Chapter 633 Panic
"Celeste!" Michael rushed over and scooped her up, only to realize her body was terrifyingly cold, her breathing so faint it was almost undetectable.
It was at this moment that Michael understood the unforgivable mistake he had made. Trembling, he held Celeste tightly and dashed out like a madman. "Get the car! We're going to the hospital, now!"
Rain soaked through his suit, mixing with Celeste's blood, creating a shocking dark red stain on his chest. Celeste felt so light in his arms, as if she could disappear at any moment.
"Hang in there, please," Michael, usually so composed and unyielding, now sounded desperate and pleading.
The light in the operating room was on. Michael stood in the hallway, his suit still stained with Celeste's blood. He stared at his hands, the dried blood on them a silent accusation.
"Mr. Russell, quite the look you've got there," a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded behind him.
Michael didn't turn around. "Zachary, I'm not in the mood."
Zachary quickly closed the distance between them, the usual playful expression gone from his face. "I'm not here to mess around either. How's Celeste? I came as soon as the butler called."
Michael's gaze turned icy. "She's fine."
"Fine?" Zachary grabbed Michael by the collar. "You call this fine? My sister is in the operating room, fighting for her life!"
Michael shook off his hand. "She's not your sister."
"Damn it!" Zachary rarely swore. "From the day you brought her home, I've treated her like my sister! But you, how have you treated her all these years?"
The words cut into Michael like a knife. He grabbed Zachary by the collar. "Shut up!"
Zachary didn't struggle, just looked at him meaningfully. "Michael, could it be that you've actually fallen for her?"
Michael let go as if burned, turning to the window. "Nonsense."
At that moment, the doctor came out, removing his mask. "The patient is out of danger, but..."
The doctor glanced warily at Michael and Zachary. "What's your relationship with the patient?"
"I..." Michael hesitated, unable to say anything.
Zachary, looking exasperated, pushed Michael aside and stepped forward. "I'm her brother. Talk to me."
"Come to my office," the doctor sighed, then turned to Michael, who was still fuming. "You go pay the bills. Pay extra; she might need to stay longer. She's very weak and needs proper rest."
Michael stood there, feeling something shatter inside him. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound.
The doctor led Zachary to his office, handing him a thick stack of test results. "Has the patient had a miscarriage recently?"
"Yes."
"She has cervical cancer. The bleeding was a symptom, and it h the late stages. The child she lost might have been her only chance at motherhood."
When Zachary left the doctor's office, Michael had already returned from paying the bills. Zachary punched the wall, his eyes red. "Damn it, Michael! Are you even human?"
Michael took the hit without a word.
Michael sneered. "Since when do you care so much about my maid?"
"Maid?" Zachary was shaking with anger. "Is that all Celeste is to you? Do you know she went diving in the middle of the night to find that shell for you? Do you know she completed your tasks while running a high fever? Do you know how much effort she put into hypnotizing George? Michael, ask yourself, hasn't Celeste done enough for you?"
Zachary punched Michael in the face. "That was for Celeste!"
Michael wiped the blood from his mouth, not retaliating.
"Michael," Zachary's eyes were red, "I'll ask you one last time. Do you care about Celeste or not?"
Michael was silent for a long time, saying nothing.
"I already know the answer. But you don't. Michael, I don't care what you're thinking, but remember this!" Zachary grabbed his collar. "If I see you mistreat her again, I'll beat you every time!"
"My business with her is none of your concern!"
Zachary shook his head. "Michael, you're going to regret this."
Michael adjusted his sleeves. "None of your business."
"Come on," Zachary was exasperated. "How long have I known you? When have you ever been this submissive?"
Michael's eyes flickered. "She's different."
"Yeah, different." Zachary rarely looked so serious. "So you should think about why you're treating someone 'different' in the cruelest way."
Michael was silent.
"Don't wait until it's too late to regret it. Celeste was willing to risk her life for you. What more do you want?"
With that, he sighed and left, leaving Michael alone in the empty hallway. Whether to tell Michael about Celeste's condition was something he needed to discuss with her first.
When Celeste woke up, the first thing she saw was Michael standing by the window. The sunlight outlined his cold silhouette.
"Michael," she called weakly.
Michael turned, his face as cold as ever. "You're awake?"
Celeste instinctively touched her abdomen. "What happened to me?"
She wasn't pregnant, nor was it her time of the month. Why was she bleeding? She remembered the pain in her stomach a few days ago. Could it be related?
"You're asking me what happened?" Michael's voice was laced with sarcasm.
Celeste's face was paler than the sheets. She bit her lip until she tasted blood.
"I'm sorry," she trembled. "I messed up the mission."
Michael sneered. "Useless. You can't even handle this and ended up like this. Pathetic."
Celeste gathered her courage and asked softly, "Michael, aren't you even a little worried about me?"
Michael laughed as if he had heard a joke. "Worried? You? Don't flatter yourself."
He walked to the bedside, looking down at her. "Remember your place. You're just a stray dog I picked up. You couldn't even hypnotize George, and ended up in this state. You're a disgrace."
Every word was a knife, stabbing Celeste's already shattered heart. Tears streamed down her face, but she stubbornly refused to cry out loud.
"I understand," she whispered. "It won't happen again."
Michael turned to leave but paused at the door. Without looking back, he said in a low voice, "Get well soon. Don't die and cause me more trouble."
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