Chapter 4: Uncle Henry, I won't peek at yours.

The nurse finally bailed, her eyes practically popping out as she shut the door.

Alice's smug grin faded, replaced by a shy look as she turned around. "Uncle Henry, let me change your dressing. That nurse had some serious bad vibes."

Henry chuckled lightly. "You caught that?"

Alice blinked. "Totally. I saw it clear as day."

"So, should I thank you?"

Alice walked over with the meds, "Uncle Henry, you saved my life. This is my way of paying you back. Now, take off your shirt, and I'll get the medicine on."

Henry's fingers just touched the buttons when he hesitated, feeling a bit awkward.

Seeing him pause, Alice quickly moved behind him, "Uncle Henry, I won't peek."

Henry smiled. Since Alice said that, it would be rude to refuse.

He took off his shirt and draped it over his arm.

Alice, standing behind him, sneaked a glance. Henry had a killer physique.

She couldn't help but remember that night two years ago, and some steamy, blush-worthy images flashed through her mind, making her cheeks instantly flush.

But when she saw the blood-stained gauze on Henry's back, all those thoughts vanished.

She carefully removed the gauze and picked up a piece of disinfected gauze with tweezers to gently wipe the burn area. The popped blisters covered the burn, a stark red against his tan skin, making it a shocking sight.

After disinfecting, Alice squeezed some ointment onto her fingertip and gently applied it to the wound. "Does it hurt?"

Henry's back suddenly stiffened, feeling a tingling sensation spreading throughout his body.

He took a deep breath and said, "No, it doesn't."

'How could it not hurt?'

Alice regretted that the factory fire had caused Henry to get hurt.

As she placed a piece of gauze on the burn on Henry's left back, her eyes reddened.

Hearing Alice's sniffing, Henry turned around and paused for a moment seeing Alice's red-tipped nose from crying. "What's wrong?"

"It must hurt a lot, Uncle Henry. You're just saying it doesn't to comfort me."

After putting on the shirt and buttoning it up, Henry handed her a tissue, feeling a bit helpless. "It really doesn't hurt."

But Alice's tears kept falling.

Henry, a bit at a loss, pulled out two more tissues and handed them to her. "It's really nothing."

Alice used his hand to wipe her tears. "I'm really sorry."

Her cute hand holding his made Henry actually feel a bit warm. He discreetly pulled his hand back. "You don't need to blame yourself."

Alice knew when to stop. So, she nodded and softly said, "Okay."

Henry glanced at his watch. "You should eat the porridge while it's hot. I have some things to attend to, so I'll leave first. Ethan will bring you a phone later. You can contact him if you need anything."

Alice nodded obediently.

Not long after Henry left, Ethan came to deliver the phone.

"This is the new phone Mr. Howard bought for you. If you need anything, just call me. My number is already saved in your contacts."

Alice smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Ross."

"You're welcome."

"Mr. Ross, can you give me Uncle Henry's number?"

Ethan was puzzled. Didn't Henry come to the ward just now? Why didn't she ask him?

Alice noticed his confusion and explained, "I think Uncle Henry is very serious, so I didn't dare ask for his number." She fidgeted her hands in front of her, looking so shy. "After all, Uncle Henry got hurt because of me. I feel bad and want to check on him when I can."

Ethan thought for a moment and saw no harm, so he gave her Henry's private number.

Of course, Alice had already found out Henry's number. This was just a legitimate way to get it.

After Ethan left, Alice washed her hands and opened the food container. The rich aroma of porridge wafted out, and she happily ate.

The phone vibrated. Seeing the familiar number, Alice answered. "Esme."

"How did it go, Alice? Is the plan working?"

"It is." Alice recounted what had happened.

Esme Spencer laughed heartily, "What a brilliant move! I can't imagine the expression on Henry's face, he is such a man who always controls his desires!" Lying in bed, Esme turned over. "Did he really lose his memory after the surgery?"

Alice softly replied, "Yes."

"But why does he remember everything else except you?"

Alice frowned slightly. She had to admit it was indeed strange.

"Alice, you really lost out. Your virginity and all..."

Alice remembered how Henry had saved her two years ago. The shrapnel pierced his skull with blood everywhere. She bit her spoon. "I owe him my life, so this is my way of repaying him."

"You're repaying a life-saving grace with your body! But a man like Henry is worth loving. I support you, Alice!"

Alice chuckled softly, "I promised him I would come back for him, and I won't break my word. Even if he doesn't remember me, it's enough that I remember him."

Meanwhile, after Ethan left the ward, he thought it over and decided to inform Henry about Alice asking for his number. It was better to report proactively than to admit it passively later. If Henry got angry, he would definitely be punished.

He called Henry and reported Alice's situation in detail, adding at the end, "She said you got hurt saving her and asked for your private number to check on you, so I gave it to her."

He couldn't gauge Henry's emotions and didn't know if Henry was angry.

In the car, Henry was playing with a steel lighter, flicking it open and closed, a small flame igniting and extinguishing repeatedly.

Seeing Henry's silence, Ethan swallowed, with cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Just then, a message notification ring sounded.

Henry took out his other phone and saw a friend request on the screen, with a note: Alice.

Pursing his lips, he turned off the screen and put the phone in his pocket while speaking lightly, "Next time you act on your own, report to the HR department."

Ethan understood the implication. Henry was clearly threatening to fire him.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yes, Mr. Howard."

"Any leads on the kidnapper's whereabouts?"

Ethan replied, "The tech department has conducted a thorough search but hasn't found anything. The person must have erased all possible traces. The online account was virtual, and was withdrawn immediately upon getting the money, leaving no trace."

Henry tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "Check for personal or company accounts that received deposits of one million or ten million dollars after 8 PM."

"Yes, sir!"

Henry took out his phone and called Oliver, his voice cold and devoid of warmth, "Return to the old house!"

The Howard Manor.

The grand living room was extremely luxurious. A crystal chandelier cast a brilliant light, gilding the antique paintings and filling the air with the scent of money.

Three people sat on the expensive sofa, their faces grim. They were Henry's father, Dash Howard, Henry's mother, Paloma Bell, and Henry himself.

Oliver stood straight in front of them.

Dash's hands rested on his cane, his sharp eyes filled with anger. Suddenly, he raised the cane and struck Oliver's calf.

Oliver cried out in pain. He rubbed his leg and hopped around. His leg had already been kicked by Alice, and now it hurt even more.

Seeing Dash raise the cane again, Oliver quickly grabbed it, "Grandpa, what did I do wrong to make you so angry?"

Dash's chest heaved with anger, "If it weren't for the kidnapping, I wouldn't have known you were messing with Clara, the stepdaughter of the Savoy family! You've disgraced the Howard family!"

Oliver's first reaction was to look at Henry. When he met Henry's piercing gaze, he quickly looked away.

The formidable aura of dominance exuded by Henry was suffocating.

Even though he knew it was Henry who had told Dash, he didn't dare confront Henry.

Oliver explained, "Alice was so ugly back then that I couldn't stand her. If we had to choose a marriage alliance with the Savoy family, Clara was a better choice."

"You've made me ashamed in front of Alice's grandfather! How can I face him after I die?" Dash was so angry that he felt his head was aching.

Paloma sighed and gently patted Dash's back. "If Oliver doesn't like Alice, we shouldn't force it. We owe Alice, so let's compensate her more."

Oliver thought of Alice's beautiful face and coughed lightly. "Actually, I can accept the current Alice."

Hearing his words, Dash glared at him. "What did you say? You want to have both girls?"

Paloma was also shocked by Oliver's words. "Oliver, do you know what you're saying? Since you chose to be with Clara, how can you go back on that?"

Oliver clicked his tongue, "But I had an engagement with Alice first."

Henry, who had been silent, looked at the maid, Mia Smith, "Mia, go to the study and get the ancestral wooden stick." Mia nodded and quickly headed to the study.