The vision beca blurry, and hearing started to beco unclear. Ruby Sullivan felt as if she were placed inside a water balloon, cut off from the outside world. This feeling was both strange and familiar.
Ethan Sterling was right in front of her, seemingly shouting her na, but she couldn’t hear it clearly. Suddenly, she missed her two little ones at ho, and her thoughts drifted to that test report. She really wanted to ask Ethan Sterling why he had hidden Seth’s identity from her. Was it because he feared she might think of using Seth’s bone marrow?
In his heart, what exactly did she count as?
Ruby Sullivan could not think much more. She stared fixedly at Ethan Sterling, but could not ask anything. Soon, she didn’t even have the strength to keep her eyes open and simply stopped forcing herself.
These short thirty years, she was truly a bit tired.
The bodyguard imdiately stepped in to control the assailant, tearing off her mask to reveal Rhonda Sullivan’s wildly laughing face.
The only thing to be grateful for was that there were doctors all around, from various departnts. After a brief mont of chaos, they quickly cald down, while soone attended to Ruby Sullivan’s ergency bleeding and others conducted various ergency asures.
Before long, rcy Hospital’s ambulance arrived. Ethan Sterling went to the hospital with her and simultaneously called Howard, asking him to co and wait for the police to handle the follow-up matters.
Ethan Sterling, wearing a tight outfit, stood in the corridor, drawing various glances. However, he couldn’t be bothered and just took off his cloak, rolling it up and stuffing it into his trouser pocket.
Half an hour later, a nurse erged from the operating room, "What is your relationship with the patient?"
"I’m her husband. How is she now?"
"The patient has sustained internal injuries and might be in life-threatening condition. A waiver needs to be signed." She said, handing him the waiver, "You need to sign it here for us to start the surgery inside."
Ethan Sterling knew that every second counted at this mont. He didn’t dare to ask any more questions and quickly signed the waiver.
*
"Mommy, mommy!" It was Honey’s voice, but it sounded clear only for a mont before it seed to turn into Seth’s voice. The next second, it was the two kids standing in front of her crying, telling her not to leave.
Ruby Sullivan’s heart was full of guilt. She really wanted to hug them, but a gust of wind blew her up high, further and further away from them.
She thought she was dead; so this is what death feels like. She didn’t know how long she drifted when it felt as if she entered Hades’ Court. The King of Hell had a black and white masquerade face, high up in the hall, asking her if she had any regrets.
She floated aimlessly there, thinking of the two crying children, suddenly filled with sorrow, wanting to plead with the King of Hell to let her go back. Unexpectedly, the next second, she vaguely heard Ethan Sterling’s voice, tried hard to open her eyes, and saw the light.
Ethan Sterling was holding her hand, calling her na hoarsely, "Ruby?"
The glaring sunlight made her a bit uncomfortable, pain frowning her brow. After a mont, Ethan Sterling’s face beca much clearer. How long had she been in a coma this ti, and why did Ethan Sterling age so much?
The sallow face shone with oil, a layer of thick stubble covered his chin, and even crust had ford at the corners of his eyes...
Was this the cleanliness-obsessed Ethan Sterling?
Ruby Sullivan looked at him in astonishnt, questioning if she had crossed into so parallel world.
Ethan Sterling saw her staring at him, not saying a word, and beca more anxious, waving his hand in front of her, "Ruby, won’t you say sothing to ?"
Ruby Sullivan blinked tiredly as he waved, and with difficulty said, "I’m thirsty." Her mouth felt sticky, which she hadn’t noticed before, but opening it felt like blowing bitter smoke.
"Thirsty..." Ethan Sterling imdiately thought of the doctor’s instructions, "Bear with it a little, I’ll call the doctor over." He hurriedly got up and pressed the call button on her bedside.
This ti, Ruby Sullivan had sustained a renal injury, though her fate was fortunate. The tip of the knife only caused a small incision in the kidney. According to the doctor, if it had been a milliter further, her life would have ended. Yet, she pondered, there would certainly be an ugly scar on her lower back, and even with Faye Truman’s promised elixir, she’d never wear a bikini again.
Thinking about being just a milliter away from the King of Hell, she didn’t know whether she should be grateful that Rhonda Sullivan didn’t have a good enough blade, or that Ethan Sterling acted swiftly at the crucial mont, pulling her forward just enough to affect Rhonda Sullivan’s aim. But none of that mattered now.
What mattered was that Ruby Sullivan had once again escaped with her life.
She truly felt she should visit the temple, perhaps even ask a master to calculate the birth dates of herself and Ethan Sterling—could it be one of those destined love-hate fates?
This stab made her sleep in the hospital bed for three days. When she awoke, she felt utterly depleted, as if possessed by the sleep god, looking at everyone with sleepy eyes. The doctor said this condition would last at least another week, but reassured Ethan Sterling that Ruby Sullivan had surpassed the critical period.
During these three days, Ethan Sterling stayed by her bedside all the ti, except for bathroom breaks and having to leave to sign paperwork—still wearing the tight outfit from the masquerade ball.
This outfit, outside the context of a ball, indeed was rather visually striking, Ruby Sullivan thought to herself as she stared at him.
"Why don’t you go ho and change?" she said, gasping.
"I called Mama Bennett. She will bring my clothes soon," Ethan Sterling explained, still watching her intently, his eyes faintly smiling, as if looking at a long-lost treasure, and fearing it would disappear, trusting only in their gaze to feel secure.
Ruby Sullivan felt a bit embarrassed as he caused her to divert her eyes to the ceiling, belatedly rembering his words, "Yeah, you could wash up here and change clothes..." Why’d he let himself get so raggedy? Too tired, she couldn’t finish her thought.
Ethan Sterling understood her aning, gently explained, "I wanted your first sight upon waking to be . Bathing takes too long."
In reality, even a minute or second away from her view felt too long to him.
The doctor had said until she awoke, there would be uncertainties. He was deeply afraid, knowing full well his presence by the bed couldn’t change anything but being too scared to leave.
Ethan Sterling saw her struggle to raise an arm and quickly grasped her hand.
Ruby Sullivan tried hard to smile, "I want to feel your stubble."
As a child, she often saw her father delightfully use his rough stubble to tease her mother, making her laugh. But after getting married, she hadn’t seen Ethan Sterling with stubble; this man always tidied himself promptly. Seizing the rare chance, she wished to feel it once.
Ethan Sterling didn’t understand why she had such a preference. Not wanting her to tire by explaining, he leaned his chin closer.
After feeling his stubble, and then slowly raising up to touch his face, suddenly warm tears rolled from her eyes.
It was good to be alive.
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