Raine could not describe her feelings when Mark left with Summer. It weighed on her heart so much that she felt suffocating, but more of sadness.Since she decided to let go of Mark completely and during her three years in Athana, she had been on the recollection stage and reminiscing about the time they had been together.Things had been out of sight and out of mind for quite a while. But now, things were happening in front of her. She did not know how she could stay aloof anymore.She was confused and emotionally disarrayed—so much so that she did not know what to do.He was now giving another woman the love and affection that he used to shower on her.She used to plan where they would go on their honeymoon, and imagine what life would be like after marriage.But things fell apart. It was not her who became his wife; it was not her who went on the honeymoon; and it was not she who lived with him after marriage.Her hands on her sides squeezed the quilt, her mind a muddle.The
Mark pointed with his chin, motioning her to shut up and start eating.She shrugged and creased her nose before tucking in.It had been two days since they arrived in Grudin North. They had been surviving on instant ramen and bread. So oatmeal was a welcome change.She polished off the oatmeal in no time and grinned at him. “Can I have another bowl, please?”“Since you have asked, I have no reason to say no.”He got up, took her empty bowl, and disappeared into the kitchen.No matter when and where, he always looked elegant and tempting.The night was silent, and she shivered from the cold. But she enjoyed the time they were together.Perhaps it was the pregnancy, or maybe hunger; she made a pig of herself tonight by finishing two bowls of oatmeal. She went to bed and shivered under the blanket.Mark whisked open the quilt and got in. The bed beside her sank under his weight.She felt the heat of his body and instinctively got closer to him.Aware of her action, Mark folde
Sometimes, Mark would leave a few books on the bed, and she would read those books to kill time when she was bored.Life here was a mundane routine, yet felt special and real.……In the hospital ward.Before the crack of dawn, Raine had already woken up.There was a trace of blush on her otherwise pale cheeks. She looked much better than before.She glanced out of the window, and then turned her eyes to the door, as if she was expecting someone.Her eyes lit up in expectation when she heard footsteps and the door of the ward was pushed open from the outside.A nurse walked in and greeted her with a smile. “Good morning, Miss Valentine. You rose so early today.”Raine was disappointed, her expression a little stiff. But it was just for a few seconds before she let out a faint smile, as usual. “I woke up naturally because I couldn’t sleep any longer. How is the weather today?”“It is still too early to tell. If the weather forecast is anything to go by, it should be sunny today.
“A batch of medical supplies have just arrived. I am checking it before it goes into storage.” Sweat was trickling down Omar’s forehead.“Since you are here, who will deliver lunch to Summer?”Omar took a breath. “I have been busy running around these few days. So I am not returning to the place. Mr. Valentine is taking care of her.”“Cool. I will leave you to it.” Jazz waved him away. At first, he thought of delivering lunch to Summer. Now it seemed that would not be necessary, as Mark was taking care of it.There was a subtle change of expression on Raine’s face.The sun might have come out, but the weather improved little. The wind was still blowing, and it was chilly.Just half an hour outside, Raine complained of the cold. She wanted to cut short of the walk, as she felt tired.After Jazz pushed her back to the room, he received a call and left in a hurry.Raine was left alone, staring blankly with her brows furrowed. She put her hand to her chest, feeling a pang of hearta
Her cheeks were flushed, lips dry. She looked sick and was wriggling in bed.He frowned as he put the back of his hand on her forehead. His eyes narrowed when he felt her burning forehead.A nurse hurried in and took temperature and examined Raine. The nurse kept her head low the entire time, as she did not dare to look at his expression.“Why does her body temperature shoot up all of a sudden?” Mark looked at the nurse. “Is this how you look after the patient?”The rising pitch of his voice made the nurse tremble. She quickly explained, “Your younger brother came to the hospital today, and brought Miss Valentine outside to get some fresh air. She must have caught a cold at that time. Judging by the seriousness of her condition, someone had better stay by her side at night. It could develop into pneumonia.”Mark said nothing again. He stood aside and leaned against a chair with his lips pursed as he watched the nurse administering medication.The nurse left in a whirlwind after f
Jazz was completely awake upon seeing Summer. He quickly brushed down his wrinkled clothes.But when he knew it, looked down at her feet.Summer was holding the doorjamb with both hands and standing on one foot with the injured one resting on the uninjured one to hold herself steady.His expression changed, and he quickly carried her up in his arms. “What are you doing here with your injured foot?”“Jazz, your brother has not returned until now. I couldn’t get through his phone. Do you know what happened to him?” She sounded worried.Jazz was startled for a second, and then said with a playful smile. “You are overthinking. Mark will be fine.”“But this place is no Santabaca. The earthquake has just been over, and chaos is still everywhere. The most important thing is I can’t get through his phone.”“Maybe we should wait and see first.”Jazz carried her back to her room. She sat on the bed while Jazz on the edge of the bed. They waited.Another two hours had passed. Summer had
Jazz toned his anger down and felt a sense of guilt. Had he not brought Raine outside today, she would not have caught a cold.“Since you are here, please call Summer and tell her I won’t go back tonight. No need to call me because my phone’s battery is dead.”He kneaded his brow with his left hand and shifted to a more comfortable sitting posture as he spoke to Jazz. Jazz’s expression was stiff. He hemmed. “Your phone’s battery is dead?” “Uh-huh? Is there a problem?”Shaking his head, Jazz took out his phone and made the call. The call was picked up in just a while. He briefly told Summer about the situation here and asked her not to worry and told her to get rest.Jazz was embarrassed of himself after knowing the truth. But at least he did not follow his impulse to whack Mark. Otherwise, he would get himself into even more embarrassment.“Go back and get a rest,” Mark said to Jazz faintly. “You may come tomorrow morning.”“I will take your place tomorrow early morning.” J
Raine bit her lips and closed her eyes when she recalled the phone call she made yesterday afternoon.Why did she not control herself at that time?She should not have made that phone call. At that time, she was out of control and just following her instinct.Whenever she was in danger, the first person she thought of was him, and she wanted him to be by her side forever.She felt relaxed, contented, at ease, and without the slightest sense of emptiness the moment she opened her eyes and saw him.She was happy.She had not had this feeling for a long time.She gazed at him, looking at his handsome face, carefully ingraining his face in her mind for a thousand times.It had been three years since she last looked at him at such a close distance. He was now steadier and more mature compared to three years ago. Like red wine that had gone through the process of fermentation, he was mellow and attractive.Raine shifted her body to get closer to him. Her heart thumping violently as