Chapter 31
I frowned slightly, letting deeper concern show on my face at just the right moment.
"Could she be feeling so bad that she went to another room? Or maybe the bathroom? Let's look around."
I led Robert through several rooms and bathrooms on the second floor, appearing anxious as we searched, but still couldn't find Amelia or James anywhere.
"Could they be on the terrace?" Robert asked tentatively.
I nodded. "Let's go check."
My eyes swept past the glass door leading to the garden, and I could vaguely make out what looked like figures on the terrace outside.
"I think they're outside." I lowered my voice to Robert, then lightened my steps as I headed toward the terrace.
The closer we got, the clearer the voices outside became.
The evening breeze carried Amelia's distinctive soft voice with its fragile, tearful tone, especially clear in the quiet night.
"James, I know I shouldn't be like this, but every time I see you and Sophia, I can't help thinking of Jasper. If he were here, the three of us would probably be happily looking at the stars together right now, wouldn't we?" Her voice choked with emotion, full of endless longing and sadness.
I didn't walk out immediately. Instead, I stopped in the shadows at the terrace entrance, raising my hand to signal Robert to stop too.
Robert also heard the conversation inside, his face growing even more uncomfortable, caught between going forward or back.
I stood in the shadows like a calm audience member, watching the performance on the terrace.
Moonlight poured down like water on James and Amelia as they leaned against each other.
James had his back to us, his posture upright, while Amelia was practically nestled entirely in his arms, her face resting against his chest, one hand weakly clutching the front of his shirt.
James said nothing, just stood there silently, letting her lean on him.
This kind of silence, at times like this, was itself a form of indulgence and response.
Amelia seemed quite satisfied with this atmosphere.
She lifted her head slightly, looking up through tear-blurred eyes at James's hard-lined jaw, her voice growing even more tender, carrying a kind of all-or-nothing confession.
"James, these years, if it weren't for you, I really don't know how I would have made it through. I know I shouldn't think this way, but I can't control myself, I..."
Her words were vague and ambiguous, yet full of suggestive implications.
Suddenly, she rose on her tiptoes, her cheeks flushed, eyes hazy, and slowly, tentatively moved closer to James's lips.
Just as her lips were about to touch James's, her gaze inadvertently swept across the shadows at the terrace entrance.
Then she saw me.
And Robert beside me, holding the medical kit, looking embarrassed and panicked.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
The tenderness and haziness on Amelia's face instantly stiffened, then transformed into extreme terror and disbelief.
Like she'd been bitten by a venomous snake, she suddenly sprang away from James's embrace, the movement so violent she even stumbled and nearly fell.
A sharp, voice-breaking scream pierced the quiet night, full of shame and panic at being caught in the act.
James was startled by her sudden reaction and instinctively reached out to steady her, while following her terrified gaze to look back.
When he saw Robert and me standing in the shadows, his face immediately darkened.
His brows furrowed tightly, his eyes sharp as knives, first looking at Robert, then his gaze settled on my face, filled with offended anger.
"Sophia? What are you doing here? And Robert?" His low voice concealed suppressed fury.
"How long have you been standing there? Why didn't you say something?"
Amelia had now hidden behind James, both hands tightly gripping his arm, her face pale, body trembling as if she'd received a terrible fright, tears falling as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Meeting James's questioning gaze, I showed no panic on my face. Instead, with a touch of innocence and just the right amount of confusion, I slowly stepped out from the shadows and calmly explained. "James, you've got it wrong. Didn't Amelia just say she was having chest discomfort? I was so worried, and thinking Robert is the family doctor who knows the situation best, I quickly asked him to come check on her."
I pointed to the medical kit in Robert's hands, proving my words were true.
"We just went to her room but couldn't find anyone, so we looked around until we found you here." I continued, looking at James openly, even with a hint of grievance.
"I saw you two seemed to be talking, the atmosphere looked good, so I didn't want to interrupt and just waited here for a bit."
I deliberately emphasized "the atmosphere looked good" a bit more, my gaze pointedly looking at Amelia's still-flushed cheeks and swollen lips.
James was caught off guard by my question, his expression growing even uglier.
My tone was full of concern. "Robert's here now, let Robert check her quickly! We can't delay Amelia's condition!"
I turned to Robert, urging him, "Robert, what are you standing there for? Amelia was just feeling so bad she could barely stand!"
Robert jumped when I mentioned him, quickly stepping forward with his medical kit, a professional smile plastered on his face though his voice couldn't hide his nervousness. "Ms. Martinez, where do you feel uncomfortable? Let me examine you."
Amelia was trapped and could only let Robert examine her.
Robert took out his stethoscope and went through the motions of listening to her heart and lungs, then took her blood pressure.
I guessed he wasn't really hearing anything, and probably didn't even fasten the blood pressure cuff properly.
After all that fuss, Robert put away his instruments, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and gave his diagnosis. "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, Ms. Martinez... it's probably from overthinking, emotional ups and downs, plus a bit of a cold, which triggered palpitations and chest tightness. Nothing serious, just rest more and keep a positive mood."
"Overthinking?" I immediately raised my voice, my face full of doubt, staring hard at Robert. "Robert, are you sure? Just now, she was so uncomfortable that her face went pale, and she almost fainted! James and I were terrified! How could it just be simple overthinking? Aren't you being too hasty with your diagnosis?"
I deliberately didn't finish my thought, but the doubt about his professional competence was clearly conveyed.
Robert waved his hands frantically, explaining urgently. "No! Mrs. Smith, you misunderstand! What I mean is that Ms. Martinez's body really has no organic problems; it's mainly caused by emotions."
James watched this farce unfold, his face extremely dark.
He impatiently cut off Robert's explanation, pulled out his checkbook from inside his suit jacket, signed a check, tore it off, and shoved it at Robert, his thin lips uttering. "Robert, this money is for funding your overseas training."
Robert naturally understood what James meant. He called it training, but really, he was never to set foot in the hospital again for the rest of his life.