Ch. 511..520

Chapter 511

Chapter 511

If Christopher was expressive and passionate, then Julia was a reserved person. I verified that point while shopping with her. Just like Christopher said, once she acknowledged someone, she would stop acting polite and interact with the person in the same way she would with her family members.

Throughout the ride, she criticized me relentlessly. When we were in the boutique, she would express her dismay at all the clothes that I liked and berate me for having no sense of fashion. Yet, after all the criticisms, she would teach me how to match my clothes.

Next, we went shopping for jewelry. Whenever I took fancy to the sparkling jewelry, she would complain that I was frivolous. To be honest, the jewelry she chose was dazzling as well, but it was a better match with what she was wearing. It appeared low-key but sophisticated. The more I looked at it, the nicer it was.

That was not the end. The situation worsened when we went for tea. She would ask me to describe the taste of the tea and remember their names. I had never learned about any tea ceremony or done floral arrangements. The only thing I was persistent about was drawing.

At that moment, I began to wonder why she brought me out for shopping alone without Shelley. Could it be that she wants to cut me down to size?

“Isn’t this Ms. Tanner? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” When we came out of the jewelry store, someone greeted me. Hearing that, I looked back and saw a familiar face. “Who are you, Sir? Is there a reason you are looking for me?”

The man probably did not expect me to not recognize him at all. With an awkward smile on his face, he introduced himself. “Ms. Tanner, I’m the person in charge of the National Youth Art Exhibition and Contest. I’ve called you before, but the call didn’t get through. Initially, I was thinking of meeting you directly, but I happened to bump into you here.”

Finally, I came to a realization. No wonder he looked familiar! Then, I queried in puzzlement, “Why are you looking for me? I’ve already withdrawn from the contest, haven’t I?”

“Previously, there was a little misunderstanding, so the judges decided to have you withdrawn. But now that the misunderstanding has been cleared and the fourth season of the contest has just ended, you’re qualified to participate in the final season. We have unanimously decided to reinstate your qualification. Why don’t you go to the art exhibition and meet the judges tomorrow?” The person in charge spoke rather arrogantly.

“Participate in the contest again?” I could not help but feel like laughing. I mean, this was the kind of contest that even someone like Crystal could be involved in. Not to mention that her paintings were displayed at the art exhibition for everyone to admire. Although I was not famous, I was not someone whom they could kick out as they liked and return when they needed people to hype up the contest.

I had always disliked such commercial contests. If it was not for the fact that I had no backing and could only use that way to prove myself, I would not have participated in the contest. Shortly afterward, I nodded at Julia and asked her to wait for me for a while.

“I’m sorry. I don’t intend to continue participating in the contest. Thank you for your kindness as well as the kindness of the judges and the organizer.” I flashed the person in charge a faint smile and politely rejected his proposal.

“After you come back, we’ll make you the champion and let you- What? You’re refusing to participate in the contest? How is this possible?” he cried out in surprise. Obviously, he did not expect me to decline him. He was full of disbelief.

Make me the champion? I blinked at his words. I wonder who the final winner would be if I did not go back. Probably the contestant with the most hype would claim first place. Even in the art industry, people cared about popularity.

After being defamed several times, I was also considered a celebrity. When Crystal’s incident was exposed, I became popular. Then, there was Ansley’s art exhibition. All the gossips about me were related to art. If I participated in the contest, the hype I stir up would definitely make the exhibition more popular. That way, sponsors would be willing to spend more money on the event and the organizer would be able to gain both fame and fortune.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t intend to participate in the contest anymore. Thank you,” I responded while smiling. The next moment, I left with Julia, leaving the dumbfounded man behind.

Chapter 512

Chapter 512

“From a businessman’s perspective, this is a good opportunity to gain fame and fortune. Why did you refuse?” After we walked away for a while, Julia stopped and asked me.

Tilting my head, I stuck out my tongue and smiled mischievously. “From a spoiled woman’s perspective, this is a good opportunity to redeem my self-esteem, so of course I have to refuse! I can’t be doing whatever they want me to do, right? I’m the woman whom Christopher values wholeheartedly. I won’t do this kind of thing.”

The first half of what I said was my sincere thought, while the second half was meant to please Julia. Clearly, she was happy with my flattery. It was rare that she did not say anything harsh but agreed with me. “You’re right. True talent will ultimately speak for itself. You don’t have to go with the flow at all.”

After walking forward two steps, I realized that she was complimenting me. In an instant, a wide grin spread across my face. “Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Lane!”

“Who said I was complimenting you?” Immediately, she refuted my words. She was resolute and would not admit that she was praising me.

I remained silent as I did not want to make her angry anymore. Otherwise, I would be digging my own grave. When we passed by a bank, she opened her bag and took a brief look inside. “I didn’t bring any cash with me today. I’ll go and withdraw some money.”

In actuality, I wanted to say that I had cash with me, but as someone who was used to living a parsimonious life, I did not have more than three thousand on me. Later on, should she choose something worth more than that amount, it would be embarrassing if we could not pay with our cards.

Entering the bank, I was about to get a number and line up. Just then, I saw her taking out a card with a big red peony printed on it and walking to the VIP counter. Soon after she sat down, a lovely girl came to her service.

At the sight of that, I lifted my head and sighed. As expected, I did not understand the life of a magnate. Just like what Sabrina said, I was the most miserable heiress she had ever seen. I even had to borrow my first credit card from her.

When I was lost in thoughts, a few burly men rushed in, pointing their shotguns at the people inside the bank. “Don’t move! Put your hands above your head!”

Before I could figure out what happened, everyone began screaming. One woman screamed and ran toward the entrance. All of a sudden, a brawny man shot at her back.

The sound of the shotgun buzzed in my ears. As the bullet hit her back, blood splattered everywhere and dyed the surrounding red.

Immediately afterward, the woman let out a heartbreaking scream and collapsed to the floor. She convulsed while vomiting blood from her mouth before she stopped moving altogether.

In an instant, all the screams and shouts stopped and a momentary silence filled the bank. Everyone paused their movements and did not dare to breathe. Outside, firecrackers were crackling continuously, covering up the noise of the gunshot.

“Stay down. Don’t move around. I’ll shoot anyone who moves.” Those men acted quickly. A few of them drove all of us to a corner while their counterparts asked the staff to withdraw money and put them in bundles into a bag they had prepared beforehand.

I sat on the floor next to Julia and looked at the woman lying lifelessly in her own pool of blood. A hint of anger flashed across my eyes. Perhaps it was because I had experienced a shooting incident while on a cruise ship with Christopher. Even though I was afraid, I was not trembling like the others. When I witnessed the woman dying in front of my eyes, I felt my blood boiling.

At that moment, I thought of calling the police. The moment I turned my head sideways to glance at Julia, I saw that she had a calm expression on her face. Despite looking a little panicked, there was no fear in her eyes. Noticing that I was looking at her, she shot me a glance that told me not to worry.

In response, I nodded slightly and mouthed the words “call the police.” Subsequently, I quietly reached into my bag and took out my phone slowly.

“I’ll do it. Some of them are setting off firecrackers outside to divert attention. They must have planned this for a long time. Cover me.” Just as I was about to make the call, she took the phone and moved backward, placing the phone behind me.

Chapter 513

Chapter 513

“What are you doing?” Out of the blue, the man standing in front of us turned around, shouted at us, and started to approach us. My heart raced. There was only one thought in my mind. Oh no! We are busted.

Fortunately, the man stopped at the woman in front of me and kicked her instead.

“Don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me!” The woman in front was together with a baby. She hugged the little one in her arms and pleaded, “My daughter is unwell and has high fever. Can you please let me out? I need to take her to the hospital. She’s only six months old. I can’t delay any longer.”

“Shut up!” The man kicked the woman again. “Don’t move. Otherwise, I’ll pull the trigger.” After that, he cursed and walked away.

My body stiffened as cold sweat drenched my back. I was really frightened just now.

The robbers were still packing the money. Although the bank we were in was just a branch, it was the largest branch in the country. There had to be a massive amount of money in the bank. Every second that passed by felt awfully long to me. Furthermore, I did not know if those people would leave immediately after taking the money or would they take hostages before making their escape.

Since they dared to kill people openly, they were obviously thugs who were up to no good. At that moment, a familiar ringtone suddenly sounded. It was the customized ringtone I had set for incoming calls from Christopher. Immediately, my face fell, and so did Julia’s.

Why did he call me at this time? If he called earlier or later, everything would have been fine.

Sure enough, the man who shot the woman earlier looked over. When he saw the phone in Julia’s hand, he yelled angrily, “F**k! This woman wants to call the police! I’m going to kill her!”

With that said, he strode over and pointed his gun at Julia. Suddenly, my mind went blank and I was at a loss for what to do. The man would really pull the trigger – he was not kidding. Before I could think of what to do, my body reacted first. I found myself pouncing in front of Julia and blocking the muzzle of his gun.

At that instant, the only thought I had in my mind was that Julia was Christopher’s mother. If something happened to her, he would be very sad.

Just then, a gunshot sounded in my ears. At the same time, there was a sharp pain in my chest. Blood splattered on my face and hands. I lowered my head and stared at the blood that was gushing out of my chest. The next moment, I collapsed to the ground.

“Yvonne! Yvonne!” I could hear Julia shouting my name in shock. Barely opening my eyes, I saw the anxious expression on her face and the panic in her eyes. I could not help but smile. Julia was worried about me. As expected, she had already acknowledged me. Previously, she was just unhappy that I had taken her son away from her.

“Mrs. Lane, I knew you’re a good person.” At first, I wanted to continue teasing her, but I could not say anything else anymore. After I squeezed those words out of my mouth, I could not open my mouth again. There seemed to be something in my throat. I wanted to cough, but when I opened my mouth, nothing but blood came out.

Soon, sirens of police cars could be heard from outside. The robbers were anxious and ran outside with the money. Meanwhile, I did not know if I could survive. I panicked: I had yet to see Christopher.

“Don’t talk! I’ll send you to the hospital,” shouted Julia while covering my wound.

I felt that I was pretty strong. Unexpectedly, I did not die immediately after being shot at such a close distance. Not to mention that I did not even lose my consciousness. When I was placed on the stretcher, my vision started to go blurry. Seeing that Julia kept following me, I smiled weakly at her.

“Chris told me that you’re a very gentle and kind mother. He also said that you took good care of him and he loves you very much. If something happens to you, he’ll be heartbroken. C-Can I call you ‘Mom’?”

Julia was a very good mother. If she could acknowledge me as her daughter, I would be overjoyed.

“You haven’t married my son yet. What right do you have to call me ‘Mom’? You’d better get well soon. We’ll discuss how you should call me after you’ve recovered.”

Chapter 514

Chapter 514

Gradually, I could no longer hear the sounds around me clearly. I could only hear Julia’s voice. Slowly, I closed my eyes.

“Yvonne, if something happens to you, I’ll introduce a lot of women to my son. I’ll let him marry another girl and have children with her. You won’t get anything. So, open your eyes. Do you hear me?”

Hearing that, I flashed her a faint smile. “Mrs. Lane, don’t worry. I won’t die. I still want to be with Christopher. We’ve promised each other to be together forever. I won’t leave him behind. I won’t die. I won’t die…”

I repeated the sentence again and again. Even when I was out of strength and could not even open my eyes, I did not allow myself to lose consciousness. I was afraid that once I fell asleep, I would disappear from Christopher’s life forever.

It was not until the doctor pushed me into the emergency room and gave me anesthetics that I finally closed my eyes with peace of mind.

Moments later, a Maserati stopped abruptly in front of the hospital. Because it had been traveling at a high speed and the brake was applied all of a sudden, the front of the car hit the railing before it. As a result, there was a huge dent on the luxury vehicle. When the security guard at the hospital entrance saw that, he was heartbroken. The repair would easily cost a few hundred thousand, which was enough money for him to buy a decent car.

Meanwhile, the person in the car did not care how badly the car crashed. He opened the door, stepped out of the vehicle, and rushed into the hospital.

“Mom, how is Yvonne?” Christopher ran to the emergency room, grabbed Julia’s shoulders, and asked anxiously.

In fact, Julia was more nervous than he was. There were still bloodstains on her body and the white coat she was wearing was dyed a terrifying crimson. Glancing at the door of the emergency room, she answered anxiously, “The doctor hasn’t come out yet.”

“What happened? Why was she sent to the hospital?” Christopher was so anxious that he almost shouted.

A trace of guilt flickered across Julia’s eyes. “It’s my fault. I was too careless. I called the police and was discovered. In order to save me, she blocked the gunshot.”

“Gunshot? Where was she shot? Was she severely injured?”

His whole body trembled because of anxiety. The man who did not even blink when he himself was shot was scared at that moment.

“She was shot in the abdomen and lost a lot of blood.” Julia did not dare to look at Christopher’s eyes. After experiencing my departure previously, she knew better than anyone how important I was to Christopher.

“Abdomen?!” In an instant, Christopher’s face turned as white as a sheet. How he wished to rush into the operating theater immediately to make sure that everything was okay! But since he could not do that, he started pacing back and forth just outside the emergency room. He could not calm himself down.

“She’ll be fine. She’ll definitely be fine…” He comforted himself as he walked.

Before long, Darius and Gordon also rushed to the hospital. As soon as they saw how pale Christopher and Julia looked, they knew that the operation in the emergency room had not finished.

Patting Christopher on the shoulder, Darius comforted, “Yvonne is a good person. She’ll be fine.”

“Where are those people? Where’s the one who shot her?” Abruptly, Christopher lifted his head, his gaze murderous. He looked ferocious when he asked his questions while gritting his teeth.

“Most of them have been arrested. Don’t worry. They’re in jail. As soon as Yvonne is fine, I’ll bring you there and you can vent your anger on them as you like. The two who escaped won’t be able to run far. The SWAT team has been dispatched,” said Darius.

“I’ll end them all! How dare they hurt Yvonne!” Then, Christopher turned around and walked outside. While walking, he made a call and roared, “Zachary, gather our men! I have a mission for you.”

“Chris, calm down!” Darius and Gordon stopped him. If Christopher were to successfully capture the robbers, there would be no chance that the latter could survive, which would make things even worse.

“I can’t calm down! I want to put an end to those bastards’ lives!” Christopher yelled furiously.

“Chris, when Yvonne comes out later, you’re definitely the person she wants to see the most. So wait here, okay?” begged Julia while hugging Christopher, who looked like he had lost his mind.

Chapter 515

Chapter 515

The emergency room door suddenly opened. A doctor came out and stated frantically, “It’s bad. The patient is bleeding profusely. She can’t wait any longer. Bring the blood from the blood bank as soon as possible!”

“Yvonne!” Christopher shoved Darius out of the way and rushed toward the emergency room.

“The patient’s blood pressure is falling and her breathing is weakening. She needs treatment immediately!”

“Her heartbeat is becoming weaker and weaker. What do we do now?”

“Prepare for cardiac resuscitation.”

Christopher saw the scene happening before him. He then felt as though he had gone back to the past – the time when he woke up on the deserted island. I practically went insane then, since I could not see Yvonne for two months.

That time, I apparently passed out on his lap when we were on the beach. He felt as if the sky had crashed on him. When he sent me to the hospital, he even considered ending his own life should I pass on.

That was because he had promised me on the deserted island that we would be together forever and that even death would not be able to separate us.

A nurse tried to stop him, but he did not care what anyone said or did. “Please, Yvonne, wake up. It’s me, Christopher!”

His eyes began to well up with tears.

“I’m sorry that I’m late. I’m late this time. You can punish me however you want when you wake up but please don’t leave me alone, okay? We have finally arrived at this point after overcoming numerous challenges. I still owe you a grand wedding ceremony. Isn’t that what you want?”

Beep… Beep… Beep… The electrocardiogram on the cardiac monitor showed a few drastic fluctuations and then settled into a straight line. Following that, the beeping sound of an alarm was heard. At that moment, all was silent except for the sound coming from the alarm. It had come to an end.

“Her heart is no longer beating.” The doctor slowly removed the defibrillator and apologized to Christopher. “I’m sorry, Sir. We’ve already done everything we could. Please accept my condolences.”

“What condolences? She is still alive. You need to save her right now or I’ll make you all go down with her!”

Christopher then yelled angrily, “Eve, we’ve been married for over a year and haven’t had any children yet. You’ve just told me you wanted kids. How could you leave me? Please wake up. I’ll break up with you if you don’t wake up. Do you hear me?”

“Yvonne, you said that in this life, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, you’ll step over them, hold my hands, and be with me. Have you forgotten about it?” At this moment, the strong-willed man sobbed and burst into tears.

When the nurse saw Christopher express his emotions, she quietly wiped away her own tears. They are supposed to be a happy couple, but this tragedy occurred because the wife met the bank robbers.

When Julia walked into the emergency room and saw that the electrocardiogram had flatlined, she was devastated. She staggered backward and almost fell to the floor. Fortunately, Gordon was standing behind her and managed to hold her.

“It’s entirely my fault. I am the cause of Yvonne’s death. Gordon, what should I do? If she hadn’t saved me, she’d still be alive. I was just thinking of inviting her to our house for lunch to discuss wedding plans with Chris. What am I supposed to do? Why is this happening?” Julia lamented.

“Do you hear me, Yvonne? You are not allowed to die. It’s just an accident. You’ve always claimed to be indestructible and that you will survive no matter what happens to you. You have a strong will to live. You need to wake up right now, Yvonne! If you really abandon me in this world, I will go with you right now!” Christopher suddenly drew his gun from his waist and pointed it at his temple.

Chapter 516

Chapter 516

I was walking in the dark by myself. In this darkness, there was nothing around me. I could not see, hear, or feel anything. But I was determined to continue walking, no matter what. I knew that if I found a place with light, I could return to where I really belonged.

This was a strange dream. I knew I was dreaming, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not wake up. However, my chest no longer had a hole in it and I was no longer in pain. It appeared that dreaming had its advantages. At the very least, I was unable to sense pain.

But I had no idea how long I had been unconscious. Christopher would be worried if I stayed unconscious for too long.

After being in a life-or-death situation, we realized how fragile and valuable life was. Christopher had been concerned about me ever since we returned to Avenport from the seaside town. That time, I was hurt saving Lyle; Christopher was furious about it and even punished me.

Since then, he had become extremely concerned about me. Even if I just stubbed my toes, he would be worried for quite some time. If he knew I had been shot by accident, he would blame himself for the rest of his life for not being able to protect me.

I sighed, feeling puzzled as to why I could not find the right path and wondering what I could do to wake up.

“Please, Yvonne, wake up! I won’t marry you if you don’t wake up. No, I’m going to divorce you. I’ll go marry some other woman. I’ll piss you off!”

“Who’s talking?” I turned and looked but there was still nothing around me. It’s Christopher’s voice. He’s talking to me, but why can’t I wake up even though I can hear his voice?

“Yvonne, if you leave me, I’ll feel alone. You’ll also feel alone. It’s too lonely to walk by yourself in the dark. I’ll come and accompany you, okay? I’ll come to find you now.”

Find me? Is Christopher attempting to do something stupid? I was so worried that I was about to cry, but I couldn’t do so because I was in a dream. Suddenly, a loud gunshot could be heard. I was terrified and had no idea what to do.

“Christopher! Christopher! Where are you?” I shouted.

The emergency room was in chaos. The pendant lamp from the ceiling fell to the ground as Christopher shot at the ceiling. His action shocked everyone.

“Chris, stay calm and hand me the gun!” Darius yelled at Christopher as he approached him.

“Chris, do you realize what you’re doing? Put down the gun now!” Even the usually gentle Gordon was enraged by Christopher’s behavior and nervously reprimanded his son. “As a soldier, how dare you do such a thing!”

“I can’t stay calm. I just can’t. All of you get out of here! I want to be alone with Eve.” Christopher held his gun tightly.

Julia was also taken aback. Upon getting back to her senses, she approached Christopher and slapped him. “You want to end your own life, you fool? Do you think Yvonne will come back to life if you die?”

Julia was furious. She gave him another slap. “Your father, Darius, and I are standing in front of you. Do you want us to go down with you, seeing that you dare to pull out your gun in front of us?”

Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm suddenly went off again. The nurse lowered her head and noticed that the electrocardiogram was registering activity again. She then shouted, “Doctor, the patient’s heartbeat has been restored. Come and take a look!”

Everyone in the room came to a halt and turned to look at the electrocardiogram. They were overjoyed with tears when they saw signs of life. “She’s alive!”

“Doctor, hurry up and check on her!” Gordon yelled at the doctor as he was the first to react.

“Everyone, please leave the room right now! The patient must be treated right away.” The doctor rushed over.

Darius forcibly dragged Christopher out of the emergency room. He then said to him, “She will not leave you. She will stay alive. If you stay inside, you’ll disturb the doctor’s treatment.”

Chapter 517

Chapter 517

I had no idea how long I had been sleeping. I just felt it had been a long time. When I woke up, my neck was stiff and my limbs were numb. My chest was the most painful area – even the slightest movement hurt a lot.

What happened to me?

I slowly recalled my memories as I blankly blinked. Then, I remembered being shot and becoming severely injured, which caused Julia to cry.

I raised my head slightly and noticed Julia resting her head on the edge of the bed. She appeared pale and exhausted. Her hair was messy and she was still wearing the same clothes she had on when we went shopping.

She was holding my hand tightly at the moment, which gave me a warm sensation. I was happy to know that Christopher’s parents cared about me; it was a wonderful feeling. I felt my world was brimming with hope and I started longing for it again.

I was thirsty and wanted to drink some water, but Julia was sleeping and I didn’t want to wake her up. It was only early fall and there was no heating in the room. I was concerned that Julia would be cold, so I adjusted my body slightly, took the jacket on the chair, and placed it on her back.

At that moment, the door opened. Darius walked in just as I was putting the jacket on Julia. Understanding what I was doing, he quickly walked over and assisted me with the task. He then said in surprise, “You’re awake! Don’t move around too much. Just remain in bed. I’ll call the doctor to check up on you.”

“Shhh.” I made a shushing motion, smiled weakly, and whispered, “Don’t be too loud, Darius. You’ll startle Mrs. Lane.”

Darius looked at me curiously as he helped me lie back down on the bed in slow motion. With a lowered voice, he asked, “How do you feel? Are you unwell?”

I felt pain all over my body, but I did not want to tell him. I shook my head and said, “I’m fine. It’s just… Cough!”

As I was finishing my sentence, I coughed. The cough affected the wound on my chest, resulting in excruciating pain.

Julia was startled awake by my coughing. When she saw that I had also woken up, she exclaimed, “You’ve finally awakened, Yvonne! That’s great!”

“I’m sorry to wake you up, Mrs. Lane,” I embarrassedly apologized.

“What’s the big deal about waking me up? You should not be concerned with whether or not I am awake. Darius, hurry and notify all of the doctors and nurses. Tell them all to come here right away. All of them!”

Julia rushed to my bedside and checked on me while ordering Darius. She was relieved when she noticed that I no longer had a fever. She also expressed her displeasure with Darius’ tardiness and said, “It’s all right. I’ll go on my own.”

“Mom, you can just stay and rest. I’ll go.” Darius sat Julia in the chair and hurriedly left the room.

“You fool, rest for what? No matter what happens, you never seem to feel nervous. Can’t you just hurry? You’re infuriating me.” Julia jumped out of her chair and marched to the door, yelling at Darius, “You should hurry up! Can you hear me? You’re moving too slowly. Why do I have a son as slow as you? Can’t you tell when you should be calling the doctors?”

When she turned around, she noticed that I was staring at her. Julia’s face stiffened and looked away. She proceeded to pour me a glass of water. She then approached my bedside and lifted my head to help me sip the water.

I felt pampered. While drinking the water, I kept my gaze fixed on her. After finishing the water, Julia asked me in a gentle voice, “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll ask someone to bring over the food right away.”

I felt even more pampered. This was like a dream, considering I had been in an awkward situation with my future mother-in-law for over a year. She had never been nice to me. What’s going on with this princess-like treatment?

“Mrs. Lane, are you… all right?” I could not help but ask her.

Chapter 518

Chapter 518

Julia was stunned by my question. She glared at me and ignored me. Instead, she asked me again what I wanted to eat. I was smart enough to stop questioning and made a request for soup instead.

Darius brought dozens of doctors and nurses to my room; they all surrounded me to perform various checks on me. They were all tensed up as if we were at war and I was the commander. It made me feel that they would lose their lives if I was met with any mishap.

Of course, I had no idea that Christopher pointed his gun at the doctor’s head to save my life inside the emergency room. If I knew, I might have jumped up from the operating table in shock.

“The patient’s condition has stabilized. She only needs to rest and redress her wound to avoid infection. She should be able to be discharged from the hospital after her wound starts to heal.” Every doctor and nurse in the room was relieved and even became teary as the elderly doctor reached that conclusion. That guy will destroy the entire hospital if this patient does not wake up.

“Of course I’ll be fine. After all, I’m tough. This minor wound will heal in no time.” I smiled and thought the doctors’ and nurses’ expressions were strange.

I could not find Christopher anywhere around me as the doctors and nurses exited the room. Looking out the window, I noticed that the sun was starting to set. I inquired politely, “Mrs. Lane, how long have I been unconscious? Is Did Chris call to inquire about me? Fortunately, he is unaware of what happened. The sun is setting; if he finds out I’m hospitalized, he’ll be furious. Can you keep this between us? Just say that when I went shopping with you, I lost your necklace, so I went over to Sabrina’s to brainstorm about what I should buy back for you as a replacement.”

I made up a lie on the spur of the moment, but it did not seem credible. So, after a few moments, I asked, “Mrs. Lane, I need your assistance in contacting Sabrina so that she can cooperate with us. I remember that you bought your necklace in Coldbridge. You can just claim that I’ve gone to Coldbridge. With this, we should be able to buy a few days’ time. By the time Chris meets me again, I should have recovered for quite a bit.”

After hearing my request, Julia frowned and inquired, “Why do you want to do this?”

Julia’s dissatisfaction was entirely understandable. After all, I was asking my future mother-in-law to cooperate with me in lying to her son. I smiled faintly as I recalled how nervous Christopher could get when something terrible happened to me. Then, I replied sternly, “I don’t want Chris to be concerned about me. Mrs. Lane, you’ve heard about the deserted island. Although it has been over a year since it ended, the ramifications are too great for him. Chris has become overly zealous. I’m afraid that he’ll overreact if he finds out about me being hospitalized. That’s why I believe it’d be best if he didn’t know about it.”

Julia did not respond to my answer. Instead, she just looked at me with a complicated expression, which made me feel awkward. I wonder if she will agree to my request.

Julia sighed softly and lightly tapped the top of my head as she tucked me in. “You’re a lovely young lady; this is something I’ve known for a long time. After you’re discharged, I’ll contact your father and discuss your marriage to Chris.”

“Huh?” I was a little stunned by it. Why is she suddenly bringing up marriage? I was surprised and perplexed at the same time. How come Julia suddenly changed her mind?

“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t think that just because you saved my life, I’ll have to accept you completely. I’m only doing it for Chris’ sake because all he wants is to marry you. For that, I will reluctantly accept this marriage. But let me warn you: if you don’t treat Chris well, I’ll tell him to dump you and then introduce him to a slew of beautiful women to choose from.”

Julia turned away from me because she was embarrassed that I was staring at her.

So it’s because I saved Julia that she has accepted me completely? My brain was too slow to process this thought, and when it finally did, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to jump out of the hospital bed, kiss Julia, and then happily yell out the window that I wanted to marry Christopher.

I would then find Christopher and tell him loud and clear that I wanted to marry him – that I wanted to be his woman. That would be best followed by a celebration with red wine and a romantic dinner. Unfortunately, as a patient, I could only stay in bed and grin like a fool.

Chapter 519

Chapter 519

It all happened so quickly. I barely had time to process my reaction. “Thank you, Mrs. Lane. Thank you so much.”

With a choked voice, I expressed my gratitude over and over again. I did not know whether to cry or laugh. I was happy to finally be acknowledged by Christopher’s family. At the same time, I wanted to burst out into tears, perhaps because this happiness had not come easy for me.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lane.” Tears welled up in my eyes and overflowed down my face. I had finally done it. My determination had managed to sway them.

“What are you crying for? Have I been that harsh on you? I just agreed to your marriage, that’s all, yet you’re so emotional.” Julia’s eyes started to tear up too. She gently dabbed away the tears on my face.

“Not at all. I’m just… so happy. If Chris knew about this, he would be overjoyed too. Mrs. Lane, do you mind if I give him a call right now?” I looked expectantly toward her.

Her lips quivered. Whatever it was that she intended to say, she did not. Instead, she turned around and exited the ward. With tears still at the corners of my eyes, I was confused. Is that a yes or a no?

As they said, never count your chickens before they hatch. I supposed that my situation had been too good to be true. Right after Julia left, Christopher appeared by the door.

His face was tense as he stood there silently. His typically neat hair was a mess. Even the clothes that hung on his body were wrinkled. It looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

The worst part of it all was his facial expression. Looking at him, I was at a loss for words. I squirmed under my blanket and started to sob. Why would Julia do this? I looked over to her in hopes that she would catch my signal. However, she responded by ignoring me and shutting the door behind her.

Wow. So much for becoming closer. How could she turn her back so quickly on me?

Christopher strode over and pulled me into his arms. Because he was too forceful, his body slammed into the injury on my chest. The pain caused my face to twist, but I kept my mouth sealed. I hugged him back tightly.

For someone as careful as Christopher to act like this, he must have been worried sick. I leaned into his arms and whispered, “I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s just a tiny injury. The doctor said it’s pretty minor. I just need to rest for a couple of days.”

“Eve!” he shouted.

“I’m right here. I’m actually kind of hungry. Mrs. Lane brought some soup over. Do you mind passing it to me?” I gestured over to the thermos on the table.

“Eve!” Christopher shouted again. He held me firmly in his arms as he buried his face into my neck. He was hugging me so tight that I was struggling to breathe.

“What is it?” I blinked.

“Eve!” He just kept shouting my name over and over again. If I did not respond, he would keep yelling until I answered.

“Christopher, I already told you I’m fine. Look at me. Don’t I look perfectly fine? In fact, I feel livelier than ever. Mrs. Lane must have exaggerated things because she was worried about me. I’m as sprightly as always. What are you so worked up for?”

I could sense his panic, so I tried to reassure him gently. I cupped his head to make him face me. However, when I saw his face, I could not bring myself to speak.

His eyes were filled with fear and worry as he nervously held on to me. Because he was so afraid, his hands were trembling. His eyes were bloodshot and glistening, looking like tears were about to fall at any moment.

Is he crying? This man was crying because he was so worried about me getting hurt. What had I done to deserve such a caring man? Seeing him like this, my eyes started to well up with tears too.

I held his face and leaned forward to press my cheek against his. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I really am.”

An indescribable feeling of frustration washed over me. Of course, I did not regret saving Julia. However, I did wish that I had taken better care of myself. I knew Christopher would be concerned about me, yet I rushed over so impulsively. If anything had happened to me, he would have lost his mind.

Chapter 520

Chapter 520

“Eve, promise me you won’t make me worry about you like this anymore.” Christopher planted a kiss on my cheek. His hands were still wrapped tightly around me. It was almost as though he was afraid I would disappear as soon as he let go.

“I will. From now, I’ll be extra careful and take good care of myself.”

At that moment, I swore that no matter what happened, I would protect myself. Never again could I let Christopher cry over my safety.

Next, he helped me sit up on the bed. He fed me very carefully in small bites. Before each mouthful, he would blow on the soup to make sure it had cooled down before putting it into my mouth.

After eating, I was incredibly sleepy due to my heavy injuries. Despite that, I tried my best to stay awake and talk to Christopher. Seeing that, he decided to get in bed with me, and we cuddled while resting.

“Go to sleep. I’ll be here.”

Lying in his warm embrace, I slowly shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep. Outside the window, Darius and Julia were looking in on us. They could not help but feel emotional.

“How nice is this, Darius? I’m so glad she’s all right. Otherwise, Chris would be devastated.”

“I guess I have to prepare for his wedding soon,” Darius replied.

“Yes. Make it grand. I want the entire city to be congratulating them.”

I slept all the way until the next morning. Sunlight shone through the windows, but it was not glaring at all. Outside, everything was looking particularly beautiful.

Christopher’s hands never left my body. Even while asleep, his brows were furrowed. It seemed like he was dreaming of something unpleasant. I gently ran my fingers in between his brows and smiled.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed onto mine and placed my hand on his cheek. His eyes fluttered open. I could tell that he had been awake for some time now. Without saying anything, his gaze fell onto me and carefully scanned every inch of my body. It looked as though he could never get enough.

My lips pressed against his. We did not do anything, just stared at each other quietly.

Sunlight flowed all around us. It was a very peaceful moment.

That afternoon, Christopher went out for a bit. Coincidentally, Sabrina came over. She was bundled up thickly with a baby in her arms. As soon as she stepped in, she looked me over with concerned eyes. After making sure I was all right, she sighed in relief.

“Yvonne, your life must be cursed or something. All you did was go out shopping with Julia, yet you managed to run into a group of armed robbers. My God! How unfortunate can you be? The chances of something like that happening are so low. I’ve never encountered anything like that in all my life.”

I looked over to the baby sleeping soundly in her arms. He was round and plump. It had only been two days, but he already looked so different. It was odd how babies seemed to grow so much each day.

I chuckled and sighed heavily. “Well, I’m at a loss too. Who would have thought? You have no idea how nervous Chris was yesterday. He held onto my hand the entire day. Even when he went to the toilet, he kept shouting my name.”

“It would be weird if he wasn’t nervous. Come take a look at your godson. He hasn’t seen you in two days, and he’s been looking for you everywhere.” As she spoke, she placed the baby in front of me.

I reached out my hand to touch him a few times. His skin was so smooth and soft. “I guess he really likes me. By the way, I thought you were still bedridden yesterday? How did you get the energy to come see me today? I’m surprised your husband didn’t stop you. After all, you’re still very fragile right now.”

“Yesterday?” Sabrina blinked. Suddenly, the baby in her arms started to squirm. She quickly lifted her shirt in a familiar motion to feed him. “Are you still half asleep or something? Do you know what day it is today? It’s been ten days since you were admitted into the hospital. Take a look at the date written on your chart.”

Ten days!

I turned my head to look at the chart by the edge of my bed. When I realized what day it was, I felt a chill run through my body. I only woke up the day before. That would mean that I was unconscious for eight days!

I suddenly realized why Christopher had been so panicked about me.