Jason slapped his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "Eli, are you serious right now? I know you're married, I know you're in love with your wife! God, you're just like my assistant. Ever since she had her baby, she's a whole different person! No matter where I am, I hear all about her kid's eating, sleeping, and bathroom schedule. Honestly, I could recite her kid's entire routine by heart!"Suddenly, he smirked mischievously, resting his chin on his hand. "So...are you planning on having kids?"Elijah's smile gradually faded as he replied softly, "I'm not planning on having children.""Why not? Weren't you always the one who loved kids?" Jason asked, bewildered. "You've been sponsoring the Suntory Orphanage for years! Don't tell me…" He chuckled slyly. "Is this so you can enjoy a world of just the two of you?"Elijah nodded with a smile, his expression turning serious. "Exactly. As long as I have her, that's enough. I don't need anyone else disrupting our life together.""Ugh," Jason
Jason was momentarily stunned. "Kevin? Oh! You...you're that boy!""You know me?" Kevin asked, puzzled.Jason chuckled lightly. "Of course! The one Eli sponsored all those years ago. I was the one who picked you!"Kevin paused on the other end of the line, momentarily taken aback. But there was no time for pleasantries. He cut straight to the point. "Sorry, are you with Eli? Where are you now?""I'm at the Cordis! But I'm not with Eli—he went back to his room to rest. Kevin, are you with Margaret? Shouldn't she be on vacation at home?""Cordis?" Kevin immediately turned to the dazed woman next to him. "Is that far from here?"She nodded, then shook her head. "Not too far. By car, it's about half an hour.""Half an hour?" Kevin snapped back into the phone. "Jason, can you find Eli and tell him there's an urgent matter at home? He needs to call back immediately!""His phone's broken.""Broken? I just spoke to him this morning!"Jason sighed. "His phone and laptop both fell into the pool
EnglandMarcia stared at the test strip, her brows furrowing deeper with uncertainty. Was she pregnant or not?After agonizing over it in the bathroom for about ten minutes, she finally decided to take the strip outside. Jeff would know what it meant, right?Taking a deep breath, she flung the door open and looked at Jeff, who was lounging on the sofa, yawning out of boredom. Her voice trembled with anxiety."Jeff, this...this test strip—what does it mean? Am I pregnant?"Jeff, noticing her distressed expression, raised an eyebrow. Was it possible he had been mistaken? Could Marcia not be pregnant after all? That didn't seem right.He got up and walked over to her. "It's from the hospital. How could it be faulty? Is there one line or two?"Marcia hesitated before holding up the test strip. "I...I don't know. Does this count as one line or two?"Jeff examined it carefully. A bold, purplish-red line stood out clearly, but beside it was a faint, almost imperceptible pink line."When was
Calvin watched Shirley pacing nervously inside the hospital room. He sighed softly, unable to hold back a gentle remark, "Shirley, just sit down already! Is there a nail on the sofa? If you keep turning around like that, you're going to make me dizzy."Shirley rubbed her hands anxiously. "You feel dizzy? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I just couldn't sit still. There's still no news about Patricia. How can I possibly stay calm?""Patricia's probably just held up by something. Don't stress yourself out over it!" Calvin grasped her hand, his tone warm and soothing. "If you really don't want to sit, why not fetch me a glass of milk instead? I'm tired of drinking plain water."Shirley hesitated, her eyes darting toward the door.Calvin chuckled in exasperation. "Relax. If Patricia comes back, I'll call you right away."Finally, she nodded. "Alright. I'll go buy some milk now, and we'll heat it up later. Calvin, I'm sorry. I should be the one taking care of you properly, but…""Patricia
Due to the heavy rain in the UK, the landing nearly turned into a disaster. Elijah's head slammed hard against the cabin, immediately drawing blood."Sir, I'm terribly sorry! Let me stop the bleeding first. We'll call for an ambulance right away!""No need. I have urgent business!" Elijah said firmly, ignoring the pain as soon as the plane came to a halt. Without wasting a second, he strode out.The rain poured even harder as he dashed through the storm toward the car where Myron waited at the airport entrance."What's going on? Damn, what happened to your head? Why is there so much blood?" Myron's voice was sharp with worry. He had been anxiously monitoring the hospital surveillance, unable to locate any footage of Marcia leaving. Hayden had no good news either.Finally reaching Elijah, Myron's heart nearly stopped when he saw his friend step into the car, soaked and bleeding profusely."It's nothing—just a bump!" Elijah dismissed the injury, wiping his forehead with a tissue as the
Jeff's gaze softened as it lingered on her necklace. His eyes darkened with concern before he finally spoke, unable to hold back any longer. "I know it's not my place to meddle, but it's unhealthy for a pregnant woman to bottle things up. It's bad for the baby. This afternoon, you pulled me aside, going on and on about Elijah. I didn't want to listen, but I heard enough to get the gist.""You know Elijah?""He's quite famous in Liverpool. Even though I'm just a doctor, it's not strange that I've heard of him, right? You two just got married, and now you might be pregnant. As your attending physician, I suggest you try to relax. What happened this afternoon—don't let it happen again."Marcia froze, then gave a bitter smile. "You must think I'm crazy. Honestly, I was just overthinking. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier."Jeff raised his brows. "I've seen all kinds of people in the hospital. Trust me, you're not the craziest. Hm? Overthinking? Based on what you said earlier, it sounded l
Marcia was tightly held in Elijah's embrace. His clothes were completely soaked, carrying the chill of rain. Yet, driven by the surge of emotions, he clung to her as if letting go would mean losing her forever.Marcia didn't want to move either. The man she had longed for stood right behind her, and hearing his familiar voice made her feel utterly foolish about her earlier actions. He's Elijah, she thought. How could I not trust him?Suddenly, she felt something wet on her arm. Her hand reflexively brushed over it, and when she looked down at her fingers, they were stained red. Blood?Her heart skipped a beat. Alarmed, she spun around and looked up at him. The sight nearly made her faint."Eli, what—what happened? Why are you bleeding so much?"Elijah steadied her shoulders and smiled lightly. "It's nothing. Just a little accident. But you, you nearly scared me to death! Who gave you permission to run off like that?""You're crazy! You call this nothing?" Marcia exclaimed. "Where are
"Elijah!" Marcia gripped his shoulder tightly. "If you don't stop the bleeding right now, I swear I won't speak to you again! You fool, what's this sudden stubbornness about? Is there anything more important than your life?"Elijah looked at Marcia's serious expression and helplessly lowered his head. He spoke softly, "I just don't want him to save me. You two, eating here at this hour... what's your relationship?""..." Marcia was both furious and amused. "Are you jealous? And here I was, not even asking about you and Rebecca! Have you lost your mind? Is this really the time to be worried about my relationship with him? If you don't let him stop the bleeding, I'm leaving tomorrow—no, right now! You won't be able to find me!"Elijah quickly grabbed her arm. "Didn't you say you didn't need me to explain?""I was going to spare you some dignity in front of Myron and deal with you later! Elijah, do you really want to drag out this ridiculous issue?" Marcia was nearly speechless from frus
Elijah frowned. "Impossible?" He couldn't understand. "But then... how could you? No, we're going to the hospital right now! The doctors I know are far more reliable than him. I've always found him suspicious. Let's get you checked first, then we can talk about this.""Are you not happy that I can conceive?"Elijah shook his head. "How could I not be happy? But I don't trust him. Let's go to the hospital, okay?"He was overwhelmed with joy, but beneath that joy lay deep concern. If Jeff was lying, how would Marcia handle it? He could live without a child, but he couldn't bear to see Marcia fall into despair again.He never wanted to see her cry. That pain would be far worse than not having a child."Eli, sit down first." Marcia dared not let him take her to the hospital—if they found out she had recently lost a pregnancy, things would be disastrous."The surgery two years ago... Jeff was actually the lead surgeon." Marcia watched Elijah's expression darken as her voice unconsciously d
Marcia leaned against Elijah's chest, yet a slight unease crept into her heart.She still remembered Jeff's instructions—no intimacy for a month. But when she stole a glance at Elijah, his brows were tightly furrowed, his expression serious. For some reason, her heart softened again and again."Eli, what are you thinking about?"Hearing the slight anxiety in Marcia's voice, Elijah held her tightly, resting his head against her neck. His voice was low and gentle. "Nothing. I just think... it's really good that you're here.""Myron is really getting engaged? To... that Nancy?" Marcia traced her fingers over his firm arm, feeling a growing sense of security.She wished she could rely on him like this forever."Mm." Elijah's response was muffled, carrying a hint of an unspoken heaviness.Marcia thought for a moment. "His family has a rule that a man can only marry one woman in his lifetime, right? Does your family have a rule like that?"Elijah chuckled lightly and ran his fingers through
Elijah let out a soft sigh and gently pulled Marcia behind him. "What are you doing?"Marcia bit her lip, feeling a bit foolish for her reaction. Why did she assume Hayden would actually come to blows with Elijah?Elijah, standing tall and unwavering, met Hayden's gaze head-on, his expression calm. "To bring Myron back to Liverpool.""Back to Liverpool? If he's taking that woman with him, then what's the point? He might as well not come back at all! Damn it!" Hayden raised his fist but ultimately slammed it against the table instead."Hayden, sit down." Myron's voice was deep and hoarse. He seemed exhausted, yet his expression remained resolute. "I chose to marry Nancy on my own. It has nothing to do with my mother or Eli. I appreciate your concern, but enough with the arguments."He glanced at Kevin and chuckled. "What are you scheming now? Think I'm lying?"Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not at all. If you say so, then it must be true." He had initially suspected this was just
"Patricia, I thought you two would head straight to the second floor!" Hayden teased with a mischievous grin, taking a sip of his orange juice.Marcia ignored him, her eyes immediately landing on Myron, who sat beside Kevin with a face as dark as ink. At the head of the dining table sat a frail, pale-skinned elderly woman who was scrutinizing her with an assessing gaze.Marcia couldn't help but feel nervous."Auntie, this is Patricia. What do you think? Beautiful, right?" Elijah draped an arm over Marcia's shoulder, grinning proudly.Gloria took a sip of water before smiling lightly. "Hmm, she is beautiful. No wonder you've been so restless, eager to come home!""That's not true! I'm also happy to spend more time with you!" Elijah chuckled, then gently nudged Marcia forward. "Cia, come say hello to Auntie."His eyes were filled with warmth, a look that was second nature to him in front of Myron and the others. But for Gloria, it was the first time witnessing this side of him, and she
Marcia and Elijah walked hand in hand toward the villa. Since it was located in the suburbs, the fresh air was a rare luxury.A cool breeze brushed against Marcia's face, making her instinctively shrink her neck."Are you cold?" Elijah asked, his voice tinged with concern as he pulled her into his embrace. "I was worried you'd feel uncomfortable if we stayed in the car for too long. Looks like I miscalculated again!"Marcia shook her head and snuggled against his chest with a soft laugh. "Not at all. The air is refreshing, and the scenery is beautiful. But how did you know I was feeling restless in the car? Do you have some kind of mind-reading power? That would be incredible!"Elijah chuckled, gently ruffling her hair. "Your nose is all red. You look just like a little bunny. Makes me want to eat you up!"As he spoke, he playfully rubbed her cheeks. When Marcia looked up at him with a smile, he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her cool lips."Aren't they waiting for us inside? Le
Seeing the two of them like this, Marcia couldn't shake the strange feeling growing inside her. She pulled out her phone to check for any messages from Elijah. The last thing on their chat was a simple "Good night" from both of them. A faint smile curved her lips.She casually snapped a photo of the highway scenery outside the car window and sent it to Elijah.Since it was still early, she hadn't expected an immediate response. But to her surprise, he seemed to have been awake all night—his reply came almost instantly."Already on the road? Are you tired? You should get some rest in the car!"Marcia bit her lip lightly and typed back curiously, "Did you not sleep? I'm not tired. I've been resting at home these past few days.""Hmm, I heard about that. Why are you so lazy and always sleeping?" Elijah chuckled, then added, "Even though I feel bad for you, my love, I'm so happy that I'll see you soon."Seeing him call her lazy, Marcia instinctively glanced at Kevin, who was driving. It h
Ever since that terrible experience, Marcia had developed a subtle aversion to "Calderstones."Elijah had been away for five days now. They spoke on the phone daily—sometimes just exchanging a few words, other times lingering as if they couldn't bear to hang up.The distance seemed to intensify their feelings, making them feel like a couple deeply in love.A call in the early morning. The phone was warm in her hand. Though sadness still lingered in her heart, Marcia felt as if Elijah was slowly healing her, piece by piece.Since her surgery, she had become more sensitive—more reliant on Elijah. She wanted him to return, yet at the same time, she hoped he wouldn't come back too soon. She longed for his embrace but also feared the warmth he brought.Torn between these emotions, her longing for him only grew stronger.Sometimes, as she lay in her empty bed, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he were beside her&md
"He's just a wolf in sheep's clothing," Hayden remarked leisurely, pouring himself a cup of hot water. Watching the steam rise, he smiled faintly and casually asked, "Patricia, did you already know Myron was fine? Otherwise, how could you be in the mood to come out for a meal?"Marcia was momentarily stunned. After a brief silence, she chuckled. "I contacted Eli. Besides, there wasn't much to eat at home. Everyone's had a tough day—it's only right that we treat ourselves to a meal. Why? Do you think there's something wrong with that?"Hayden smirked. "Not at all. Just a funny coincidence." He blew on his cup, took a small sip, and added, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you hadn't been home at all."Shirley shot him a glare. "Hayden, your mindset is all wrong!""Oh?" Hayden raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her.Shirley shook her head dramatically and said with an air of seriousness, "Have you been spending too much time with Demon? You've picked up the nasty habit of
"Did she ask you anything? Or did she want you to do something?" Marcia sat up straight, her tone cold and sharp.Jeff snapped out of his thoughts and replied calmly, "She was curious if you were pregnant. Oh, that reminds me, was she the one at Calderstones that time...?"Before he could finish, he paused, realization dawning on his face. "No wonder!"Marcia stared at him intently. "What did you tell her? Did you take her money? What about Alan? Was he there too?"Jeff shot her a glare. "I'm a doctor. What do you take me for? She's pregnant, and Alan? Oh, you mean that man? No, I didn't see him."Pregnant? A sharp pain struck Marcia's heart. Kate was pregnant again, while she… she had lost her child.Fate was truly laughable. The heavens remained as unfair as ever.Perhaps sensing her hatred too clearly, Jeff coughed lightly and continued, "Alright, stop glaring at me. I'm on your side."Marcia eyed him suspiciously but said nothing.Jeff sighed. "I refused to be her private doctor,