Chapter 184

Chapter 184

Emily was so furious at his unreasonable behavior that she couldn't even speak.

She turned around, pulled the blanket over her head, and simply ignored him, acting as if he didn't exist.

Looking at the lump under the blanket, William's lips curved slightly. He reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, and the entire room instantly fell into darkness.

After a moment of silence, William's deep voice broke through the darkness.

"Emily, I need to talk to you."

"I don't want to hear it!"

Emily's muffled voice came from under the blanket.

However, William acted as if he hadn't heard her refusal and continued.

"Today was my fault. I failed to check the room and didn't realize the bathroom was designed that way, which scared you. But I want you to know that whether today's incident happened or not, I would take responsibility for you."

Emily didn't say anything, but the blanket moved slightly, showing she was listening.

William's voice was soft, yet every word carried weight.

"From the first day I met you, I knew you were the person I wanted to spend my life with."

Emily's heart pounded. She pressed her voice down and said, "Stop sweet-talking me."

But William's tone was serious when he replied, not like he was joking.

"Every word I'm saying is from my heart. Emily, I want to marry you, not because of what I saw today, but because I love you."

"But what happened today also made me more certain of one thing. I need to take responsibility for you—not just for your feelings, but also for your dignity and your reputation."

"Even if you think I'm old-fashioned and rigid, I have to say it. In my book, when a man sees a woman's body, he must take responsibility for her. That's just how it should be."

Emily suddenly threw off the blanket and sat up. In the darkness, she couldn't see William's expression clearly, but she could feel his burning gaze.

"William, do you even know what you're saying?"

Her voice trembled slightly. William also sat up and reached out to hold her hand.

"I know. I'm saying I want to marry you not because of anyone else, not because we're having a child, but simply because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Emily's nose suddenly tingled.

"You're so annoying."

Her voice choked up.

"Always saying things like this. Don't you know how cheesy it is?"

William chuckled softly and pulled her into his arms.

"Cheesy or not, you're going to hear it. I'll say many, many more things like this in the future, so you'd better get used to it."

Emily leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and tears fell despite herself.

She wanted to push William away, but her hand resting on his chest had no strength.

"William, if you ever betray me, I'll..."

Before she could finish, William interrupted her.

"There's no 'if.'"

His voice was deep and firm.

"I'll only be good to you for the rest of my life!"

Emily sniffled and punched his chest.

"Let go. I need to sleep."

"No."

"William!"

William's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze in March.

"Sleep. I promise we'll just sleep, nothing else."

Emily sniffed coldly but stopped struggling.

She leaned against William's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

She had been through too much that day, and both her body and emotions had reached their limit.

But in the second before falling into darkness, Emily was still thinking hazily that marrying William might actually not be bad at all.

The next morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the room. When Emily woke up, she found herself still nestled in William's arms, in exactly the same position as when she'd fallen asleep last night.

William had one arm around her waist and his other arm pillowed under her head, his whole body maintaining a protective posture, as if he hadn't moved all night.

Emily looked up and saw he was still sleeping, his eyebrows trembling slightly, his breathing even and steady. When asleep, the coldness and sharpness on William's face had faded somewhat, making him look much softer, like a large dog.

Emily couldn't help but look at him a few more times, and a sweet feeling she couldn't quite describe suddenly rose in her heart.

Just as she was staring at him in a daze, William's eyes suddenly opened. Their eyes met, close together.

Emily's face instantly turned bright red. She tried to pull away in panic, but was held in place by William's arm around her waist.

William's voice voice was husky with sleep, but unexpectedly pleasant.

"Morning!"

"Let go, I need to get up!"

Emily pushed against his chest, but couldn't move him.

William chuckled softly, dropped a good morning kiss on her forehead, and only then released his hold.

He sat up and looked at Emily's ankle, asking with concern, "Does your foot still hurt?"

Emily moved her ankle and found that the swelling had mostly gone down. Although it was still a bit sore, walking wouldn't be a problem.

"Much better."

William nodded and brought her clothes over, placing them by the bed.

"That's good. Get dressed. I won't look."

He walked toward the bathroom and thoughtfully closed the door.

Looking at the closed door, Emily couldn't help but smile. This man really did what he said he would.

After they both got ready and had breakfast, they headed to the hospital.

In the hospital room, Amelia was already awake.

She was leaning against the bed, her eyes much calmer than yesterday.

Seeing Emily and William walk hand in hand, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and her eyes showed more life.

Emily walked over and sat by the bed, holding Amelia's hand, her eyes still carrying some worry.

"Mom, how are you feeling today?"

"Much better."

Amelia's voice was still a bit hoarse, but much clearer than yesterday.

"The doctor told me that as long as I get proper treatment, I'll get better."

Emily's eyes reddened at these words, and her voice choked up a bit.

"Mom, you will definitely get better."

Amelia patted her hand and turned her gaze to William standing nearby.

She looked him up and down, her eyes showing both scrutiny and some satisfaction.

She reached out, took william hand and placed it over Emily's hand.

Looking back at William, her tone was serious and solemn.

"William, Emily is my only daughter. She's suffered a lot since she was young. I failed to protect her—it's all my fault."

Tears instantly fell from Emily's eyes when she heard this.

"Mom, don't say that."

But Amelia ignored her and continued speaking to William.

"From now on, I'm entrusting Emily to you. You must promise me to treat her well, not let her suffer any more grievances, and not let her be sad or upset. If you dare treat her badly, even if it costs me my old life, I will never let you off."

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and carried undeniable determination.

William met her gaze and didn't speak for a moment.