Chapter 51 St. Mary’s Hospital
Once she slid into David’s car, she fell asleep immediately.
He pressed his lips together and glanced at her occasionally.
Her face was flushed, her breathing slightly labored from discomfort—a look disturbingly reminiscent of postcoital satisfaction.
He instinctively tightened his grip on the steering wheel, the veins on his knuckles slowly bulging.
After getting out of the car, she gasped for breath after just a few steps; her legs trembled.
Seeing this, David scooped her up in his arms.
“Put me down…” She struggled in fright.
“Don’t be stubborn.”
“Just bring a wheelchair over.” She fought back fiercely, but failed.
She quickly sent a text to Claire.
At Claire’s new penthouse.
“Emma is in hospital. The one who took her there was her secret admirer.”
“Mr. Hayes should handle it. And he needs to learn how to make it.” Ryan chuckled.
“You’re right.” She nodded, then called Liam.
“Where are you?” Claire asked.
“House hunting,” Liam replied.
“House hunting?” She was taken aback.
Does a CEO need to look at properties himself?
Before she could react, Celeste’s sweet voice came through.
“Let’s take this one, Liam.”
Claire put the call on speaker, drawing Ryan over.
“Busy now, Mr. Hayes?”
“Who’s this apartment for?”
On the other line, Liam frowned, glancing at his phone’s notes.
“What’s going on, Claire?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong with me. Your wife is the problem. Are you showing apartments to other women?” she said sarcastically.
“What’s wrong with her?” He sounded alarmed on the phone.
“Where are you?” Claire asked.
Liam named a building—the very one she lived in.
Claire hung up and hurried toward the elevator, with Ryan following behind.
“What’s that bitch’s name?” she asked.
“Celeste Wren.”
“Alright!” She stepped into the elevator and pressed 18F.
After hanging up, Liam immediately called Emma, but it went straight to voicemail.
Just as he was about to send a video call on WhatsApp, the click-clack of high heels echoed from the hallway—Claire strode in.
She glanced at Celeste, who stood trembling behind him, looking pitifully vulnerable.
Ryan, standing behind her, hurriedly signaled to Liam.
“Did Emma know you were buying a house for another woman?”
Claire asked, looking at Celeste with utter disdain.
“What happened? Where is she? I haven’t had a chance to tell her yet.” Liam approached them.
“Don’t worry. Someone else was taking care of her,” Claire cut straight to the point. “Just like you.”
Liam’s brow furrowed.
“Your words are truly hurtful. I’ve known Liam for years, and it’s only natural that he looks after me. That woman has only been married to him for a short time, yet she’s already being cared for by another man. Isn’t that—”
Celeste hurriedly explained, stepping forward.
“Celeste!” Liam snapped, cutting her off.
“Where is she?” He demanded.
“St. Mary’s Hospital.”
Liam glanced at Ryan, who nodded.
Then he strode out the door.
“Liam!” Celeste tried to step forward to stop him, but Claire stepped in front of her.
“What a coincidence. We’ll be neighbours from now on.” Claire snorted lightly.
“Really? You live here?” Celeste countered.
“I’m on the top floor,” Claire replied with a smile.
Celeste’s smile froze.
Floors twenty-five and above were all spacious, single-unit apartments per elevator, reserved for the wealthy.
“I’m perfectly content with this one,” she said, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. “A three-million-plus-dollar home. Liam paid for it.”
“Three million plus dollars?” Claire looked surprised, her gaze shifting from Celeste to Ryan.
Ignoring them, Ryan wandered around on his own.
⸻
Back at the penthouse.
Claire sat amid a pile of unassembled furniture, arms crossed in confrontation.
“Is there something wrong with this place?”
“Rest assured, it’s perfectly normal,” Ryan replied with a smirk.
“Three million dollars downstairs, and this one just cost over two million…I should thank the agency someday.”
“No need…” He stammered, clearly uneasy.
“No need?”
“Yeah…”
⸻
At the hospital,
Liam spotted Emma immediately—she was hooked up to an IV outside the emergency room.
As he hurried over, David emerged from nearby, holding a cup of water.
David gently cradled her head against his shoulder and fed her the medicine.
As Emma swallowed the bitter pills, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure approaching from ahead.
David’s gaze followed her line of sight.
She sat up straight and watched the man approach.
Is he angry?
“Liam?” she murmured.
“Fever?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, a little,” she replied awkwardly.
Liam sat beside Emma.
The moment he reached out to touch her forehead, she pushed it away.
“Mr. Hayes…”
He paused, taken aback.
“Are you here for a checkup, Mr. Hayes?”
David chimed in, chuckling.
Emma was about to speak when Liam beat her to it.
“My aunt called me over. She works here and knows my wife. Seeing her alone with a stranger, she was worried she might be scammed.”
Wife…
David froze.
“Rest assured, Mr. Hayes. I’m no scammer.”
“You may leave now, David. Mr. Hayes and I have business to discuss,” Emma said, her eyes darting nervously.
David glanced at Liam, then fixed his gaze on her.
“All right. Get some rest. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
He lingered briefly before rising to leave.
“Here’s your coat.” Liam picked up the black coat draped over Emma.
David smiled, took it, and left.
Liam removed his own coat and silently draped it over Emma.
Then he held her close, his scorching hand resting on her hip.
They remained silent the entire time until they were on the way back home.
Back home, she went upstairs while he cooked oatmeal in the kitchen.
Emma came downstairs after a shower.
Liam had already brought the oatmeal to the dining table.
They ate in silence.
“Are you angry?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“No,” he replied coldly.
“Are you jealous?” she asked.
“No,” Liam replied lightly. “It’s normal for friends to show concern.”
“He’s pursuing me.”
“I can see that.”
“Oh.”
Fine, forget it.
After taking only a few bites, she went upstairs, lay down, and fell asleep.