Chapter 990
Ethan’s POV:
I kept Lianne’s hand enclosed in mine as we waited outside the emergency room.
Her entire body was trembling. She stood beside me with her head lowered, the skin around her eyes reddened from holding back tears. Her lips were pressed together as she leaned against me, looking small and frightened.
I didn’t need her to explain what was happening inside her head. She was blaming herself. She had hardly spoken while we waited, but I knew her well enough to recognize the way she was torturing herself over what happened to Tracy.
I slipped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against me. Lowering my head, I murmured, “None of this happened because of you. Stop carrying responsibility for things you couldn’t control.”
She offered no real response. She simply tucked her face against my chest and gave a faint, muffled acknowledgment.
I sighed quietly and continued rubbing her back.
The truth was, Tracy’s condition wasn’t what frightened me most. Lianne’s situation was considerably more dangerous. The poison coursing through her body had already inflicted permanent damage on her kidneys and nervous system.
Her doctor had privately warned me that even a minor complication could put her life in danger.
Those words had lodged themselves inside my mind like a blade.
While I was trying to calm her, I suddenly felt my phone vibrate against my pocket. I pulled it out. Melisa’s name appeared on the screen. Annoyance surged through me immediately, and my expression hardened.
Lianne noticed. She lifted her head from my chest, glanced at the caller ID, then spoke quietly. “Pick up. We can’t let this interfere with what we’re trying to accomplish.”
I hesitated, unwilling to leave her alone even for a moment. “Are you certain you’ll be alright if I—”
“I’m okay!” she cut in, giving me a faint smile that failed to hide her exhaustion. “Go ahead. I’ll stay right here until you’re done.”
There was no convincing her otherwise. I moved farther down the corridor before accepting the call. No matter what the plan required, I couldn’t bring myself to speak affectionately to another woman while Lianne was standing nearby. Even if every sweet word was nothing more than a calculated performance designed to obtain the antidote for her, I still couldn’t do it in front of her.
Ethan’s POV:
“Hello?” I answered, intentionally allowing a trace of impatience into my voice.
Melisa responded with her usual soft, coaxing tone, “Ethan, are you occupied right now? Did you take the medicine I gave you?”
“No.”
She went quiet for a beat before asking, disappointment slipping into her voice, “Why didn’t you? It would help your health.”
I ignored the question. “Meet me tonight. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
Her mood brightened immediately. “Of course! Should I bring dinner to your place?”
“Don’t bother. Choose somewhere we can eat. We’ll talk there.”
She suggested a restaurant, and I made a mental note of it. I deliberately arranged for a late dinner because I needed to remain with Lianne until Tracy’s examination results were available.
Once the call ended, I walked back toward Lianne. She lifted her gaze when I approached but didn’t ask about Melisa’s call.
I remained quiet for a moment before deciding she deserved the truth. “I’m going to meet Melisa.”
She merely nodded, as though she’d expected it.