Chapter 24 Let's Have a Child
Alexander walked in.
He had changed into a crisp black suit. The gash on his face had been cleaned and covered with a small square of gauze. His hair was combed back neatly, but the coldness in his expression had not left.
He caught the tail end of Celeste's words as he entered. His brow twitched, almost imperceptibly.
"Alex, you're here." Celeste turned, flashing him a sweet smile. "Caroline just woke up. She's not doing well. She keeps shaking. I was trying to calm her down."
But the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Worry lingered there.
Alexander frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing…" Celeste managed a smile.
His frown deepened. "What happened?"
Celeste hesitated, then spoke carefully. "I was just telling Caroline not to blame herself. The fire wasn't her fault. But she… doesn't want to hear it."
Alexander let out a low, derisive sound. His cold gaze fixed on Caroline, curled up small on the bed.
He scoffed. "You couldn't save Edith's things. What's the point of not accepting it now? Accepting that her belongings are gone should be easier than accepting that she's dead, shouldn't it?"
Caroline's heart lurched. But her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, hollow.
She heard Celeste gently tug at Alexander's sleeve. "Alex, don't."
She could also feel the mocking look Celeste shot her when Alexander wasn't looking.
Yes. She was a failure. She couldn't do anything right.
But right now, she didn't even have the strength to apologize or argue.
"What did the doctor say?" Alexander finally remembered to ask about her condition. His tone was flat.
"She needs rest. Caroline has a lung infection. She needs antibiotics. The burns need to be dressed regularly. And she can't be stressed." Celeste answered obediently, then added, "Caroline seems really shaken. Earlier, she… coughed up blood. A nurse checked on her. She said it was just trauma to the mucous membranes from coughing too hard. Nothing serious, but she still needs to be careful."
Coughed up blood? Caroline thought in a haze.
Right. She had coughed before the fire. And after, in all that smoke, the metallic taste in her throat had never gone away.
Alexander's gaze lingered on her pale face for a few seconds. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Finally, he just said to Celeste, "You can go. The nurses will handle it."
"All right, Alex. You should rest too." Celeste's voice was gentle.
She glanced at Caroline one more time before leaving.
The room was silent now. Just the two of them.
Caroline lay stiff on the bed, feeling his cold stare on her. Every second felt like torture.
She waited for him to speak again. To tell her how useless she was. How stupid. How she had dragged him down and destroyed Edith's things…
But Alexander didn't say anything.
He just walked to the window and turned his back to her, staring outside.
Time crawled by. Silence filled the room.
The darkness around Alexander seemed to spread, creeping into her consciousness.
She didn't know if it was the fever, the medication, or the shock, but her mind started to drift.
The line between reality and hallucination blurred.
The smell of disinfectant became the scent of wisteria. The white walls turned into the green gardens of the Neville estate. The dim light outside the window became a bright, sunlit afternoon from her memories…
And the tall, silent figure by the bed began to overlap with the Alexander she used to watch from afar. The one who used to look at Edith with such tenderness.
He was with Edith now. Bright, radiant Edith.
And Caroline felt like a ghost, pulled by some invisible force toward her.
"Caroline, come here."
She heard Edith calling. She took a step forward without thinking. Something was drawing her closer, pulling her toward Edith's body.
"No! Don't!" Caroline cried out in panic.
"Caroline, don't fight it. Come into my body. From now on, you'll be me."
Edith's voice echoed like a spell.
"Edith, no! You're you. How can I become you?"
"But Caroline…" Edith's voice was confused. "Didn't you promise me you'd live for me?"
Caroline froze.
The voice continued.
"Come on, Caroline. Become me. Then you and Alexander can be together forever."
"You are me…"
"Caroline, won't you even grant me this one wish?"
'I… am you…' Caroline repeated silently, her eyes growing vacant.
"Alex?" A dry, shy voice slipped from her cracked lips.
Alexander's back went rigid.
He turned slowly, his eyes sharp with suspicion.
Caroline didn't notice. Her gaze was unfocused, her cheeks burned with unnatural heat. She tried to smile.
It was Edith's smile—bright, playful.
"You came…" she said softly, looking at Alexander but seeming to see through him, to something else.
"I was so scared… I had a nightmare. I dreamed there was a fire… But you're here now…"
Alexander's pupils contracted. He stood frozen, staring at her. Like he was trying to figure something out. Or holding something back.
Caroline seemed dissatisfied with his silence. A little hurt.
She frowned slightly, her tone turning petulant. "Alex, why aren't you saying anything? Are you mad at me? Because I went somewhere dangerous? I'm sorry… I won't do it again…"
She struggled to lift her right hand, the one with the IV, as if to tug at his sleeve.
But the movement was clumsy. The needle shifted. Pain shot through the back of her hand.
She gasped, tears welling in her eyes. "It hurts…"
That expression. That tone. It was exactly like Edith.
Alexander's body swayed, almost imperceptibly. His fingers curled into fists at his sides.
Emotions churned in his eyes. For a moment, he looked dazed.
But then came the rage. Towering, uncontrollable rage.
How dare she pretend to be Edith in front of him.
Caroline was still lost in the hallucination.
She looked at the familiar figure of Alexander, and longing surged through her.
Her cheeks flushed deeper. Her eyes locked on him. "Alex… let's have a baby, okay?"
Alexander recoiled as if jolted by lightning.
For a long moment, he just stood there. Then he staggered back a step, as if something filthy had touched him. The color drained from his face. The last trace of confusion in his eyes shattered completely.
"What did you just say?!" Alexander bit out.
Caroline flinched at his reaction. The hallucination wavered.
She looked at him, confused, seeing the sudden coldness in his face, the undisguised disgust in his eyes. She shrank back.
But the desire in her heart was too strong.
It whispered in her ear like a curse, driving her to speak.
She repeated in a small voice, "A baby… We talked about it before…"
"Shut up!" Alexander finally exploded.