Chapter 396

Chapter 396

Sterling's worried gaze was impossible to ignore.

Willow was genuinely nervous, too, but she didn't want everyone else worrying alongside her.

She walked over to Sterling's side, turned around, and guided his hand to rest on her belly.

"I think I got a little scared earlier." She felt a dull ache in her stomach.

Sterling felt the slight curve beneath his palm, and hearing Willow's words, his brow furrowed sharply.

"We're going to the hospital."

Before Willow could react, he swept her up into his arms in one smooth motion.

The others had no idea what was happening—they only saw Sterling suddenly carrying Willow toward the door.

"Where are you taking my sister?" Henry was the first to snap out of it, thinking Sterling had lost his mind.

His shout jolted Willow back to awareness. Noticing the elders' stares, her face flushed crimson. "Put me down right now."

Sterling only held her tighter, explaining over his shoulder without breaking stride, "She's not feeling well."

At those words, everyone's expressions changed instantly. They forgot all about the person still lying on the floor and hurried after Sterling.

Blake hung back to handle the aftermath while keeping an eye on Luke.

By the time everyone made it downstairs, Sterling had already settled Willow into the car.

Maria and Kaitlyn both headed straight for Sterling's vehicle.

Percy paused, steering Henry toward another car instead.

The two vehicles started one after the other and pulled away from the residential area.

"Willow, how are you feeling right now? What's wrong? Is it your stomach?" Maria asked anxiously during the ride.

Beside her, Kaitlyn was still processing what she'd just heard.

She and Percy didn't know their daughter was pregnant yet.

A moment later, she heard Maria continue, "Is something wrong with the baby? Does your stomach hurt badly?"

Kaitlyn had been silent the entire ride, but finally couldn't hold back. "Baby?"

She stared at her daughter's stomach in disbelief, then looked up at her face. "Willow, you're pregnant?"

Willow caught the shock in her mother's tone and felt inexplicably guilty, instinctively glancing at Sterling.

But Sterling was completely focused on driving, oblivious to what was unfolding in the backseat.

"I..." Faced with her mother's concern, she didn't know what to say.

Kaitlyn read the answer in her hesitation. Her expression shifted, words forming on her lips, but considering her daughter's current condition, she swallowed them back.

"Is it Ster's?" she asked simply.

Willow nodded.

Kaitlyn breathed a sigh of relief, remembering what Gloria had mentioned before. If she had to guess, it must have been that night.

She reassured her daughter, "Don't be scared. Everything will be fine."

Soon, they arrived at the hospital.

Willow wanted to walk on her own, but Sterling gave her no chance, carrying her all the way inside.

Under the stares of countless onlookers, Willow could only bury her face in his chest, mortified.

After a thorough examination at the hospital, the results showed everything was normal.

Yet Willow still felt uncomfortable in her stomach, like something was pressing down on it.

"It's probably emotional stress," the doctor said. "A pregnant woman's emotions can manifest physically. The test results are fine—just relax, and you'll feel better."

"Then why is she still uncomfortable?" Sterling challenged.

The doctor looked irritated. "Didn't I just explain? She's too tense. And your family members aren't helping either—everyone needs to calm down, or you'll just stress the mother out more."

Sterling's expression darkened. "Her complexion looks terrible."

The doctor gave up. "If you don't trust my diagnosis, feel free to get a second opinion at another hospital."

Sterling narrowed his eyes, about to say more.

Willow quickly tugged on his arm, silently begging him to stop.

"I understand. Thank you, doctor." Willow stood to thank him and pulled Sterling toward the exit.

"How is she? Is everything okay?" The group waiting outside immediately crowded around them with concern.

Willow explained, "The doctor said it's probably just emotional stress."

Sterling cut in, "We're going back to Majestic City for another examination. I'll contact the hospital now. Henry, arrange a flight."

Seeing his sister's still-pale complexion, Henry agreed without hesitation.

Their intensity only made Kaitlyn and Maria more anxious.

Willow thought they were overreacting, but when it came to the baby, she couldn't feel at ease either. She let them have their way.

The group returned to Majestic City that same day.

Willow underwent another examination at the hospital. Only after confirming nothing was wrong did everyone finally relax.

However, during her struggle with Billy, Willow had aggravated the wound on her chest. The doctor recommended a few days of hospital rest.

So Willow found herself back in a hospital room.

Everyone gathered inside.

"This is all my fault." Maria was drowning in guilt. "If I hadn't taken you back there, none of this would have happened."

Before Willow could respond, Kaitlyn's voice rang out.

"No, it's my fault. I wasn't careful enough—I got drugged and didn't recognize Willow, which led to her getting hurt." Kaitlyn looked at Maria. "Mrs. Spencer, you have every right to be angry with me. Please don't blame yourself."

Maria sighed quietly.

At this point, there was no denying the truth, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Compared to the Brown family and the Lancaster family, she simply couldn't protect Willow as well.

At the very least, in Majestic City, under the watchful eyes of the Brown and Lancaster families, someone like Billy would never have gotten anywhere near Willow.

She'd forgotten—her granddaughter had grown up. All these years, she'd been the one lying in a hospital bed while Willow protected her, not the other way around as she'd imagined.

"I was wrong." Maria's voice was heavy with regret. "Willow, I'm so sorry. I won't do this again."

She looked around at everyone gathered there. "I've let all of you down, too. This old woman's mind isn't what it used to be."

She didn't need anyone to tell her how worried they must have been during the time she'd taken Willow away.

Kaitlyn quickly interjected, "I understand how you feel. We all just want what's best for Willow. As long as she's okay, that's all that matters."

She glanced at her husband.

Percy stepped forward to speak. "I should have been more thoughtful. You're Willow's family, which makes you part of the Brown family, too. Please rest assured—the Brown family will protect her from now on. What happened that day will never happen again."

Maria said nothing more, simply remaining by Willow's bedside in silence.

The atmosphere in the room grew oppressive.

Willow looked pleadingly toward Sterling and Henry.

Sterling frowned. He wasn't good at handling scenes like this either.

In the end, Henry swooped in to save the day.

"Alright, everyone, stop with the blame game. When you get right down to it, this is all Ster's fault."

Henry shamelessly dumped all responsibility on Sterling. "You're supposed to be the man here—can't even protect your own wife and kid."

Sterling shot him a look but didn't deny it.

In this matter, he did bear responsibility.

Henry waved his hand dramatically. "So we'll leave him here to keep watch as penance. I'll take everyone else home to rest."

He winked at Sterling and Willow before ushering the elders out.