Chapter 151 Re-buttoning
Alaric never liked taking medicine, and now his mouth was full of bitter medicinal taste. He couldn't help but darken his expression, his brows furrowing.
Cordelia just glanced at him casually and asked, "Want some water?"
Alaric shook his head with a cold face.
"No need."
He was afraid she might drown him with it.
Cordelia smiled faintly and put away the water cup.
Amber looked at Alaric's furrowed brows and reached out to press down on his eyebrows.
"Mr. Hughes, don't cry."
Amber had probably inherited Alaric's dislike of taking medicine. Once when she had a cold and had to take medicine every day, she would almost cry at the sight of it.
Now seeing Alaric being forced to take medicine by Cordelia, Amber thought he would cry like she did after taking medicine, so she quickly tried to comfort him.
But her vocabulary for comforting people was really limited, so her tiny hand could only rest on Alaric's face, trying to soothe him.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
After putting down the water cup, Cordelia watched Amber's performance with a helpless look in her eyes.
Donald walked in from outside at that moment.
When Bruce saw Donald, he immediately straightened up from his casual position on the sofa and stood up.
"Dad, you're here."
Hearing Bruce call him "Dad," Alaric couldn't help but glance at Bruce's flattering expression.
He changed how he addressed him pretty quickly.
Alaric remembered when he first married Cordelia, he could never bring himself to call Donald "Dad," and often didn't want to go back to The Stone Manor with Cordelia.
Now thinking about his behavior back then, Alaric couldn't tell if what he felt was regret or remorse.
"Sit, sit, don't mind me."
"It's getting late, Amber will be fussing about her nap soon. I need to take her back."
As Donald spoke, he glanced at Alaric lying in the hospital bed, covered with many small stickers that Amber had put on him.
Seeing his calm expression without any sign of discomfort, Donald smiled and said.
"Kids at Amber's age love playing with these things. Sorry for disturbing your rest."
Hearing Donald's words, Alaric responded politely, "It's fine. Kids are lively and cute, that's normal."
"Besides, having her here helped me pass the boring time."
Hearing Alaric's words, Cordelia couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
While Donald was talking with Alaric, Amber got sleepy. She rubbed her eyes and raised her hands, asking to be picked up.
Seeing this, Donald bent down and picked up Amber.
"Amber wants to sleep?"
Amber nodded obediently, "Yes."
She took her nap at this time every day, so now she was getting sleepy.
Donald then said goodbye to Alaric and Bruce and left.
Cordelia went out to see them off.
Bruce watched them leave, then turned his gaze to Alaric. Seeing him staring at the backs of the three leaving, he said.
"Looks like you're ready to be Amber's stepfather?"
Hearing Bruce's words, Alaric immediately darkened his face and looked at him with displeasure.
"If you have nothing better to do, go find Evelyn. Don't bother me."
Bruce, seeing him looking like his sore spot had been touched, couldn't help but smile.
"If you hadn't done what you did before, your child with Cordelia would..."
Before he could finish, Alaric threw a book at him from the hospital bed. "Get out."
Bruce caught the book Alaric threw accurately and glanced at the cover.
"Isn't this Cordelia's book?"
Alaric paused, then looked at him with a dark expression. "Give it back."
Bruce handed him the book. Alaric checked with a dark face to see if the book was damaged, then put it aside.
"Look at how pathetic you are!"
Alaric glanced at him coldly. "You're not pathetic? Then how come I don't see you acting tough in front of Evelyn."
Bruce was momentarily speechless, then said, "I'm not afraid of her. I respect her. After all, she's my woman, my wife. It's right for me to give in to her."
"But you..."
Alaric's eyes were dark, with a cold sharpness in them.
Bruce glanced at Alaric casually, stopping there without saying the rest to provoke him further.
After all, saying this much was enough for Alaric to understand what he meant.
After seeing off Donald and Amber, Cordelia returned to the hospital.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Bruce standing outside and paused, asking.
"Bruce, you're leaving so soon?"
"Yeah, I just said something someone didn't want to hear, so I got kicked out."
Hearing this, Cordelia smiled calmly.
That was just Alaric's personality. Even though Bruce was his good friend of many years, he still had to watch Alaric's mood and expression.
"Alright then, I won't see you out. Take care."
Bruce nodded and entered the elevator.
Cordelia returned to her office.
After work, she went to Alaric's room to check on him and give some instructions.
Seeing her about to leave, Alaric's eyes darkened, and he didn't want to stay overnight in the hospital room.
"I want to go back to Crown Hill Estates."
Cordelia's eyes deepened, remembering how Alaric had gone to social events after leaving the hospital the previous times.
To be safe, she decided not to let him leave the hospital.
"Mr. Hughes, you should know your physical condition better than I do."
"If you go back and have an episode at night, medical staff won't be able to reach you right away."
"Staying at the hospital is better for your condition."
Alaric glanced at Cordelia indifferently.
"Aren't you my attending physician?"
Cordelia nodded. "Yes."
Alaric looked at her casually. "So you're not planning to stay at the hospital tonight either. If I have any problems, you'd still have to rush here from The Stone Manor."
"If I stay at Crown Hill Estates, you'd have less distance to travel."
Cordelia paused. Seeing him already throwing back the covers to get up, she said firmly.
"There are doctors on duty at the hospital."
Alaric ignored her.
He unbuttoned his hospital gown on his own, revealing a large expanse of firm muscle.
Cordelia's cheeks flushed, and she slowly looked away.
Janet arrived at Alaric's hospital room door right on time and knocked.
"Alaric, I made some oatmeal porridge for you."
Her voice was gentle and sweet. As she spoke, she pushed the door open and walked in.
When Janet entered, she happened to see Alaric taking off his hospital gown. She froze for a moment, then looked at Cordelia standing to the side.
Cordelia's expression was calm. When she saw Janet, that fluttering feeling completely disappeared.
Alaric's eyes darkened. The hospital gown he was about to take off was immediately pulled back up when he heard Janet's voice, and he buttoned it back up.
"Get out."