Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Sebastian’s sharp tongue was almost too much to handle.
She’d verbally sparred with Chris on the call, leaving him speechless.
That was her way – for every word you threw at her, she had ten ready to fire back.
Chris‘ head was spinning, aching.
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Sebastian, unrelenting, delivered a final blow: “You should really see a doctor. It’s a miracle you can even function with a brain that scrambled.”
Before Chris could respond, she hung up.
Chris was on his way to the hospital, the words about his “scrambled brain” making him want to explode.
Catlin had just called, frantic – Olivia had snuck out of the hospital.
Chris rubbed his temples, a headache blooming.
Olivia could barely leave the hospital, let alone sneak out. Was she trying to end it all?
“Kevin,” he called.
“Yes, Mr. Ashford?”
“About Sebastian… she…”
What about her?
Chris’s thoughts were a jumbled mess.
The faces of those men kept flashing in his mind.
Which one was her steady boyfriend?
Macro, or that… that man who’d come to see her today?
Everything was chaos.
The sudden appearance of multiple men around Sebastian had completely thrown him off.
***平
They arrived at the hospital.
Chris found Catlin in Olivia’s room, sobbing uncontrollably.
“You, in your condition, sneaking out like that? Are you trying to kill yourself?”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“What if something had happened? You can barely walk.”
They’d found Olivia breathless, sitting on the edge of a flower bed.
Olivia looked at Catlin, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
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Chapter 84
She’d gone to find him, to kill that bastard.
But she hadn’t realized how weak her body had become.
Catlin saw Chris. “Chris, talk some sense into her. Tell her to stop this foolishness. I was terrified.”
Olivia’s condition was breaking Catlin’s heart.
Chris nodded.
Catlin stood up, looking at Olivia. “You two talk. I’ll go get you some fresh food. This has all
The discovery of Olivia’s absence had sent everyone into a panicked search.
Catlin left, leaving Chris and Olivia alone.
Olivia looked at Chris, guilt flooding her eyes. “I’m sorry, I worried you, didn’t I?”
Chris pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, sighing. “Why did you run off?” he asked.
“Don’t you know how worried Mrs. Ashford and everyone else is about you?”
Olivia lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
gone cold.”
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“I just… I can’t stand the smell anymore, Chris. You have no idea how desperate I feel when I smell that disinfectant,” Olivia choked out.
“From the moment I stepped into this hospital, it’s like I’ve been cut off from the outside world. I’m scared, scared I’ll never feel the sun again. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to…
Н
Only those who’ve been sick, confined to a hospital for a long time, could truly understand the despair of such a place.
-Olivia’s life wasn’t exactly a bed of roses either.
She wanted to make Stephanie’s life miserable, but she was miserable herself.
Chris tightened his jaw at her mention of the hospital smell. “But that doesn’t mean you can just sneak out.”
“Would you have let me leave? No, you wouldn’t.”
“Your body’s not ready. Even leaving the hospital requires a lot of preparation.”
He was referring to the medical team, the equipment, everything she needed for constant monitoring.
That was the whole reason he’d been so desperate to buy Whispering Bay.
Olivia’s medical team alone numbered almost twenty.
Whispering Bay was spacious enough to accommodate everyone, with a separate room for all the medical equipment.
“Will I ever get out of here? Or am I just going to die in this place?”
“Don’t talk like that.” Chris snapped, his voice low.
Olivia fell silent, staring at him with tears welling up.
The sight of her like this only deepened his worry.
Chris sighed, reaching out to smooth her soft hair, only to find several strands coming loose in his hand.
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Olivia saw it too.
The sight of her hair in his palm sent shivers through her. “Chris, I…”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’ll grow back once you’re better.”
“Will it?”
Will it really?
To Olivia, hair was a symbol of life. Losing it due to illness felt like her life was slipping away.
“I’m so scared.”
“I want to go home. I don’t want to stay in the hospital.”
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Her voice was thick with despair, completely masking the real reason she’d run off, and Chris didn’t question her further.
Seeing her so distraught, Chris sighed and pulled her into a hug.
“Okay, we’ll get you out. Soon.”
“Chris…”
“I promise, you’ll be out within a week, okay?”
Olivia’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Chris‘ voice was firm, resolute. Hearing this, Olivia finally felt a sense of relief.
The sterile smell of the hospital brought her nothing but pain. She was truly terrified.
Meanwhile, Stephanie found herself face–to–face with Sebastian, who had returned.
She glanced at him, feeling a bit uneasy.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Sebastian, slightly tipsy, slurred, “You into older men? Hoping to inherit a fortune?”
Stephanie was speechless.
When did he get back?
He heard everything he shouldn’t have.
“Well, Chris mentioned that the owner of Whispering Bay was a 66–year–old guy! I was just messing with him, that’s all.”
She rushed to explain, especially to Sebastian.
One wrong word, and she’d be the one suffering.
Sebastian, seeing through her clumsy explanation, chuckled and pulled her close, his warm fingers tracing her jawline.
“Chris’s people aren’t very efficient, are they? Still haven’t figured out who owns Whispering Bay.”
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“Exactly!” Stephanie readily agreed.
She was always careful to be completely honest with Sebastian, unlike with Chris, who she had no patience for.
He and his family were always so self–assured, threatening to cut off her cards, ruin her, and shut down her studio.
If he was so capable, he could figure things out himself.
She had no idea Chris’s investigation had led him to such a ridiculous conclusion.
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