Chapter 240 Strategy
Anna was lost in thought, and Caleb noticed. He looked at her, feeling a sudden unease. "Anna, what's on your mind?"
Caleb's voice snapped her back to reality. "Oh, nothing much. Want some more to eat?"
Caleb shook his head and reached out with his uninjured hand to take the bowl from Anna.
"Anna, I know you don't believe me right now, but I really hope you'll think about what I said. I'll wait for you."
That evening, Anna went to the hospital to visit Caleb as usual. But Caleb suddenly said, "I want to take you somewhere."
"What?" Anna was puzzled. She watched as Caleb threw off the covers and got out of bed. "Come with me," he said.
Back at home, Bella was getting angrier the more she thought about it. She was furious with Caleb for deceiving Anna and now even daring to provoke her.
She couldn't let this go. After dinner, she begged Sterling to go to the hospital with her.
Sterling reluctantly agreed.
After dinner, Sterling drove Bella to the hospital where Caleb was staying.
To avoid Caleb finding out about their visit and preparing in advance, Bella hadn't told Anna they were coming.
When they arrived at the hospital room, they found it empty. The bed was neatly made, and there were no signs of anyone living there. Even the personal items were gone.
The sight left them momentarily stunned. Sterling was the first to recover and asked a nurse if Caleb had been discharged.
After checking, the nurse replied, "No, he might have just gone out."
Bella then took out her phone to call Anna, only to find that Anna's phone was off.
Sterling thought for a moment and found Caleb's number in his call history. He dialed it, even though he had never expected to call Caleb himself.
As expected, Caleb's phone was also off.
"We underestimated him," Sterling said gravely. "He probably has someone watching the hospital. He knew we were coming and left early. We can't stay here forever. As long as we're here, he won't come back. Waiting is pointless. If he doesn't want us to find Anna, we won't find her."
They exchanged worried and helpless looks. Caleb's cunning had exceeded their expectations. They needed to come up with a plan quickly, or Anna could be in even greater danger.
But Sterling didn't think Caleb would harm Anna. Caleb wanted the Powell family's docks, and he had leverage. He wouldn't hurt Anna now.
"What's the plan? We can't just leave Anna," Bella said, worried.
"Don't worry. He won't hurt Anna. He might deceive her, but he won't harm her," Sterling reassured Bella.
With no sign of Anna, Bella reluctantly went home with Sterling, praying that her friend wouldn't be fooled by Caleb.
Meanwhile, on the hospital rooftop, Anna leaned against the railing, looking down at the tiny figures below. The height made them seem insignificant, which only fueled her anger.
She puffed her cheeks slightly and said with a hint of reproach, "My phone fell. What am I supposed to do now? It's all your fault. If you hadn't scared me, I wouldn't have dropped it. Phones are expensive, and I'm broke. What if it hit someone? That would be a disaster. You're so bad."
Caleb seemed unfazed, casually saying, "There aren't many people on this street. Don't worry. I'll buy you a new phone. Stop complaining. Look, there are a few stars in the sky."
Anna looked up and saw a few stars twinkling in the night sky. In the bustling city, seeing stars was rare, making the night especially beautiful and clear.
But she quickly looked away. "Let's go back. You were just sick, and now you're dragging me up here to look at stars. I'm afraid you'll faint. The doctor said you might feel dizzy or even pass out. It's dangerous. If I wasn't worried about you, I wouldn't have stayed."
Suddenly, Caleb moved behind her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Anna, will you marry me?" he asked tenderly.
Anna was stunned by his sudden proposal. She froze, her initial instinct to pull away halted. "Why are you bringing this up now?" she asked softly, confused.
Caleb gazed at her with deep affection, his voice low and magnetic. "When I first came back, I planned to get engaged. But because of some issues, it didn't happen. Since then, I've vowed to build my own career, not wanting to be seen as living off you. But now, I don't want to let you go. Let's pretend we never broke up. Will you marry me?"
His words were heartfelt, but his eyes were clear, as if he had rehearsed this moment, making it feel mechanical and emotionless.
Anna was about to speak, but Caleb interrupted urgently. "We don't have much time! I've waited too long. I don't want to waste another moment. Marry me, Anna."
Caleb's words were sincere and passionate, pouring out his love. But Anna hesitated, not ready to accept him again.
Like a magician, Caleb pulled a sparkling diamond ring from his hospital gown pocket and slipped it onto her finger without giving her a chance to refuse.
"This ring has been with me for a long time. Whenever I missed you, it was my comfort, a token of my love," Caleb said, his voice full of emotion.
The ring fit perfectly, the diamond dazzling in the night. This close embrace left Anna's mind in turmoil. She felt Caleb's urgency and deep affection, but it also brought a sense of suffocating pressure.
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