Chapter 157

Kaitlyn tried to help him up several times but couldn't, so she rushed to call the doctor.

"Doctor, hurry, please!"

The doctor arrived quickly and examined Stanley. After a thorough check, he said seriously, "Looks like his ribs are fractured. He needs surgery right away."

Kaitlyn's face went pale. She hadn't realized Stanley was so badly hurt. She held his hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Stanley, hang in there. You gotta stay strong."

Stanley forced a smile to comfort her. "Don't worry, I'm okay. Just hurts a bit."

The doctor quickly arranged for the surgery. Kaitlyn sat on a chair outside the operating room, filled with worry and guilt. If it weren't for her, Stanley wouldn't be so badly injured.

Hours later, the operating room door finally opened. The doctor came out, removed his mask, and said with a relaxed expression, "The surgery went well. His ribs are fixed. As long as he rests, he should be fine."

Kaitlyn breathed a sigh of relief, tears streaming down her face. She hurriedly asked, "How is he now? Can he talk?"

"He's still under anesthesia. Once he wakes up, he should be able to talk," the doctor replied.

Kaitlyn went in to see Stanley. His face was pale, but his breathing was steady. She sat by his bed, gently holding his hand, and whispered, "Stanley, don't worry. I'll take care of you."

After a long while, Stanley finally opened his eyes and spoke with difficulty.

"Why are you still here?"

"You broke your ribs. How could I not take care of you?" Kaitlyn was almost in tears with joy seeing him awake.

Stanley tried to sit up, but a sharp pain made him lie back down.

Kaitlyn bit her lip, as if making a firm decision. "Stanley, the doctor said you need to rest well. You can't go to Eldoria now. I turned it down for you."

"You!" Stanley was furious but couldn't say a word.

"If you want to blame someone, blame me. But I can't watch you go to a place like that and suffer. The medical conditions might be poor. You need to recover fully without any complications, or I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life. Please, just agree with me."

Kaitlyn lowered her head, like a child waiting to be scolded.

Stanley looked at Kaitlyn, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. But soon, he sighed softly and gave a helpless smile.

"Alright, I guess there's no other choice now."

The next day, after Christina's follow-up showed no issues, Bob informed William about her injury.

William rushed to the hospital. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Bob lowered his head. "Mr. Cavendish, I was worried about your gunshot wound."

"Don't make decisions like this again, or I'll fire you," William threatened coldly.

Bob bit his lip. "Yes, Mr. Cavendish, I understand."

Due to dizziness and nausea, Christina hadn't eaten much. She had more tests to undergo and had no appetite. William brought some appetizing breakfast.

"Try to eat something?"

Christina shook her head and turned away. "I don't want to eat."

William gently placed a pillow behind her back to make her more comfortable. "It's too dangerous for you to be out and about. Since you're pregnant, you should rest at home. Everything's set up for you."

"You want me to stay home like before, never seeing the light of day, at your mercy, and then have the baby, binding me forever? William, that's quite the plan," Christina sneered.

William frowned. "I never thought that way, Christina. Can't we be civil?"

"You may not have thought it, but you've done it. William, I can't stand the sight of you. Stay away from me." Christina turned to look out the window.

William's body stiffened, and he coughed lightly. "Fine, get some rest."

With that, he quickly left the room.

Bob, aware of the tension inside, was shocked. In all these years, he had never seen any woman speak to William so sharply. Christina was the first and only one.

But this woman seemed to have a heart of steel, impossible to break through.

He silently followed William out.

William left the room, his face dark. Bob followed closely, cautiously asking, "Mr. Cavendish, do you need to have your wound checked? You were just discharged recently."

William shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

Bob hesitated, then gathered his courage to ask, "Mr. Cavendish, did you and Ms. Windsor have a fight?"

William paused, his tone heavy. "We had a disagreement, but I didn't expect her to be this angry."

Bob gently reassured him. "Maybe it's just her pregnancy making her more emotional. Don't take it too hard, Mr. Cavendish."

William sighed deeply, a weary look on his face. "I know, but I feel like we're drifting further apart."

Bob said nothing more, silently accompanying William out of the hospital.

After confirming there were no issues, Christina was discharged.

Her baby was healthy and hadn't been harmed by her head injury and subsequent coma, which was a relief to her.

When she got home, the downstairs lights were off, but the warm orange light in the baby's room upstairs was on.

She slowly went upstairs and opened the door a crack. William was inside, setting things up. His gunshot wound hadn't healed, so he moved slowly, but each action was careful and deliberate.

Sensing her presence, he looked up and saw her standing at the door. He smiled. "Christina, you're back. Look, do you think our baby will like it?"

Christina quickly walked in.

The once blank walls were now adorned with drawings of Harper, drawn by William. His drawing skills weren't exceptional, but each stroke was filled with care and looked very much like Harper.

"Did you draw these based on my sketches?" Christina asked, looking up at him.

William gazed earnestly into her eyes. "To be honest, I saw her in my dreams. She's adorable and calls me Daddy."

Christina's expression darkened instantly. She gritted her teeth. "You're lying!"

William was puzzled.

Christina glared at him defiantly. "She hates you! How could she call you Daddy?"