Chapter 4
Was Howard awake?
Gwendolyn raced her heart as she stood and turned to look at the man in the bed, His deep eyes, mixed with a cool disdain and a hint of embarrassment, stared straight back at her.
Clutching a damp towel, Gwendolyn softened her voice, “I… I was just doing what Marina suggested, giving you a sponge bath.”
“Last night.” Howard’s voice was hoarse, his gaze icy, every word punctuated with accusation. “you kissed me. Several times.”
Gwendolyn froze, wishing she could just bash her head against a wall,
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, the villa in disarray. The bedroom quickly filled with doctors and medical experts, and anyone uninvolved was pushed out of the
room.
Gwendolyn exhaled a sigh of relief, standing in a corner and focusing on the closed door, glad she didn’t have to face Howard alone. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Roselind is here.”
The crowd in the hallway parted as a woman dressed in a simple yet elegant dress walked through, her demeanor graceful. This was Howard’s biological mother, Roselind Chadwick, the second branch of the Chadwick family.
Instinctively, Gwendolyn straightened her back, feeling a bit nervous.
“You’ve done well,” Roselind said, taking her hand, “Howard waking up is all thanks to you.”
Gwendolyn hadn’t expected that her desperate efforts might actually pay off!
Roselind removed a luxurious emerald bracelet from her wrist and slipped it onto Gwendolyn’s
hand.
“It’s too expensive!”
“Don’t refuse it,” Roselind said, patting her hand. “This is my welcome gift to you.”
Gwendolyn pursed her lips, managing a slight smile and saying, “Mrs. Chadwick, I’m not really from the Sawyer family..
“I know. Herman sending over a stepdaughter was his way of capitalizing on our misfortunes. But every cloud has a silver lining. Howard still has a major project in his hands. There’s always a chance for a comeback…”
She paused before adding. “Starting today, I acknowledge you as Howard’s one and only wife.”
Roselind appraised Gwendolyn’s looks and demeanor, finding her more and more agreeable.
“Howard will need your care, You’re a lucky charm and maybe that luck will rub off on my son.
Call me Roselind from now on. He has a sister who went to a monastery seeking blessings, and his father is busy cleaning up messes. We’ll all have a proper family dinner soon.”
H
Gwendolyn, touched by the sincerity in Roselind, felt her well with moisture. Not all mothers in the world were selfish.
Back in her village, people said Gwendolyn was jinxed, a harbinger of bad luck and a star of disaster. Her birth took her father, and her mother ran off with a wealthy man.
It was the first time someone had told Gwendolyn she was lucky.
The master bedroom door suddenly opened.
The leading doctor removed his stethoscope and mask, announcing. “Mr. Howard’s vital functions are recovering. There’s no damage to his brain’s neural functions. However, there’s extensive bruising in the marrow in his legs and he has no sensation there. The surgical risks are significant.”
“Does that mean it can’t be treated?” Roselind asked, incredulous.
“Yeah, Mr. Howard’s got paralyzed legs, which might mess with his chances of having kids,” the doctor delivered the harsh news.
“I’m sorry. Unless…” He adjusted his glasses, “Unloce you can find the doctor Enoch White
who has had successful cases in the past. But he retired and nobody has seen him for years. The hope is slim.”
Roselind fell with the weight of this news. Who in the world could find esteemed Mr. White now? A flicker of doubt crossed Gwendolyn. Howard’s legs were clearly….
As she hesitated to speak up, her phone in her inner pocket started to vibrate