Chapter 21
Yvonne tilted her soli, pale face up, grinning sheepishly. He’s so sweet,” she thought
Yvonne’s bright, wide eyes flickered as they landed on Charles face, turning suddenly worried. She asked, “Are you okay? They said something happened to you”
Hearing this, Charles lowered his gaze, letting out a chuckle. He could guess the chaos outside–he’d woken up to the noise but had waited until Yvonne came in before getting out of bed.
I’m fine. I just slept a little longer than usual. It probably scared them,” Charles replied, his eyes drifting toward the jasmine Son his nightstand. Under the lamp’s glow, the flower seemed to shimmer, almost unreal,
“Your flower is beautiful, Charles said gently.
The dim light cast shadows on his face, and for a fleeting moment, Yvonne thought he didn’t look like a person at all–more like a sculpture.
“Thank you, Charles Yvonne squeezed his hand a little tighter, her soft cheeks flushing pink as she blinked up at him. “Do you have another favorite flower? I’ll grow it for you!”
Charles coughed lightly, lowering his long lashes. The sickly pallor of his face softened under the warmth of his expression He said, “I like white flowers.”
“White… Yvonne murmured, deep in thought. She hadn’t seen many at the orphanage, so trying to recall them took some effort.
Charles watched her simply, his hand still resting in her small grasp,
Just then, the door swung open, and a group of people walked in. Leading them was a tall man in a white coat, his strides long and purposeful. He stopped at the bedside, momentarily taken aback by the scene before him.
“Charles…” The man murmured, his tone carrying a hint of confusion. “Where did this little one come from?”
Charles lifted his gaze, offering a faint, fragile smile. “Victor.”
It was clear the two knew each other well. Victor refocused quickly, concern flashing across his face. He said softly. “You don’t have to get up. Let me check you over first.”
At that, Yvonne let go of Charles‘ hand and stepped aside obediently.
More people entered, carrying various medical instruments. Yvonne glanced around, worried that standing there might get in the way, so she left the room.
A few minutes later, Kelvin arrived from the office. The bedroom door was closed, so he stood outside for a moment before asking the housekeeper what had happened.
was unreadable.
When he heard the full story, Kelvin rubbed his temples, waving a hand in silence. His expression was
‘Sleeping longer than usual? Ever since Charles got sick, his sleep has become shorter and shorter. This is the first time something like this has happened. No wonder the staff panicked and called me, Kelvin thought.
There had never been a case like this before, so Kelvin had no immediate answers. He could only wait for the to finish.
nination
Kelvin’s gaze shifted away, landing on a small figure curled up on the sofa. She was staring at Charles‘ door, completely still, as if afraid to move.
Clesprer 20
Reems walked in from outside, stopping beside her She had thought Yvonne had fallen asleep and had gone to grab a quick meal Now, reing her sitting there motionless, she reached down and asked softly, “Ms. Adler, are you tired?”
Yvonne shook her head and grabbed teena’s sleeve. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Charles had gotten sick because of the joine she’d given him
Her linde heart twisted with guilt, but Yvonne was too scared to say anything Reena sensed her mood and didn’t press Tuner, simply staying by her side in quiet companionship
Time passed in silence. The whole house felt unusually still until finally, Victor stepped out of the bedroom. His face was unreadable, giving nothing away
“Kelvin, take a guess about Charles‘ condition, Victor said, keeping his tone deliberately serious
At those words, the tension in Kelvin’s chest eased. He knew Victor well–if something was really wrong, he wouldn’t be playing guessing games
Victor continued. “You always see right through me. Charles is line. Actually, his pulse was steadier than usual. We’ll have to wait for the test results to be sure, though?
Kelvin listened carefully before giving Victor a firm pat on the shoulder. “Thanks. I’m going up to see him.”
As Kelvin started up the stairs, Yvonne scrambled off the couch and hurried after him, trailing right behind. She wanted to
see Charles too!
Kelvin, walking ahead, didn’t notice her, but Victor did. He watched the tiny girl scurrying along, her little legs moving ridiculously fast, and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Before the bodyguards could react, Victor scooped her up. Yvonne, suddenly airborne, thought Reena had picked her up. But when she turned, she found herself staring at an unfamiliar face. “Ah! Victor?”
“You were too slow. I’ll carry you up. Victor explained.
The confusion on her face faded. She noddled sweetly and stayed still to make it easier for him. “Thank you!”
Now that he wasn’t rushing, Victor finally noticed the faint floral scent in the air. When he stepped back into the room, he spotted the jasmine on the nightstand immediately.
With the overhead lights now on, Victor walked over and leaned in, inhaling the delicate fragrance. There was a strange, cool undertone to it, as if the scent carried something more than just flowers.
“This is nice, Kelvin. My grandpa loves plants. Get me one of these, will you?” Victor said.
Sitting beside Charles, Kelvin was speaking to him in a low voice and didn’t really catch what Victor was saying.
And Victor, increasingly intrigued, reached out to touch the petals.
“Victor!” The sudden shout made Victor freeze, instinctively pulled his hand back. He turned to the source of the voice. Charles was clutching his chest, coughing violently, his voice hoarse as he gasped out, “D–Don’t touch that flower…” “Okay, okay! I won’t, calm down, Victor answered quickly, stepping back. The last thing he wanted was for Charles to get worked up over this. Raising his hands in surrender, he even put Yvonne down.
Charles coughed for a while before the color in his face finally faded back to its usual pale shade.
“You really can’t get upset, Charles.” Victor sighed. “Just tell me calmly, and I’ll listen to whatever you say.”
Charles pressed his lips together. “Then don’t touch the flower
Chapter 21
Victor nodded without hesitation. “Alright Can I at least look?”
Victor rubbed his chin, studying the jasmine closely before pulling out his phone and soapping in wonde probably want to see it.
Kelvin glanced at the flower for a brief second before shifting his focus back. “How are you ferling now be what.
“Better, actually,” Charles admitted. “I slept, and I feel stronger than before”
Charles couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper rest. His limbs didn’t feel as weak, either
And Charles knew for certain–it wasn’t because of the medicine. If those treatments really worked, he would have been bedridden for all these years.
C
