Chapter 95

Christina was already feeling miserable with a fever, her whole body burning up, and the hot wind blowing over her didn't help.

She couldn't help but tug at her collar. "Can't you switch the hairdryer to cool air?"

"No way. You're sick right now. If you catch a chill, you'll get even worse. Do you really want to die out here on the ocean?" William shot back.

"I jumped into the sea in the middle of the night to save your life. Even if you don't care about yourself, I don't want my efforts to go to waste."

Christina knew he had a point.

But she was so uncomfortable and just wanted to cool down.

"I'll put a cooling patch on your forehead. Once your hair is dry, you can lie down, and I'll use some alcohol to wipe your limbs. It'll help you feel better. Just hang in there; your hair's almost dry."

William's hand moved through her hair as he placed the cooling patch on her forehead.

Christina immediately felt a wave of coolness wash over her brain.

She felt much better and slumped over the table, half-asleep.

William finished drying her hair and set the hairdryer aside. "Your hair's dry now. I'll help you to bed so you can sleep."

"Okay," Christina mumbled.

She quickly fell asleep once she was in bed. William sat by her side for a while, and seeing that she was stable, he got up to leave.

But just as he reached the bedroom door, he heard Christina mumbling behind him.

"Harper, my Harper."

At first, William thought she was hallucinating from the fever and wanted some candy called "Harper." He searched the room but found nothing. "There's no candy on the boat. If you really want some, you'll have to wait until we get to shore."

It was the middle of the night, and they were out at sea. He couldn't exactly order delivery, and giving her a handful of sugar from the kitchen didn't seem right.

Christina didn't respond.

She was deep in a nightmare, unable to hear anything around her.

In her dream, her daughter was gravely ill, with a fever nearing 104°F.

As a mother, she was frantic, taking her daughter to every hospital, finally begging William for help.

She was utterly desperate, willing to give up everything for Harper's life. She knelt before him, her pride reduced to nothing.

"Please, save our daughter. If Harper gets better, I promise to leave with her and never show up in your life again. I only want her, just her."

There was one thing she didn't say out loud.

William was Harper's biological father. No matter how much he disliked Christina, he couldn't just watch his daughter die, could he?

But William did just that, watching Harper get sicker without lifting a finger.

He even accused Christina of lying. "Christina, I don't like your tricks. Stop wasting your time."

"But I'm not lying. If I am, may I die a horrible death. You can punish me however you want, but please, just look at Harper!" Christina was truly desperate.

She pushed Harper in front of William. "Even if you don't believe me, can't you trust the doctors? You can take Harper for a check-up. After that, you need to get her treated. William, I'm begging you."

Finally, William seemed to waver.

Just when she thought her daughter might be saved, Jennifer walked in. "William, don't let Christina fool you."

"I'm not lying!"

"Not lying? Harper is so young. If she were really sick, she'd be crying and fussing, not standing here quietly. You bribed the doctor to lie for you. How could you use your own child like this?"

Jennifer stood there, pointing at her with disdain.

Christina kept explaining, but it didn't matter. William didn't believe her.

In the end, they left, leaving her alone with Harper. Harper, ever the understanding child, wiped her tears and said, "Mommy, don't cry."

Christina's tears fell like a broken string of pearls.

She cried out loud in her dream, and in reality, tears streamed down her face. William grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and gently wiped her tears.

Christina kept calling out for Harper.

It was clear now that Harper was a person, not a candy brand.

But who was Harper?

William was sure he'd never heard the name before. Given Christina's current state, Harper was clearly very important to her.

With Christina talking in her sleep and running a high fever, he couldn't just wake her up to ask. He could only stay by her side.

Meanwhile, Mia wasn't doing well either.

After her bath, she too had a fever, though not as severe.

"Did you drink the cold medicine I made for you?" Joseph asked after taking her temperature and giving her some fever medicine.

Mia nodded after taking the medicine. "I need to get off this boat."

"We're not docked yet."

"I know, but I have an emergency. I need to get off immediately. If it delays your trip, I'll pay for it." Mia tried to solve the problem with money.

But neither Joseph nor William needed money.

Besides, they had a big client meeting the next day. If the deal went through, it would bring them a huge profit. No amount of money Mia offered could compare.

"And we're far from shore. It's pitch black out. Can't it wait? Or maybe you can contact friends or family to help?" Joseph suggested.

Mia shook her head. "I need to find my daughter. My ex-husband threw us into the sea, trying to kill us. Now that his plan failed, I'm afraid he'll hurt her. I can't wait."

Anything else could wait, but not her child's life.

She was feeling better and ready to find her daughter.

Mia started to leave.

"Calm down," Joseph said, blocking her. "Wait a bit longer. The police should be here soon. We called them when we rescued you, but it's taking time because we're far from shore."