Chapter 918
Late at night, the roads of Miracalia were wide and empty. Lillian sped through them, reaching the hospital in just half an hour.
The sun was just beginning to rise, as if signaling the end of all the darkness.
Taylor was in the children's ward. On the way, Jackson had already briefed Lillian about Taylor's condition.
Lillian knew that Taylor wasn't in any danger, but she still couldn't help but worry.
When she burst into the hospital room, her face was still pale.
She always feared that when she opened the door, Taylor wouldn't be there, and everything would turn out to be just a dream.
She had had too many dreams like that.
As the door opened, she instinctively paused and closed her eyes.
It wasn't until she heard Lyra's familiar, loving voice from inside the room that she dared to look.
"Lillian's back, come on in."
Lillian opened her eyes and took in the scene.
The high-end children's ward was decorated warmly, with playful little toys and cartoon-themed bedding.
On the small hospital bed, Taylor lay there in a light blue hospital gown.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a golden glow on Taylor's soft hair. Lyra sat by the bed, her aged, wrinkled hand gently stroking Taylor's head.
The scene was peaceful and beautiful, not fading or becoming blurry.
"Why are you standing there? Come see, our Taylor looks even more handsome now."
Lyra waved Lillian over, and Jackson, standing behind her, gently patted her shoulder.
Lillian snapped out of her daze and quickly walked over. She couldn't help but bend down and scoop Taylor up, holding him tightly in her arms.
Taylor was still asleep, but even so, Lillian felt an overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude.
She hugged him tighter, inhaling the sweet, childlike scent of him, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Worried that her emotions might hurt Taylor, she quickly loosened her grip.
Taylor remained asleep, looking so peaceful and well-behaved.
Lyra, understanding Lillian's feelings, patted her gently on the back.
"Taylor's back, really back."
"Yes."
Lillian turned away, trying to wipe her eyes.
A shadow fell over her, and she felt a warm touch on her cheek.
Jackson had already prepared a warm towel, gently wiping her face and pressing around her eyes.
It felt comforting, but Lillian hadn't forgotten that Jackson was still injured.
She quickly took the towel from him and looked up at him.
"You're hurt, don't move around. Go lie down over there."
Next to the children's bed was an adult bed, either part of the room's setup for parents or something Jackson had arranged to stay with Taylor.
Lillian urged him, and Lyra, noticing Jackson's pale face, added.
"Go lie down. You're in the way of my conversation with Lillian."
Jackson teased, "Grandma, I'm hurt here. Shouldn't you be a bit more considerate of your grandson, who saved your precious great-grandson?"
Lyra snorted, "Taylor is your son. A father saving his son is just what he should do. If you had protected him better, my poor, sweet great-grandson wouldn't have been away from me for so long."
Jackson was speechless.
He realized that he had never been the favorite. Now with Taylor, he stood even less of a chance.
Lillian looked at the spirited Lyra, then at the helpless Jackson, and finally down at Taylor's rosy cheeks. Her lips curled into a smile.
Everything was just like before.
"Go lie down, you're blocking our sunlight."
Lillian urged again.
Jackson pinched her cheek before heading to the bed to sit down.
Lyra held Lillian's hand, seeing her gaze fixed on Taylor with worry and love.
"Curtis Howard said Taylor should wake up in an hour or two. He's been through a lot these past few days. Look at his little face, he's lost weight. We need to fatten him up again."
Lillian, hearing this, anxiously asked Lyra, "Grandma, are you sure the sleeping pills won't affect him?"
Lyra smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. The doctors have thoroughly checked him. Apart from the residual effects of the sleeping pills, which will make him drowsy for a couple of days, he's fine. The doctors are confident that the residual drugs won't harm his organs or intelligence. Our Taylor is smart. He probably didn't cooperate when they tried to drug him, so he didn't ingest much."
Lyra gently stroked Taylor's head again and glanced at the adult bed, meeting Jackson's steady gaze.
Jackson still hadn't lain down, sitting there stiffly.
Lyra knew what he wanted; he wanted her to leave so they could have some privacy.
Normally, she would stay longer just to tease Jackson, but she felt for him, knowing he was injured. And the family had just reunited.
Lyra decided not to stay and be a third wheel. She yawned, looking tired.
Lillian, oblivious to the silent exchange, kissed Taylor's cheek and, seeing Lyra's fatigue, said, "Grandma, did you not rest well last night? You should go home and rest. Jackson and I can handle things here."
Lyra, at her age, couldn't stay up all night.
It was just dawn, and Lillian realized Lyra must have stayed up all night to be here. She felt deeply grateful.
Lyra nodded, "I'll go then. Take care of yourselves, too, not just Taylor. Lillian, you haven't rested well these past few days, have you? Look at you, so worn out."
Lyra gently touched Lillian's swollen eyes, which were red from lack of sleep and crying.
Lillian smiled, "I will, Grandma."
She started to put Taylor down to see Lyra out.
Lyra stood up and stopped her, pressing her shoulder. "No need, dear. You stay with Taylor. I'll see myself out."
After Lyra left and closed the door, Lillian finally remembered Jackson sitting nearby and turned to look at him.
Seeing Jackson still sitting there, she was momentarily taken aback.
"Why are you still..."
Jackson, noticing she finally remembered him, showed a hint of grievance on his handsome face.
"My shoulder hurts, and I can't really take off my clothes. Should I call a nurse to help?"
He started to get up to press the call button.
Lillian could hear the subtle complaint in his voice. He wanted her to personally care for him, feeling neglected.
Lillian found it amusing. She knew he was capable of handling himself, as he had been fine at the airport and in the car. But she also felt a pang of guilt. Despite knowing he was playing it up for sympathy, she couldn't ignore his pain, especially since he had been shot protecting Taylor.
She quickly stood up, still holding Taylor, and walked over to Jackson. She gently placed Taylor on Jackson's bed and said, "No need to call a nurse. I'll take care of you myself."
Jackson had been waiting for those words. He pressed his lips together to hide a smile and said, "If you're too tired, the nurses are quite attentive."
Lillian glared at him. "Jackson, what's going on? Are you interested in a young, pretty nurse?"
She was already standing in front of him, deftly removing his tie.
Jackson smiled, his nose twitching as he took in her scent. "I smell a hint of jealousy."
Lillian nodded. "That's right, I'm jealous! From now on, your body is mine to take care of. No other woman is allowed to see or touch you!"
Her tone was fierce, with a touch of possessiveness.
Jackson's heart warmed at her words. He couldn't hide his smile anymore. "Understood, my jealous queen."
Lillian was surprised, unbuttoning his shirt and looking up at him. "Jealous queen?"
Jackson raised an eyebrow and reminded her, "Did you forget the nickname you gave me in your phone?"
Lillian hadn't forgotten. Jackson had asked her to change his contact name back to "hubby," but she had refused and instead labeled him "jealous king" because he often got jealous over trivial things, like her interactions with Ambrose.
But she had only used that nickname for a few days. Unbeknownst to Jackson, she had secretly changed it to "darling."
Now, reminded of it, Lillian couldn't help but laugh. "Jealous queen sounds terrible. Don't call me that."
She had finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it out from his pants.
Jackson's perfect chest and abs were on full display, but Lillian's mind was focused on his shoulder injury and Taylor lying nearby, so she felt nothing but calm.
She reached for Jackson's right hand to unbutton his cufflinks, planning to remove his shirt and jacket together to avoid pulling on his wound twice.
But before she could grab his hand, Jackson wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
Lillian was momentarily stunned, looking up at Jackson in surprise. "Are you running a fever? Does your wound hurt? Is it infected?"
She was worried and tried to pull her hand away to check his forehead.
But before she could, Jackson pressed her hand back against his abs, holding it there firmly.
Jackson's expression was conflicted and frustrated.
Seeing Lillian's face filled with worry and tension, with no hint of shyness or affection, he felt a cold wave wash over him.
He was starting to question everything. It was so disheartening, such a blow to his ego.
Lillian glared at Jackson, seeing his tightly pressed lips and increasingly pained expression, but he said nothing. She grew more anxious and pushed him lightly. "Say something!"
Jackson responded with a low grunt.
At the same time, Lillian felt his abs tighten under her palm.
She finally realized what was happening, her cheeks warming slightly.
"Lillian, is my body no longer attractive to you?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
Lillian's ears burned, and she playfully scratched him. "You're injured. Can you stop messing around?"
She gave him a reproachful look, her eyes filled with a mix of annoyance and affection.
Jackson didn't want to mess around either. His shoulder really hurt, and he was genuinely exhausted.
But he was also frustrated. They hadn't had a proper moment together in days.
And now, with Lillian undressing him, she seemed completely unaffected, as if she didn't desire him at all. It was a huge blow to his male pride.
"You've hurt me, ignoring me like this," Jackson said, pulling her closer, his voice filled with mock accusation.
Lillian sighed, defeated. She leaned her forehead against his and whispered, "I'm not ignoring you. I'm just more worried about your injury."
As she spoke, she planted gentle kisses on his face, moving downward, soothing him with her words.
"Take care of yourself, and when you're better, we..."
Her breath was warm and sweet, her voice like honey.
Jackson's Adam's apple bobbed. "We what?"
He leaned back, his deep eyes filled with playful heat as he looked at her.
Lillian's lips curved into a smile. Instead of answering, she leaned in and kissed him passionately.
It wasn't a brief kiss. She poured her love and gratitude into it, thanking him for bringing Taylor back safely.
Jackson was pleasantly surprised by her fervor. He held her close, returning the kiss.
Their shared warmth and affection flowed between them.
But as Lillian pulled back to catch her breath, she opened her eyes and met a pair of innocent, wide eyes staring at them.
Lillian froze for a few seconds, then realized.
Taylor was awake!
And he was watching them.
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