Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Yvonne watched in stunned silence as the tiny green specks seeped into Charles’s wound. She had no idea whether it would work, but at least it gave her a shred of hope, enough to dull the terror gnawing at her heart.
Her eyes ached, but she didn’t dare move her hand to wipe them, afraid of interrupting the fragile moment.
Slowly, time seemed to stretch. She wasn’t sure how long had passed, but a few beads of sweat began to glisten on her forehead, her body starting to tremble with exhaustion.
If one were to peel back Charles’s shirt in that moment, they’d see that the bloody, mangled wound on his shoulder was rapidly closing, the tissue knitting itself together at an almost supernatural pace.
Charles’s consciousness began to return. In his haze, he felt a warm sensation flooding his limbs, like warm water flowing through his veins, buoying him up as though he were submerged in a gentle, comforting bath.
He opened his eyes, and just in time, he saw a green speck leap past him–alive, bouncing as if it had its own heartbeat- before it zipped into his body, leaving behind a faint green glow in his pupil.
He blinked, thinking it was a trick of his blurry vision, but when he shifted his gaze, he froze.
More green specks were falling from Yvonne’s fingers, drifting down like raindrops. They seemed weightless, almost. ethereal, before sinking into his body with a soft, graceful ease.
Looking up, he saw w Yvonne’s delicate face, her lashes fluttering with the tremor of each breath, her eyes cast downward, lost in concentration.
Charles tried to raise his hand, as if realizing something-
But before he could, he noticed something unsettling: Yvonne’s usually rosy cheeks were now ghostly pale, her expression soft and weary, her strength drained.
His injured arm moved with a faint effort, and his slender fingers gently covered Yvonne’s small, trembling hand, interrupting her in her task.
Yvonne jolted, her shoulders shaking at the sudden touch.
When she saw whose hand it was, her eyes widened in shock, as if an electric current had rushed through her, filling her with a wild, euphoric sense of relief.
Without thinking, she threw herself at him, her small face burying itself in the crook of his neck as she clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Charles… I thought… I thought you… Her voice was hoarse and broken, weak and faltering with each desperate gasp. Charles, heart aching at the sound, carefully wrapped his arms around her. As he did, he realized that the bitter taste of medicine had returned to his mouth.
It was a taste he knew all too well.
His gaze shifted downward, and sure enough, there was the familiar medicine bowl on the floor.
It was the same one his father had prepared for him that morning at around five. After he went to pick up Yvonne, it was Jeremy who had filtered it for him, but poorly, leaving behind bitter clumps of medicine.
He hadn’t been able to stomach it all, and so had left the bowl on the side table beside his bed.
Now, seeing it here… it spoke volumes.
Chapter 70
Charles looked down at the little figure curled into his chest, her face streaked with tears, her small body shaking in his arms. He couldn’t find the words to explain. All he could do was hold her tightly.
In all his years, there had been few moments that felt truly meaningful. This–this was one of them.
The room was deathly silent, save for the sound of Yvonne’s soft crying.
She cried for a long time, her sobs shaking his body. His collarbone felt the weight of her grief, trembling under her sorrow.
Charles gently stroked her hair, his deep, eyes fixed on her face.
Yvonne,” he whispered hoarsely, his voice raw but stronger than before.
Yvonne, still clutching him, looked up slowly. Her eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot from her frantic tears. She wiped them away with shaking hands, then stood up, swaying unsteadily.
Bending down, she reached for Charles’s hand, her voice quivering as she spoke.
“Charles… we should call Dad. You need to go to the hospital…”
Charles glanced at his wound. Though the blood felt sticky, it no longer hurt. The wound seemed to be healing before his eyes, and the pain had faded entirely.
Suppressing the shock and awe that swelled within him, he pushed himself off the floor and was about to speak when the door creaked open behind them.
Yvonne froze, thinking that Melissa had returned, but she quickly turned to see who it was.
It was Jeremy, followed by a design team from the renovation company.
He had just finished discussing his plans and, upon hearing that they were working on Cloudscape Estate, had immediately sent the best designer and measurement team to handle the project.
Jeremy’s footsteps faltered as he entered the room, still talking with the designer. When he crossed the threshold and saw the chaotic scene, his heart skipped a beat.
Yvonne felt the tension in her chest relax. She finally exhaled, her lips quivering as she whispered Jeremy’s name, the softness of her voice betraying the strain of her earlier fear.
Jeremy’s expression turned pale as his heart raced. He abruptly dropped the conversation with the designer and hurried inside.
“What happened here?” he asked urgently, his voice tight with panic. Then his gaze fell on the pool of blood soaking Charles’s shoulder, and his mind went blank for a moment.
“Charles, you’re hurt!”
Jeremy had no idea what had transpired, but without thinking, he grabbed his phone, ready to call for an ambulance. Charles raised his hand to stop him, his grip gentle but firm on Jeremy’s phone.
“I’ll explain in a minute. Have them leave for now,” he said, his voice gravelly but controlled.
Jeremy hesitated. He looked at the hand that had stopped him- the same hand that had been injured–and then up at
Charles’s face.
Charles looked remarkably better than he had earlier in the day, but Yvonne–Yvonne’s face was pallid, an expression of weariness that seemed to have settled over her, one she had never worn before.
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Chapter 70
A strange thought bubbled in Jeremy’s mind, something about how it felt as if they had swapped places.
His mind raced with questions, but he knew now wasn’t the time for answers.
He turned to the team and quickly apologized. There’s an issue at home. I’ll contact you again.”
The workers left without protest, sensing the urgency of the situation.
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Once the door clicked shut, Jeremy returned to Charles and Yvonne. He looked at Yvonne’s tear–streaked face and then at Charles, who was still drenched in blood.
His voice was frantic, his heart pounding. “What happened? Who did this to you?”
Charles looked up, his eyes locking with Jeremy’s as he settled back onto the couch with Yvonne in his arms. His voice was weak, the words coming out like a sigh. “Melissa… she came
The mention of her name caused Jeremy’s face to twist with something dark–rage, disgust, maybe a mix of both.
He couldn’t understand why his father would marry a woman like that. In his youth, he had been surrounded by admirers and had so many options.
Jeremy would have rather disappeared than be forced to call her mother.
He swallowed his anger, forcing himself to focus.
Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Charles and Yvonne.
“I’ll call Victor. Let him come check you both, Jeremy said.
B
