Abel hesitated momentarily, then sighed. âMaybe itâs not as bad as you imagine.â
âBut⦠Emmelineâs voice wavered. âIâve already promised Mom; I canât break it now!â
He furrowed his brow, contemplating the situation. âYou might be right. If we can ease the burden on Aunt Kimberlyâs heart, it could help with her depression.â
She said, âIt seems like Mom has been hurt before. Has something happened to her in the past?
Abel gently cupped her face, reassuring her, âThatâs not something you need to worry about, and itâs certainly not your fault. Donât dwell on it. As he touched her face, he realized she was running a fever.
Concerned, he exclaimed. âEmma, youâre running a fever! I should take you to the hospital!
Emmeline clutched his hand, her eyes welling up with tears. âNo! I donât want to go anywhere. I want to return to the companyâs dormitory. I just want you with me.â
He tried to reason with her, saying, âBut you have a fever.â
Tears streamed down her face as she admitted. âI donât want to be separated from you, even if itâs just for a second.â
He held her close, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. âThereâs no need to worry, babe. Listen to me. Weâll go to the hospital, and Iâll stay by your side.â
In the hospitalâs emergency department, the doctor noted Emmelineâs temperature had reached 103.1 F. prompting the immediate administration of emergency intravenous treatment. She remained in the hospital for three days.
Maxwell and Kimberly visited their daughter, and Kimberly appeared to be in better spirits. Despite her concerns for her daughter, her emotions remained stable, and her speech was coherent.
Emmeline contemplated whether sacrificing herself would somehow improve her motherâs condition.
Meanwhile, Abel continued to shuttle between the hospital and the company. After its launch, the first batch of orders for Ryker Group had entered production. At the company, he would change into work.
attire and meticulously oversee every aspect of the production line. The quality of the prodicts was paramount for the companyâs growth, leaving no room for neglect.
He would return to the hospital at night, resting on the couch in Emmelineâs ward. His appearance grew gaunt, but his resolve and composure only strengthened, radiating an authoritative presence.
One afternoon, as he emerged from the workshop, Alana approached him.
âAbel, why donât I care for Emma at the hospital, and you can rest in the dormitory?â she suggested.
âNo, he replied in a distant and indifferent tone. âEmma might get scared if she doesnât see me!â
Alana was left speechless and felt a tinge of bitterness in her heart but persisted, saying, âYou look exhausted. You really should take a break.
Ignoring her, he donned white quality inspection gloves and headed toward the parking lot. His determined and haughty figure held her gaze, a mix of love, desire, and a trace of resentment in her eyes.
After arriving at the hospital ward, Abel noticed Emmeline was impeccably dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed. The bed sheets were even neatly folded.
âEmma?â he inquired, puzzled. âWhatâs going on?â
âIâve completed the discharge procedures,â she said with a flutter of her long lashes. âTonight, weâll return to our companyâs dormitory.â
âYouâre not fully recovered yet,â he expressed concern. âPlease, lie down and rest,â
Iâm fine!â she insisted. âIf we keep delaying. Iâll only hold you back.â
âDonât be stubborn. Lie back down.â Abel reached out to gently guide her onto the bed.
Emmeline threw herself into his arms, her voice quivering. âPlease, let me be discharged. Youâve been working tirelessly!â
He held her for a moment, contemplating his response. âAlright.â
âPromise me youâll let me be discharged. Emmelineâs tears streamed down. âOtherwise, I wonât cat anything!â
He cupped her face, her determination evident in her gaze. Knowing he couldnât resist her, he kissed her forehead and nodded.
In the car, Emmeline called Tony to inquire about the progress of the World Trade Building project.
âItâs nearly complete. Tony reported. âSeveral suppliers have already approached us for collaboration to establish their brand images.â
âDonât forget, Iâm a supplier, too. She chuckled. Td like to handle the brand decoration.â
âI havenât forgotten.â He laughed. âBut, Ms. Emmeline, you must provide me with the design renderings.
As for the decoration cost, we ll take care of it!â
âI wonât take advantage of you.â Emmeline smiled. âWhatever the cost, Iâll cover it.â
âBut, Emma Tony continued, âWhen will you join my team?â
âIs there something you need?â she asked.
âFirst, Iâll give you an invitation,â he said. âSecond, Janie and I are discussing getting married, and we want you to be the bridesmaid. Does that count as something?â
âThatâs wonderful news, but shouldnât I give you a cash envelope for your wedding? Emmeline laughed.. âHow did this get purned around?â