Chapter 221 Severely Injured and Comatose

Chapter 221 Severely Injured and Comatose

Sloane's POV

I leaned against his chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat, feeling an indescribable warmth welling up inside me.

"Come on, let's have the doctor check your wound too." Jared tightened his arm around my waist and led me toward the medical tent.

His palm felt cold, and his steps seemed somewhat heavy. I lifted my head to check his face, and keenly noticed that his arm around me was trembling uncontrollably.

"Jared?" My heart tightened as I stopped walking.

He didn't answer.

His already pale handsome face was now completely drained of color, with fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. The moment my fingertips touched his arm, his tall body swayed violently. Then, his face changed drastically, his eyes closed tight, and he collapsed straight into my arms.

"Jared!" I let out a terrified scream, using all my strength to catch his falling body, but he still pulled me down with him as we tumbled onto the muddy ground.

Several doctors from the medical tent came running with emergency kits.

"Quick! Lay the patient flat on the stretcher!" The doctor quickly cut open Jared's shirt, and when he saw the ghastly scar still bleeding on his chest, his face changed dramatically.

"He suffered an extremely serious gunshot wound and just came out of the ICU. His body is extremely weak—he's in no condition for long-distance flights!" The doctor shouted at me sternly in English while performing emergency treatment. "The fact that he could even stand here is a miracle! Now his body has completely shut down, and he's fallen into a deep coma!"

The doctor's words hit my heart like a heavy hammer. I stared blankly at the lifeless man on the stretcher, tears streaming down my face.

In the Berlin hospital, the pungent smell of disinfectant filled the air.

I sat by the bedside, both hands tightly gripping Jared's hand that wasn't hooked up to an IV, my eyes fixed on his paper-white face without blinking.

The heart monitor beeped rhythmically, particularly clear in the deathly quiet hospital room.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making even breathing difficult.

When the doctor redressed his wound, I saw the ghastly gunshot injury on his chest.

The wound had torn badly from intense activity and the long flight, blood soaking through the thick gauze.

I couldn't imagine what kind of crazy determination drove a man who had just come out of the ICU—a man for whom even breathing caused pain—to endure a dozen hours of transoceanic flight, then stand upright outside the explosion ruins, all just to hold me in his arms at the first possible moment.

This all-powerful financial magnate had risked his life for me.

"You fool..." I choked out in a murmur, warm tears falling onto his cold hand.

Just then, I felt the broad palm in my hand twitch slightly.

Next, the man on the bed let out a very soft groan, and those tightly closed deep black eyes slowly opened.

Due to the long coma, his gaze was initially somewhat unfocused, but the moment it fell on my tear-stained face, it instantly sharpened, transforming into deep tenderness.

"Don't cry..." Jared's voice was terribly hoarse, like sandpaper scraping across a table. He struggled to lift the hand with the IV needle, his fingertips gently wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes, his brow furrowing slightly, his tone full of self-blame. "I'm sorry, Sloane... I've caused you trouble again. I came to protect you, but ended up collapsing in front of you instead. I scared you, didn't I?"

Hearing that his first words upon waking were an apology to me, the bitterness in my heart instantly overflowed.

"You know you've caused me trouble?!" I glared at him with red-rimmed eyes, my voice trembling slightly from extreme fear. "Jared, have you lost your mind? Do you know you were shot?! The doctor said your body completely shut down—you almost died! Who gave you permission to come to Berlin without caring about your health? If you had really died outside those ruins, what would I have done?!"

The more I spoke, the angrier I got, tears falling like broken beads.

Seeing that I was truly angry, panic flashed in Jared's eyes.

Ignoring the severe pain in his chest, he struggled to sit up, but I pressed down hard on his shoulders.

"Don't move! Do you want your wound to tear open again?" I warned sternly.

"Okay, okay, I won't move." He immediately lay back obediently on the pillow, his usually decisive eyes now full of grievance and pleading. He wrapped his hand around mine, pressing my palm against his warm cheek and nuzzling it gently, like a large dog that had done something wrong. "I was wrong, Sloane, please don't be mad at me. When I heard about the hospital explosion in New York, something in my brain just snapped. All I could think about was you. If I couldn't confirm your safety, lying in that hospital bed would have been a death sentence anyway."

He paused, staring at me intensely, his voice low and coaxing: "I promise, this is the last time. Honey, don't be mad anymore. Kiss me as punishment, okay?"

His sudden "honey" made my ears burn hot, and the anger I'd felt moments ago was instantly extinguished by his shameless rogue act.

"Who's your honey? We haven't remarried yet." I turned my face away, stubbornly retorting, but didn't pull my hand back.

"You promised me. You can't go back on your word." A triumphant smile rippled in Jared's eyes. He pulled slightly harder, tugging my wrist down. I bent forward unexpectedly, and he took the opportunity to tilt his head up slightly, his thin lips landing precisely on mine.

After the kiss ended, he pressed his forehead against mine, breathing slightly labored, his deep eyes shining with unprecedented seriousness.

"Sloane, when we get back to New York, we'll remarry immediately." His slender fingers gently caressed the back of my neck, his tone firm and unquestionable. "I want to give you the grandest wedding. I want all of Wall Street, the entire Rex family to know that you are my one and only lawfully wedded wife. After that, let's see who dares make you suffer again."

Looking at the deep affection in his eyes, the ice in my heart completely melted into a pool of spring water.

I pressed my forehead against his and softly said, "Mm."

Over the next few days, I stayed at the hospital without leaving his side.

Jared had an excellent constitution to begin with, and with my professional care and nursing, his condition visibly improved.

Although he still couldn't engage in strenuous activity, he had at least passed the critical period, and some color had returned to his face.

That afternoon, I had just finished changing his bandages when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was Professor Brandon.