The sudden voice jolted Abigail awake. She shot up, looking toward the source of the sound. Xander, clad in crisp white shirt and black trousers, sat at the single-seater couch by the window, one leg casually crossed over the other, a tablet in his hands—probably reading some documents. For a moment, her mind drew a blank. Then she realized she had woken up in Xander's bed. She quickly pulled back the covers to check herself and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing she was still properly dressed. Thankfully, she had always been a decent sleeper, and never had the nasty habit of undressing unconsciously in her sleep. She jumped out of the bed, tongue-tied in her surprise. "M-Mr. Zane, wh-when did you wake up? How did I end up in your bed?""You kept vigil by my bed all night. Thank you," Xander said, looking up at her.His deep and unreadable gaze added to her embarrassment. He did not really answer her question, leaving her clueless about how she ended up in his bed.Abigail stutter
"Mr. Zane has been having a hard time with his appetite lately, can't seem to stomach anything. If it's not too much trouble, could you maybe prepare some meals for him?" Dr. Watson said."My cooking skills are pretty average, nowhere near the level of the gourmet chefs he's used to. If he can't eat their meals, I doubt he'll stomach mine," Abigail said."Sometimes, it's not about the taste of the food but rather who made it. He's gotten tired of the high-end meals. Maybe a change of taste would do him good," Dr. Watson reasoned."How long since he last ate?" Abigail asked."Not too long, just about two days or so," Dr. Watson replied.'He hasn't eaten in two days, and it's not too long?' Abigail softened, and said, "Fine. I live not far from the hospital. I'll cook and then bring it over."Dr. Watson grinned as he shook Abigail's hand. "I can't thank you enough." With Abigail around, he was saved from the ordeal of dealing with his boss's tantrums.Observing Dr. Watson's happy
Seeing the arrogance in the WhatsApp reply, Abigail suddenly understood why Mallory was so fixated on marrying Xander. With a mother so obsessed with social standing and being filled with twisted ideologies from a young age, it was remarkable that Mallory had turned out the way she had.Abigail chuckled, immediately blocking the number. She had never thought of trying to marry above her station, much less trying to outdo Mallory. She reached out to Mallory because of her encounter with Xander the previous night. Particularly when Xander, unconscious, had suddenly awakened, called her name, and clung to her hand, she felt a small hint of doubt. She thought perhaps Xander had not lied to her; he truly wanted to live a normal life with her as Nathan.'Based on my year-long understanding of him, he wouldn't be messing around with women. If so, that day when Xander and Mallory were together, it could've happened under some unusual circumstances or while he was not fully conscious. As for
Hearing this, Abigail felt a wave of relief. "Thanks for the info, Mr. Hagrid. Goodbye."Ron interrupted, "Wait a sec, Ms. Renee."Abigail asked, "Need anything else?""You're a woman; I'd like to hear your opinion. If Xander's wife knew he was sleeping around, you think she'd mind?""I'm not his wife, how would I know?" Abigail retorted. 'As if I would let him fish for information from me—not a chance in hell.' With that, she hung up. Since Xander had helped Emma, Ron had been causing trouble daily trying to force Xander to hand her over. Therefore, Abigail concluded that Ron's words could not be fully trusted.Listening to the dial tone, Ron could not help but smirk. He was not surprised Abigail had suspicions about that day, and he was well-prepared. However, Abigail only thought that Xander was out of it that day and did not realize the man in the bed was not Xander at all. Planting this seed of doubt between the couple was enough. "Oh Xander, the day Abigail finds out you're
Abigail did not respond, and Nathan sent a few more messages.Nathan: [You promised me something. You can't just go back on your word.]Nathan: [Talk to me.]Nathan: [You said you wouldn't abandon me; are you changing your mind?]Abigail had a soft heart, especially when it came to Nathan. But when she thought about him actually being Xander, his supposedly pitiful situation did not affect her as much. She hesitated for a while, then started to type a reply.Abigail: [Just leave me be for a while. Let me get my head straight, then we can talk.]Nathan: [If something's up, you can tell me. Maybe I can help.]Abigail: [No need.]After replying, Abigail tossed her phone aside, not wanting to continue the conversation. She was used to her professional relationship with Xander and was not ready to accept him as her husband yet. Plus, she still had not figured out what exactly went down with him and Mallory.Lunchtime was fast approaching. After packing up the food in the thermal co
Abigail gave a nod.She knocked politely at the door, and hearing Xander's invitation to enter, she pushed it open. Xander was seated by the window, back to her, his gaze seemingly lost in the view beyond the window. His silhouette appeared desolate, stirring a sudden pang of melancholy in Abigail's heart."Mr. Zane..."He had not expected her to reappear and whirled around abruptly. "W-Why are you back?"Abigail hoisted up the thermal containers she was holding. "I prepared a convalescent-friendly meal for you. Would you care to try it?"Xander's eyes brightened behind his silver-rimmed glasses. "Did you make it yourself?"She nodded. "Yep."Rising quickly, he approached her, showing no signs of the poor appetite Dr. Watson had mentioned. "Your timing is perfect. I'm just getting hungry."Abigail set out the dishes from the containers on the table. "Then you should eat."Xander took his seat. "Join me.""I've already eaten."Seeing his plan to share a meal fall through, Xan
Abigail was left speechless. He wanted her to return home with him, but she did not want to.Seeing her reluctance, Xander assumed she was worried about losing out on extra pay. "Don't worry, taking care of me at home will still net you five grands a day," he assured her. If he did not offer a generous amount, she probably would not agree. He was willing to give her hundreds of thousands per day if necessary."Okay, no problem," Abigail responded, thinking to herself, 'Who in the world can resist money? 5 thousand dollars a day, that's ten thousand dollars for two days, 25 thousand dollars for five... 25 thousand dollars, that's a few months' salary for many people. It can do so many things.'Xander said nothing more, thinking, 'She truly is a money-grubber. Good thing the one thing I'm not short of is money.'Xander did not want to stay in the hospital, but his health was not up to the standard for discharge. He needed proper bed rest. So, accompanying Xander home was not just Abi
"Why do I feel like he's mad at me?" Abigail asked.Dr. Watson answered, "Why would he be?"Abigail was not sure if he would take her advice, but she figured she might as well give it a shot, as resting was key for him now. "I'll try and talk some sense into him then."Dr. Watson gripped Abigail's hand, exclaiming in excitement, "You're my knight in shining armor, Ms. Renee."Abigail pulled her hand back. "Dr. Watson, don't say it like that...""Abigail, Abigail!" Susanna rushed over to her with a smile that was all sweetness and light. "I've learned another North Floriveran dish. How about you taste it for me tonight?"Abigail responded with a radiant smile, "Sounds great."Susanna hooked her arm and started to lead her inside. "Come on in. You tell me what you want to eat or drink, I'll get it ready straight away. You can also call me before you visit next time, tell me what you want, and I'll have it ready when you arrive."Dr. Watson was disgruntled. "Hey, hold up with the