James stood on the side, holding a fruit basket, feeling somewhat awkward.
“Emily said you’re sick, and both Mom and I are worried about you,” he awkwardly began.
“I’m not seriously ill, thank you for your and Mrs. Brown’s concern,” she politely replied, but her tone was too distant and unfamiliar.
James felt guilty and didn’t dare to expect Isabella to be more welcoming.
He placed the fruit basket on the coffee table and then sat by the bedside, opening his briefcase and taking out a jewelry box.
“I’ve had the necklace repaired. You can hardly see the cracks if you don’t look closely.”
She squinted her eyes, clear gaze mixed with a hint of coldness. “Are you sure you’re giving me back the necklace and not the one you gave to Emily?”
Her words made James feel ashamed. Because of the necklace, he had already been scolded harshly by his mother.
James also didn’t expect that this necklace was originally a wedding gift from his mother to Isabella’s mother.
James harbored some resentment towards Emily, but her actions were unintentional, and he couldn’t blame her too much.
Isabella’s pale fingertips gently lifted the necklace, the gem’s luster causing her eyes to ache.
She subconsciously narrowed her eyes, lightly rubbing the broken part of the necklace with her fingertips. “The cracks were already there, even if it’s repaired well, it can’t go back to the way it was. This necklace is a pity.”
James moved his lips, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately didn’t speak. He could only pretend not to understand her words.
Exiting the hospital room, Mrs. Brown was waiting outside the door.
The mother and son exchanged a glance and then walked towards the direction of the stairs.
At this moment, a young and handsome man walked towards them, passing by them.
Mrs. Brown and James’s gaze instinctively looked over for no other reason than the man’s strong aura, attracting attention. Such a man, even placed among diamonds, would still shine brightly.
It was evident that the man’s identity was extraordinary. In the high-ranking ward area, where only the rich and powerful came and went, it wasn’t surprising.
What surprised James, however, was that the man stopped in front of Isabella’s hospital room.
“Don’t look. It’s normal for a good girl like Isabella to have admirers,” Mrs. Brown’s voice came from beside him.
James pursed his lips, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
On the other side.
Andrew pushed open the door of the hospital room and saw Isabella sitting on the bed in a daze.
“Not feeling well?” he walked over and asked, his magnetic voice low.
She lifted her chin to look at him, mechanically nodding.
“I’ll call the doctor for you,” he said.
“You’d better find a psychologist,” she sighed, her slender and white fingertips pointing to her chest pitifully. “It’s uncomfortable in my heart.”
After hearing this, he sat down by the hospital bed, picked up a financial magazine, and ignored her.
Feeling ignored, Isabella became somewhat annoyed and shouted, “Hey, Andrew, do you have any sympathy at all?”
He rarely raised his eyes to glance at her, his tone indifferent. “You enjoy troubling yourself. It’s none of my business.”
“You…” She was so angry she almost spat blood.
A brief silence ensued between them. In the hospital room, there was only the faint sound of Andrew’s long fingers flipping through the pages of the magazine, and Isabella’s occasional sighs.
“Just now, my ex-fiance came to visit,” she said after yet another sigh.
“Yeah,” he responded very lightly, his gaze still on the magazine in his hand.
Isabella didn’t expect any comforting words from this unemployed man. She just felt stifled in her heart, and speaking out might make her feel a little better.
“James and I grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Since childhood, I knew that when I grew up, I would marry him, and he knew he would marry me. But our prearranged life and future were shattered on the night of my eighteenth birthday.
In fact, what makes me sad is not just that he has moved on, but he could at least find someone better than me.
Compared to my half-sister with the same father but different mother, I’m prettier, more educated, and younger. Moreover, I am the legitimate heir of the Harris family, while she is just my father’s illegitimate daughter. Can you believe how blind James is? In almost every aspect, I am superior.
Until now, I still don’t know where I lost. Can you believe how stifling it is for me?”
After Isabella finished her incessant talk, Andrew finally put down the magazine in his hand and casually responded, “They’ve been in bed together. Your sister’s performance in bed should be good.”
She gaped at him in astonishment. His blunt words were so casually spoken, as if discussing the weather.
“Are you suggesting that he moved on because I didn’t sleep with him? Our relationship of more than ten years, is it really less valuable than Emily spending a night with him?” Isabella’s cheeks turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell.
“Men are sensory creatures. When adrenaline rises, intelligence drops,” Andrew replied indifferently, without a hint of emotion, as if stating a fact.
Then, he took out his phone and found the secretary’s number from the contact list.
“It’s time for you to eat. What do you want today?” he asked, not intending to continue the previous topic.
She touched her stomach and realized she was indeed a bit hungry. “KFC family bucket.”
“No unhealthy food allowed,” he refused firmly, his stern face making her a bit scared.
Andrew bought her light and healthy food. After finishing her meal, she enjoyed a peaceful nap.
Although she disliked the hospital’s pervasive white color and the irritating scent of disinfectant in the air, the days during her hospitalization were quite pleasant. She could sleep in naturally, and meals were delivered on time.
Isabella treated it as if she were on a vacation.
However, Olivia’s phone call shattered her leisurely life.
In the call, Olivia said, “Isabella, something big is happening. The company will arrange blood and urine tests for all contracted artists soon. You need to come in for it.”
“What are they checking for?” Isabella asked, a sudden sense of unease rising in her heart.