Chapter 29
“I had no choice… Do you think Alex will kill me?” I looked at Angela, my face full of unease. To be honest, I was genuinely scared.
Angela hooked her arm around mine, flashing a mischievous grin. “Girl, I’ve known you since we were kids, and I never realized you could be this shameless. But I kind of love it.”
I tugged at the corner of my lips weakly. Staring out the window at the dim night sky, I frowned slightly. “Did I sleep all day?”
Angela patted her chest as if still recovering from shock. “Yeah! You nearly scared me to death, you know that?”
I chuckle bitterly. “Fine, I’ll let it slide this time since you took care of me all day.”
Then, I suddenly remembered my mom and aunt still at the hospital. Panic crept into my voice. I said anxiously, “Crap! I’ve been gone all day. Mom and Aunt must be freaking out!”
ela squeezed my hand reassuringly. “I already called your aunt and told her you weren’t feeling well, running a fever.”
“You didn’t say I was at the hospital, right?” I asked cautiously.
“Relax, I told her you were at my place.” Angela sighed, a hint of frustration in her voice. “You always hide the bad and only tell them the good. That’s why your mom and aunt still think Austin treats you well.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell my mom–it was that saying too much would only make her worry. And besides, this was between me and Austin. I had always believed we would get married, have kids, and grow old together.
If I dumped every little frustration and unhappiness on my mom, sooner or later, resentment would build, and tension would follow.
But I had never expected that one day, I’d finally reach my breaking point and decide to sever ties with Austin once and for all.
After a while, I murmured, “Angela, thank you for always being there for me.”
Angela shot me a side–eye. “Please, if I hadn’t been abroad for four years, I would’ve dragged you out of this mess ages ago. But, you know, I wasn’t the one who took care of you today.”
I froze, looking at her in confusion.
Angela smirked, her dimples showing. “When I went to find you, Alex was carrying you out. So, I followed him to the hospital. You were clinging to his shirt and wouldn’t let go, so I figured I’d give you a little… opportunity.”
I pressed my lips together and then spoke. “You’re saying I was holding onto Alex and wouldn’t let go?”
Angela nodded. “Don’t worry. He’s not as scary as you think… just a little bit.”
“You ran off because he scared you, didn’t you?” I shot her a knowing look.
Angela cleared her throat. “Of course not. The air pressure was just kinda low, and I wasn’t dressed warmly enough. But honestly, your husband is ridiculously handsome.”
Seeing Angela’s overly excited expression, I flopped back onto the bed, exhausted. Alex’s sharp, aristocratic features flashed in my mind, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“Angela, I need to get discharged. I want to go home,” I said abruptly, sitting up, my eyes pleading.
Angela waved me off. “Relax. Alex was here all day. He left for a meeting at his company, so he won’t be back at the hospital tonight.”
Hearing that, I let out a long breath of relief.
First, I used him as a shield. Then, I shamelessly let him stay with me all day at the hospital. I must’ve been delirious from the fever. No way I’d have the guts otherwise.
The image of his cold, piercing eyes and that barely–there smirk surfaced in my mind. When Alex smiled, it was already unsettling–what about when he didn’t?
Suddenly, my stomach growled. Angela chuckled. “Hungry? I’ll go grab you some oatmeal downstairs.”
“And a hot coffee,” I added without hesitation. I needed caffeine to calm my nerves. More importantly, my mouth tasted bitter.
After Angela left, I realized the hospital room was a high–end private suite. Money really did make life easier.
At that moment, the door creaked open. “Forget something?” I asked, turning my head toward the door–then froze.
1/2
12,57 PM
Chapter 29
Austin stood there. My breath hitched. Fingers instinctively clenched around the blanket. Then he stepped closer, staring at me. “Laurel, you’re
awake?”
The next moment, Austin reached out, grasping my hand with one of his and cupping my face with the other.
His touch wasn’t forceful, but I couldn’t move. A numbing fear spread through my body.
Still, I forced myself to meet his gaze, my voice steady. “Back off. Aren’t you afraid your uncle will see you?”
Austin scoffed. “Do you really think I’d believe a word of that?” His smirk was laced with mockery. “You’re too naive, Laurel. You think I don’t know what kind of man my uncle is?”
It was a direct reminder–Austin didn’t believe a single thing I told him or his mother about Alex. And honestly, who would?
I chuckled and said slowly, “If you don’t believe me, go ask him yourself.”
Austin replied, his eyes sharp. “You think I haven’t? Of all the men you could’ve used as an excuse, you picked my uncle. What, you think tying yourself to him will make me let you go?
“Laurel, you’re dreaming. No one in Newton City would dare cross the Herrera family. Even the women I throw away wouldn’t have the nerve to
move on.”
I snapped. “Austin, you lied to me over and over again! You’re the one who betrayed me first!”
My voice shook with anger. I had never imagined that the man I once loved so deeply would stand before me now, saying such cruel things. Austin let go of my jaw and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His dark eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness. “Laurel, be a good girl and hold that press conference. Say what my mother told you to say, or I’ll make sure your entire family is done for.
“By the way, your aunt’s kids… Didn’t your cousin just start as an intern at some ad agency? And your cousin–he’s always getting into trouble. Do you think if something happened to him, he’d even get his diploma? Your aunt has done so much for your family. Can you bear to see her live a miserable life in the next half of her life?
His voice was soft, but the threat was razor–sharp. I sat there, stunned, staring at Austin. It took me a while to find my voice. When I did, it was laced with cold disdain. I said coldly, “Like mother, like son.”
