Chapter 83 A Cry for Help in the Stairwell
In the ward, Liam leaned close to the woman on the bed.
Emma, standing in the doorway, clenched the takeout bag in her hand.
She walked in like it was no big deal.
She placed the takeout on the table while she caught a glimpse of a faint smudge of lipstick on his cheek and the corner of his mouth.
Her mind went blank.
Liam wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start.
"You should eat something first. Giselle's portion is vegetable congee. You can heat it when she wakes up." She opened the takeout box and handed him some cutlery.
"Emma, she was talking just now, and I was just…" He tried to explain, taking the cutlery.
"I know. I'm not that petty." Emma smiled, reaching out to wipe away the red smudge on his cheek and lips with her thumb.
"That color doesn't suit you. I'll give you a fresh one," she said with a smile.
Before he could react, Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Her kiss was awkward and clumsy, yet it instantly ignited his desire.
A smile tugged at his lips.
He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and cupping the back of her head.
A wave of scorching heat washed over her, instantly sweeping her thoughts away.
Emma gently pushed him, but he tightened his arms around her.
"Mmm…"
Her body went limp.
Only when gasps escaped her lips did he reluctantly pull away.
Liam curved his lips into a smile and pinched her flushed cheek.
On the bed, Giselle's hands were clenched into fists beneath the covers.
"Are you crazy? It'd be so awkward if she woke up and saw this." Emma glared at him.
Liam chuckled softly and whispered, "If she heard that, she might be even more afraid to wake up."
The two sat down on the sofa to eat lunch.
Emma took just a few bites before setting her plate aside. "I'm going to the restroom."
——
In the hallway——
"It's rare to see you looking so down. That's not a good sign," David said, approaching.
"What kind of person is Giselle?" Emma asked with a smile.
"I've only met her once. She wanted to be my teacher's student. My teacher agreed to meet with her, but nothing came of it." David leaned against the wall, his gaze fixing on Emma, who was also leaning against the wall.
"You said Giselle isn't a good person. How did you figure that out?" she continued.
"Intuition, I guess." He smiled.
She nodded.
"Giselle was majoring in marketing and later taught herself fashion design. She'd taken up design largely to be closer to Liam," he continued.
"You should come by the studio more often, then I won't get scolded so badly." He chuckled.
Emma laughed, recalling those few minutes in the ward earlier.
"Emma." David brought her back to reality.
"Mm-hmm." She gave a faint reply.
"Call me anytime if you need anything. I'm heading out," he said.
"Okay, thanks, David." Emma smiled.
He then left.
As she was about to leave, a hand dragged her inside the emergency exit.
Before she could react, a black bag was pulled over her head.
She struggled frantically and screamed, "Help!"
She lost her footing and tumbled down the stairs.
"Ah…"
She tore the bag off her head.
"Shit!" the voice echoed from the top of the stairs.
Before she could get a clear look at the person's face, they jumped down the stairs, trying to pin her down.
She kicked the one out, then ran upstairs.
She twisted the handle of the emergency exit door frantically, but it was locked from the outside.
With no other choice, she kept running upward.
——
Giselle's parents hadn't arrived at the hospital yet.
Liam was pushing Giselle toward the restroom.
His phone was on the nightstand by the ward bed.
By the time he had settled Giselle back in the ward, the call had already disconnected.
Liam turned to wash his hands in the restroom.
Giselle, sitting beside the bed, smirked slightly.
She picked up the phone, turned it off, and stuffed it behind the trash can.
——
Emma was panting with exhaustion.
Her hands shook violently as she opened David's WhatsApp and initiated a video call.
The man chasing her up snorted, "Where do you think you're running off to?"
She composed herself and looked at the figure approaching from downstairs.
Footsteps echoed from above.
——
When Liam came out of the bathroom, he saw his phone lying on the floor.
He bent down to pick it up.
"I'm sorry. I accidentally knocked it over. Did it break?" Giselle asked, leaning against the headboard.
After turning on his phone, Liam saw several missed calls from Emma.
He called her back, but no one answered.
He frowned.
Could she still be sulking and ignoring my calls on purpose?
He opened WhatsApp and sent her a message: [Baby, where are you?]
[The caregiver is already here.]
[Can you please answer the phone?]
[Don't hide from me. I was wrong.]