Chapter 187 Registration of Marriage
In the hospital room, Quinley had already finished packing Elise's belongings.
"Cindy, it's pouring outside. Let's stay another day. Call Mr. Jennings and tell him not to come." Elise said from her wheelchair, staring worriedly at the curtain of rain beyond the window.
"Okay, I'll call him."
Quinley walked to the window and dialed Zachary's number.
The rain was so heavy that everything outside had blurred into gray. Water streamed down the glass in endless trails.
Strangely, no one answered.
She sent him a message. Still no reply.
When Zachary didn't respond, she tried calling Lucas, but his phone wouldn’t connect either.
Quinley tightened her grip on the phone, dialing again and again as unease crept into her chest.
Zachary was always punctual. He would never be late without a reason. Even if something unexpected came up, he would always inform her beforehand.
The time they had agreed on passed. Zachary still hadn't arrived, and she still couldn't reach him.
"Mom, I need to step out for a moment."
Without waiting for a reply, Quinley hurried toward the door.
At the entrance to the inpatient building, a crowd had gathered to take shelter from the torrential rain. The downpour fell with relentless force.
Quinley frowned as she stared outside.
Nearby, people huddled together and chatted.
"That accident outside the hospital was terrible. I heard someone died. When they carried the body out... God, there was so much blood."
“In weather like this, accidents are bound to happen. But a nurse said it involved some kind of luxury car. Supposedly someone important."
"What luxury car? It's that Maybach that’s always parked here. And important? Everyone here is a patient!"
Quinley had been ignoring the conversation—until one word caught her attention.
Maybach.
Her heart suddenly skipped.
"The accident you mentioned… where did they take the injured person?” she asked urgently.
The group fell silent, surprised by her sudden question.
Someone finally pointed toward the emergency building.
Without another word, Quinley rushed straight into the rain.
A terrible feeling spread through her chest.
Was it Zachary?
No. It couldn't be him.
She silently prayed as she ran.
Just as she reached the emergency building, her phone rang.
Zachary’s number appeared on the screen.
She answered immediately.
"Where are you? I called you so many times—why didn't you answer? It's pouring It’s pouring outside. Don’t come today. The roads are dangerous…"
Her words tumbled out in a rush.
But before she could finish, an unfamiliar voice spoke.
"Is this Ms. Cindy? Your friend Zachary has been injured and is currently in the emergency room. Please come as soon as possible."
"What happened to him?"
Before she could ask anything else, the call ended.
Thunder roared across the sky, echoing like an explosion inside her chest.
Rain poured down on her head, but she barely felt it.
Only one thought screamed inside her: Go. Get to him now.
Without hesitation, She just ran toward the operating rooms.
Both Lucas and Zachary had been seriously injured and rushed into surgery.
Quinley sat on that familiar bench, staring blankly at the red surgical light above the operating room door.
Lucas's condition was critical. Several fractured ribs had punctured his lung.
Zachary had been sitting in the back seat. When the cars collided, he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. His head had slammed into the door, leaving a deep gash.
Time crawled forward.
One hour passed. Then another.
Neither Zachary nor Lucas came out.
Quinley felt as if her heart were lodged in her throat.
For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to face loss.
If—if something happened to Zachary, she would never forgive herself.
Regret surged through her like a tide. Why had she rejected his proposal?
She loved him. So why had she kept pushing him away?
The surgery lasted nearly five hours. Finally, both Zachary and Lucas were transferred to the ICU.
That night, Quinley didn't sleep. She kept vigil outside the ward.
A nurse wheeled Elise over. Elise pulled her into her arms. "Cindy, don't be too upset. He's going to be okay."
Quinley nodded stiffly.
"Mom… do you ever regret not going back with Dad when you had the chance?"
The question stirred complicated emotions in Elise’s eyes.
She let out a long breath.
“Yes, I did regret it,” she admitted after a pause. "But regret is the one medicine that doesn’t exist in this world. Your father and I loved each other, but we weren't meant to be together."
Not meant to be—that was the definition of regret.
Quinley didn't want to live with regret.
She wanted to seize the present.
After a sleepless night, Zachary finally regained consciousness.
The first person he saw was Quinley.
She sat beside him, her eyes swollen and red like a panda's.
Their eyes met.
His heart ached.
With effort, he slowly raised his hand and gently touched her cheek.
"Don't cry,” he whispered. “I’m not going to die. We haven’t even gotten married yet."
Quinley tried to hold back her tears, but they burst free like a broken dam.
"Let's get married."
This time, she said it first.
Fate's gears had turned mercilessly. She'd almost lost Zachary forever.
What you regain after loss, you must cherish.
"Really? Let's go register right now."
Zachary froze, then immediately struggled to sit up.
"There's no rush. Once you're better, we'll go register. I promise—this time I won't run away."
Quinley raised her right hand to swear, but Zachary stopped her.
Sometimes people are strange. Things you've agonized over for so long suddenly resolve themselves in a single moment.
"I'm fine right now. Let's go now."
Zachary was impatient. He didn't want to wait another minute.
"Are you going to register looking like that?" Quinley pointed at his head, wrapped in gauze.
There's always a solution. Zachary's mind turned, and he immediately thought of one.
"Come on. I have a way."
Zachary called for a driver. He sat in a wheelchair, looking utterly triumphant.
Ever since he planned to marry Quinley, he had kept all the necessary documents with him at all times.
The entire way there, he was as excited as a child. Quinley sat beside him, holding his hand tightly.
He made phone calls to arrange everything while she listened quietly, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
She had never been more certain of anything. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man.
When they officially registered their marriage, Quinley felt an unexpected calm settle over her.
Zachary, however, could barely contain his excitement.
"From today on, you're my wife,” he said, beaming. “I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. And we're never, ever going to be separated—not in this lifetime or any other."