Armand sent the housekeepers back to work. Once he finished smoking a stick of cigarette, he then headed upstairs and entered Marilynâs room. There, Armand spotted Timothy packing his medical kit.
Meanwhile, Marilyn lay on the bed. Her face, which was no larger than an open palm, appeared stark pale. That sight made Armandâs heart ache. Timothy shot a glance at Armand when he noticed him entering the room. Timothy then huffed, âIâve given her a shot to stabilize her pregnancy. Ms. Wood should rest for the next couple of days. She will be fine as long as she avoids getting too riled up.â âAll right. Thank you for your hard work,â Armand muttered. âIf you truly believe that Iâm working hard, then donât summon me the next time something happens.â Timothy slung his medical bag across his shoulder. His narrowed eyes were filled with displeasure. âMr. Faulkner, please keep in mind that Iâm only a surgeon, not an obstetrician. Next time, call the lead obstetrician, okay?â Timothy couldnât help but grit his teeth. When his woman got drugged, he asked for me to help. When his ex-girlfriendâs pregnancy became unstable, he asked for me again! Like, what the hell is going on? Did I incur bad karma with Armandâs family in my previous life? And now Iâm paying for that in this lifetime? Timothy then remarked scathingly, âIâm not a brilliant doctor. If Ms. Marilyn happened to have a miscarriage, who would be held responsible then?â Armand merely frowned in response. âThe carâs waiting for you by the door.â âAll right, all right. I got it.â Timothy rolled his eyes at Armand, then swiftly left the bedroom. Timothy was exhausted after helping the Faulkner family. He swore to himself that the next time he went for a drink with Armand, he would claim some âhard work feesâ from Armand. In the meantime, Armand strode over to the bedside. He pulled out a chair, then sat on it. âDo you want water?â he asked gently. Marilyn nodded. Armand picked up the flask from the bedside table and poured a cup of warm water. He then leaned forward to help Marilyn up and held the cup of water to Marilynâs lips. The latterâs heart instantly turned fuzzy at the sight of Armandâs gentle and thoughtful gesture. She soon drank half a cup of water with Armandâs help. With one hand placed over the blanket, she caressed her tummy. âThank goodness you arrived, Mando. Otherwise, this baby would be lost.â âI promise you that something like that would never happen again.â Armand pulled out a piece of tissue and dabbed away the water lingering on Marilynâs lips. âYou must protect the baby.â Armand gazed at Marilyn with his pair of deep, meaningful eyes. Yet, in them hid a trace of emotions indecipherable to Marilyn. Nonetheless, Armandâs faint expression and fragrant scent tempted Marilyn to climb into Armandâs embrace. She wanted to hug him tightly. At that instant, she regretted her choice of actions. She felt grateful, though, that Armand still loved her as usual. âMando, wait for me.â Marilyn could not help it when she reached out to grab Armandâs hand. She laced her slender fingers between his and clasped them firmly. Marilyn then fixed her twinkling gaze on Armand. âJust wait a few more months for me. Then, Iâll be able to stand by your side openly. We can go to Petalgrove or Bellridge.
You must accompany me to see the aurora. Iâll play the worldâs most beautiful music for you to hear.â
Marilyn desired to marry Armand and have his children. Meanwhile, Armand shot a glance at Marilynâs hand, which was wrapped around his. A wave of disdain suddenly surged up within his usually tranquil heart. Armand pulled his hand back calmly. âLetâs talk after youâve delivered the baby safely,â he replied flatly. Failing to grasp Armandâs hand, Marilyn quickly fell into sorrow. However, as soon as Armand promised to talk with her, Marilynâs lips arched up into a smile. âThis is your promise. Do not ever go back on it!â Then, there was a knock on the door. Samantha soon strolled into the room. âMomâs resting in her room. Iâm here to check up on Marilyn.â âAunt Samantha, Iâll leave the two of you to chat.â
Armand took the opportunity to stand up and take his leave. Samantha strode over to the bed and sat down at the bedside. She then asked gingerly, âMarilyn, is your tummy still hurting?â âDr. Jensen gave me a shot to stabilize my pregnancy. Itâs not hurting now.â There was a faint smile on Marilynâs face.
She gripped her hands softly to feel the lingering warmth left by Armand. âThatâs great then.â Samantha glanced at Marilynâs stomach, a thoughtful expression on her face. Naturally, Marilyn noticed it. She frowned when Samanthaâs gaze landed on her abdomen. Marilyn rarely ever interacted with Samantha as the latter spent most of her time working overseas. Even so, Marilyn knew that Samantha was a strong-minded career lady. Similar to Armandâs, Samanthaâs thoughts were hard to read. âAunt Samantha.â Marilyn bit her lips. She then asked hesitantly, âIs there something you would like to talk to me about?â âYes, thatâs right. Thereâs something I wanted to ask you.â Samantha did not bother to hide her motives. She leaned forward slightly, her sharp gaze trained on Marilynâs face. âA few days ago, when I returned to Xedells, someone informed me that Samuelâs death was not an accident.â The instant Marilynâs pupils narrowed, Samanthaâs lips arched up ever so slightly. âMarilyn, youâre the wife of my third nephew. Tell me, do you think his death was an accident?â