Chapter 346 The Surgery Was Successful
A heavy silence descended upon the room, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Adeline accepted the marriage certificate from Linda, her fingers tracing the official seal, the signatures. It was real.
She had always suspected David harbored feelings for Linda, his gruff exterior unable to fully conceal his concern. But she hadn't anticipated this, this desperate bargain.
"I was just trying to scare her," David mumbled, his voice rough with emotion. He stood abruptly, snatching the certificate from Adeline's grasp. "I told her if she wanted the surgery, she had to marry me. Figured she wouldn't want anything to do with a rough sort like me."
"Didn't expect her to actually agree, just to get rid of the baby."
He tucked the certificate away carefully, a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.
"But it's good, this way..." He swaggered towards the door, his usual bravado returning. "If she doesn't make it, at least I can still visit her, as her husband."
He paused at the threshold, glancing back at Adeline, a hint of admiration in his gaze. "You've got some pull, I'll give you that. Only you could get Jasper to talk sense into me all night."
And with that, he was gone.
The door clicked shut, leaving Adeline and Linda alone in the sterile silence of the hospital room.
"Adeline..." Linda's voice was small, hesitant. "Did I... make a mistake?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed, filled with unshed tears. "I asked him what he'd do if I... if I didn't make it. He said he'd... he'd stay with me. Guard my body."
She closed her eyes, her voice choked with emotion. "Did I make a mistake? He's a good man, Adeline. I don't want to drag him down with me."
Adeline squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Linda. You're strong."
"But what if I survive?" Linda whispered, her cheeks flushing crimson. "He said... he said if I recover, we'll have a real wedding in Neon City."
She ducked her head, a bitter smile touching her lips. "How could I ever deserve that, Adeline?"
"Of course, you deserve the best," Adeline insisted, her voice firm. "You're worthy of happiness, Linda. If David loves you, then you're worthy. Don't ever doubt that."
She squeezed her hand again, offering a comforting smile. "Get some rest. You have surgery this afternoon. It'll be alright, you'll see."
"Okay," Linda murmured, nodding slowly. She met Adeline's gaze, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes. "We'll both be alright. I'll get better, and Blake... Blake will get better too."
As if struck by a sudden thought, her eyes widened. "Oh, David mentioned Jasper knows about your pregnancy. He thinks it's Sebastian's."
"It's for the best," Adeline said, cutting her off. "At least he won't try to take the baby away from me."
Linda nodded slowly. "True."
Adeline remained by Linda's side throughout the morning, offering words of comfort and encouragement.
After lunch, Chloe arrived to prepare Linda for surgery.
"You're looking much better than a few days ago," Chloe remarked, examining Linda's charts. "The risks are significantly lower now." She glanced at Adeline, a knowing smile on her face. "Linda, your frined knows how to take care of you. Things were much better than when Mr. Thompson was in charge."
"It's all thanks to Adeline," Linda said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Chloe nodded, her gaze lingering on Adeline for a moment. "What about the little one you're carrying? Sure you don't want to take care of that too?"
"This child," Adeline said, placing a protective hand over her stomach, "is the most precious thing in my life."
As the words left her lips, a sudden chill settled over the room.
She turned, her heart plummeting to her stomach.
Jasper stood at the door, his expression unreadable, his eyes dark and cold. A humorless smile played on his lips, sending a shiver down her spine.
She remembered his words from the previous night, his threats, his barely concealed rage. Guilt washed over her, and she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
Chloe wheeled Linda into the operating room, leaving Adeline alone with Jasper and the weight of his unspoken accusations.
David sat stiffly in a corner, clutching a bouquet of white lilies. His rough appearance clashed with the delicate flowers, yet the sincerity in his eyes, the quiet anxiety etched on his face, softened Adeline's heart.
Linda was fortunate. Despite her past, despite the horrors she had endured at Zavier's hands, she had found someone who cared for her, who was willing to wait outside an operating room with a bouquet of flowers like a lovesick teenager.
It was a rare and precious act of love.
Jasper had never given her flowers, not once in all the years she had known him. Not even after she had given him three children, with a fourth on the way.
A pang of envy, sharp and unexpected, pierced through her.
As if sensing her gaze, Jasper's eyes flickered open, his expression unreadable.
The wait for Linda's surgery felt interminable, each tick of the clock amplifying Adeline's anxiety.
Finally, the doors swung open, and Chloe emerged, a weary but relieved smile on her face.
She came through with flying colors. "Surgery was a success."
David surged to his feet, thrusting the lilies towards Linda, his relief palpable. "Congratulations on your new life, sweetheart."
Linda laughed, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "I'm hardly a blushing bride, David. Isn't this a bit much?"
Her words belied the joy shining in her eyes.
Adeline felt a lump forming in her throat, her vision blurring with unshed tears.
After settling Linda back into her room, Adeline retreated to the stairwell, her heart heavy with a mixture of relief and apprehension.
She had to leave, had to disappear before Jasper discovered the truth about her unborn child.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Sebastian's number.
"Adeline, there's a situation here," Sebastian's voice, tight with tension, greeted her. "There are a few bodyguards here, Foster's men, supposedly assigned to protect the twins. You familiar with them?"
Adeline's breath hitched in her throat. Jasper had indeed assigned some of his men to watch over the children when they had first arrived. Tim and Tom had come later.
"What's wrong?"
"I overheard them talking about Stella," Sebastian said, his voice low, urgent. "They mentioned figuring out our plan to leave with the children. Stella's orders are to... eliminate us. All three of us, Bennett, Lauren, and me."
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