Once they placed Melody on the bed, a nurse hooked her to an IV bottle, telling Christopher before she left, "Please press the buzzer to call us once the bottle is finished."And with that, it was just Christopher and Melody in the vast ward.Melody's eyes were closed, her hair spread around her, making her dainty face appear even smaller.Her pale cheeks and other parts of her, however, showed how weak and vulnerable she was.Christopher felt a dull aching on his chest, his heart almost breaking right then.He could not help brushing and fixing Melody's hair, noticing in surprise that she had lost weight again.He picked up her hand and could feel how skinny her palm was too.How could one so small muster such strength and courage to save him?And even though he was determined to protect her—even promising that much to his own grandfather—he was constantly letting her get hurt.Guilt, worry, and heartache… all those sensations came bundled in one, leaving Christopher stifled.
Melody's voice was quiet, but the words left everyone freezing up, petrified! Levian soon recovered, his heart breaking as he caressed Melody's cheek. "Mel, please… You're scaring me. It's me, Lev!"Albert was on the verge of tears. "Don't you remember us, Mel?"Luna was stamping her feet frantically too. "Gosh, how could this happen? Look at me, Mel—don't you remember me?"Christopher remained silent, though the shock in his eyes remained.He leaned forward, calling out to her, "Melody…"Melody was still staring blankly, seemingly not recognizing them.Luna could fall apart right then and turned to leave, "No! Doctor, we need to get the doctor—"Melody suddenly smiled, finally having had enough. "Okay, get back here already. I was just messing with y'all."Luna turned around from the doorway, blinking. "Do you remember me?""Of course. How can I forget Luna Bailey, heiress of the Bailey household?" Melody grinned. "I'm really fine—just pulling your leg."Luna breathed a lo
Melody did not think that far, shaking her head and admitting, "No. I called the cops and no one else."She could not see it, but Christopher's expression darkened right then.If that really was the case, and Philip arrived without being notified…His suspicion was right.-It was a quiet night.The nurse came to remove Melody's IV after her bottle was done, and Christopher had her take the after-meal medicine as instructed.He never took his eyes off her, his care and concern all too obvious.Even the nurse was clicking her tongue in wonder, sighing enviously, "Your husband is fantastic, ma'am."Melody almost choked and quickly said, "We're not… you're misunderstanding something here, nurse."However, the nurse merely gave her a knowing look. "Come now, don't be shy—you two make a beautiful couple, and everyone can see that. Get some rest, and buzz us if you need assistance."Melody was left hiding her face behind her palm even as she closed the door. Nurses these days were
Philip smiled faintly, unperturbed. "That's probably because Melody and I are connected in our hearts. Makes sense that you won't understand that."Christopher certainly would not buy such clear nonsense and narrowed his eyes. "I actually thought you had a sense of responsibility. Turns out I've overestimated you."His eyes flashing warily, he lowered his voice as he growled slowly and clearly, "I'm warning you. Don't even think about hurting Melody, or I won't hold back."The air between both men tensed, but Philip's brow suddenly eased as he laughed, as if hearing a joke."Me, hurt Melody? Are you daydreaming, Christopher Bolton? Who was the one who was married to her but hurt her to the point that she's unable to fall in love again?'The fact that his beloved Melody was abused throughout at the Bolton household still left Philip indignant, and he met Christopher's glare without flinching. "You and your family bullied, humiliated, and harassed her in every way possible. And now
Christopher set aside all his tasks over the next few days and refused to budge no matter how much Luke tried to persuade him.Throughout the period, he was personally in charge of every single one of Melody's needs and even entertainment, which left the nurses all in awe of their beautiful relationship.Even the care worker was occasionally teasing them. "Girlie, you must have prayed really hard as a child—that's why you got such a great husband."Melody tried to tell them Christopher was not her husband, but no one believed her.For his part, Christopher simply smiled in silence as if agreeing with them wordlessly.Still, Melody managed to keep herself free from the shackles of work over three days and get some proper rest. Being allowed to rise early and sleep early eased her body and mind considerably.As her three day stay at the hospital came to a close, she could see from the mirror that even her complexion appeared much better.As the doctor handed Christopher a bag of v
"Oh, I don't know how to thank you. You must be a very busy man, and we've really troubled you here," Linette said before smacking Melody. "Did you thank the man, Mel?"Melody pursed her lips. "I already did, Grandma."Christopher chuckled. "It's fine. It's what I should do."Linette was absolutely approving of him just then. For starters, he was rich and an outstanding individual amongst the wealthy heirs of Bayridge. More importantly, he was caring and had a good personality, as well as possessed the drive to do better."Why don't you stay for dinner?" Linette beckoned warmly, ready to lead him into the house. "You did help our dear girl…""Thanks, but I have something to attend to soon." Christopher refused, and he was telling the truth."What is it? You can go later if it's not urgent—don't turn me down now."Linette's enthusiasm was overwhelming, so Christopher admitted, "I have family in the hospital too, and I have to visit soon. I'm really sorry.""Oh…" Seeing that it
The old residence swirled with the scent of medicinal herbs, and there were countless bottles of different sizes kept neatly on the racks.Ambrose was seated and having a sip of tea as he made an inventory of the medicinal herbs.His white facial hair around his face gave him a solemn expression, asserting his authority even though he was now scowling.Melody was excited as they walked up to him, smiling as she greeted him, "Master."She spread arms, ready to hug him like a child… and was caught by surprise as Ambrose sidestepped her and grasped Linette's hands. "It's been so long, old friend…" Ambrose said before turning toward Amelia. "Yes, it's been years… Mel has missed you so much too." Linette smiled in nostalgia. "That's good. All is well, and no one's disturbing my peace," Ambrose said before walking up to Amelia with a grin. "It sure has been some years—my dear apprentice has actually shrunk."Amelia glanced blankly between Linette and Melody, before ducking behind
Melody was picking berries in the middle of the woods, gentle rays of sunlight brushing against her white dress. Along with her soft smile, even just the slightest movement was enough to make Christopher's heart flutter.For some reason, he felt rather surprised and happy to see her now, as if all his worries did not matter anymore.Amelia was the first to notice him, nudging Melody and whispering, "Mel, look… Isn't that…"Melody turned her head and met eyes with the man, visibly stunned to see him. Hence, she quickly stood up, standing there in disbelief.Christopher made the first move and approached her, lifting the bamboo basket from the ground with a swift motion. "Let me help."Only then did Melody snap out of it, suppressing a smile. "What are you doing here?"Upon saying this, she then felt embarrassed and reached for the fruit basket but was immediately stopped by him. "What are you doing?" Melody tried retracting her hand.Christopher held her hand gently, carefully