won't make it worse."

I got up and went to the rehabilitation room.

I dismantled the wall-mounted handrails. When I bent over, my side hurt so badly I had to lean against the desk edge to recover.

Mandy stood in the doorway, softly saying she could stay elsewhere, but her words never strayed from how this room had good lighting, was close to Xavier at night, and how someone could hear her if she got scared.

Xavier walked in and saw me moving slowly, frowning.

"Don't dawdle."

I put the braces into a cardboard box.

"These can't be touched carelessly."

Xavier didn't even look closely.

"Mandy won't touch your junk."

Mandy immediately said quietly. "I'm afraid of breaking Charlotte's things and having her blame me again."

Xavier immediately said to me. "Take the important materials too, so there won't be problems later that get blamed on Mandy."

I loaded the old building materials into boxes stack by stack without responding.

Adrian came upstairs from below, holding a package.

He saw me holding old building materials and stopped.

"Organizing that accident from three years ago again?"

Before I could answer, Mandy stiffened.

Adrian looked down and saw the old building floor plan peeking out of the file folder, his brow furrowing.

"I keep dreaming about that wall lately."

Xavier's movements stopped.

Adrian clutched the package, his voice hesitant. "I dream about someone pushing me out from underneath."

The hallway suddenly went quiet.

Xavier looked at him.

Adrian continued. "That person seemed to be..."

Mandy's cup knocked against the doorframe with a sound.

Her face went pale as she held onto the doorframe saying. "Xavier, I'm dizzy."

Xavier immediately went to help her.

Adrian wanted to continue but was interrupted by Mandy's gasping.

Xavier looked back, his tone dropping. "Don't bring up old matters here. Go back to your room and rest."

Adrian looked at him, then at me, and finally went downstairs clutching his package.

I pressed the floor plan back into the file folder and continued packing boxes.

The rehabilitation room quickly emptied.

After the handrails were removed, only a row of screw holes remained on the wall.

Braces, support bands, old building materials, and my computer were packed into two boxes that I pushed to the end of the hallway.

Mandy sat by the window wearing that heating blanket, saying softly.

"This room really is more comfortable than the guest room."

Xavier had the servants move a bed in and told me.

"Don't stand blocking the doorway."

I leaned on the boxes to drag them out, my left leg lagging several steps behind.

Xavier watched me, seeming like he wanted to say something, but finally only reminded me.

"Don't dirty the stairs."

I dragged the boxes back to the bedroom and opened the Rescue Research Bureau email page.

The official notice had arrived.

Supplementary materials approved. The next step required my current spouse to sign the family risk waiver.

After confirmation, I could enter closed review.

I sat on the floor and separated the two boxes of materials again.

Old building accident materials, rehabilitation records, and restoration plan backups on one side.

Marital property documents, old building compensation details, and family risk waiver on the other.

I tucked the risk waiver into the middle of the property settlement materials, then folded the pages so only the signature line showed.

Downstairs, Xavier had the servants change Mandy's bedding.

Mandy asked in the rehabilitation room. "Can the curtains be changed to a lighter color? I'm afraid of darkness."

Xavier said. "Change them."

I heard it.

I sealed the document envelope and put it in my bag.

Then I placed the rehabilitation room key on the desk.