~ Lucian’s POV

I stood up, tossing the used bandages aside. “It’s nothing,” I replied, brushing it off. But then Bella’s expression shifted, and she lowered her gaze to her lap.

“You shouldn’t have punished the maids,” Bella said quietly, her voice filled with guilt. “It wasn’t really their fault. I was the one who wasn’t careful. They were just trying to help…”

I stiffened at her words. I knew she was trying to defend them, but it wasn’t their lack of care that had upset me, it was their lack of responsibility.

“I had to punish them,” I said firmly, crossing my arms. “They failed to do their job,...