Chapter216 Patricia Is Rescued and Opens Up to Martin
Water forced its way into Patricia's nostrils and mouth, desperately flooding her body. She wanted to struggle, to scream for help, but she was tied up and powerless. Left to the mercy of the raging currents swallowing her.
The fierce wind whipped the river's surface. Bobbing up and down in the water, Patricia's consciousness peeled away from her mind bit by bit, and in the final moment, before closing her eyes, she thought that a figure appeared.
She thought it was Martin. It couldn't be;, it was impossible...wasn't it?
How could it be him? He's supposed to be in Ivara City right now. Why would he be here?
It must be her illusion. But to see him before death, even as a mere illusion, was enough for her.
Content, Patricia's lips curved into a faint smile, and she slowly closed her eyes, succumbing to the endless darkness.
Patricia didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but her body ached all over. Her bones felt as if someone had hammered them fiercely; a slight movement brought a sharp intake of breath, and her face crinkled in pain. Then, a gentle voice sounded inby her ear.
"Does it hurt a lot? Don't move just yet. The doctor said you've been in the icy water too long, and the cold has seeped in, causing discomfort. It should get better once your body warms up."
Barely awake, Patricia paused as she listened to the voice. That voice? Was it Martin? Wasn't she dead? How could she hear Martin's voice?
At the thought of Martin, her eyes brimmed with tears, which instantly sliding from the corners of her tightly shut eyes. She couldn't bear leaving Martin, Randy, Charles, and Fannie.
She had not remarried Martin yet and, hadn't seen her little ones grow up, marry, and have children. She was so unwilling to leave them all. The more she thought, the more fiercely the tears fell.
Suddenly, someone gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, their voice laced with concern, "I know it's painful. Bear with it a little longer. I've sent someone to buy a heater., Iit should arrive soon."
The voice spoke again;, this time, it was clearer than before. Patricia's whole being shuddered, disbelief slowing the opening of her eyes, but Martin's familiar visage imprinted itself distinctly into her sight. Fearing it was all a dream, she couldn't help but pinch her thigh hard.
"Ouch..." The genuine pain assured her this was not a dream;, it was real, and HeE was real. Martin had truly come. Tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Martin immediately began to clumsily wipinge away her tears, his face etched with concern, "I know it hurts right now;, just hang in there. The heater will be here soon, and the floor heating is on, so it won't hurt for much longer. Hang in there, dear..."
Having narrowly escaped death, Patricia cherished him profoundly, deeply feeling the significance of his presence. Ignoring her own pain, she threw her arms around him, clinging tightly to his neck as if letting go would cause him to disappear.
"It really is you, you've really come, thank goodness, it's not a dream." Martin moved to reciprocate the embrace.
But his hand, halfway there, paused as he remembered the content of a video, and he forcefully stopped himself, eventually letting his hand fall. Martin slowly closed his eyes, his heart throbbing as if seared by hot oil, the pain growing more intense with each tumble.
After a moment of silence, he gently pushed Patricia away. Unaware of his discomfort, she wiped her tears and asked, "What about Randy and the others?"
At that moment, she missed the three little rascals dearly. Martin simply said, "They're in Ivara City. It's a long way, and I came alone."
Patricia sensed something in his words and glanced around, "Are we still in Country M?"
Martin nodded, "Yes! Your condition currently doesn't allow for long travels."
His words brought Patricia's thoughts slowly back, and the memory of falling into the river surged in her mind—the suffocation and despair of being surrounded by the water made her shiver in fear.
"Was it you who jumped into the river to save me?" Martin's neck stiffened for a moment, then he nodded again. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Patricia's eyes welled up with heat, and her tears fell againonce more.
She hugged Martin's neck again, excitedly saying, "So it wasn't a hallucination;, it really was you, and you've saved me again. How do you always manage to arrive just in time?"
Martin did not respond with the warmth he had before, allowing her to embrace only briefly before gently pulling away after her emotions had stabilized a bit.
"The doctor said you were in the icy water too long, with cold invading your body, causing discomfort and possibly joint pain. How do you feel now?"
Patricia, was so joyfulfilled with joy that she couldn't feel any discomfort whatsoever. "I'm not in pain, not cold., I'm just fine!"
ConcernedMartin, concerned she might lie to avoid worrying him, Martin asked again with solemn emphasis, "Are you really okay?"
Patricia nodded vigorously, "It doesn't hurt, not at all with you here by my side."
Martin's heart, already battered and bruised, felt as though salt was being rubbed into his wounds, intensifying the pain to an almost suffocating degree.
He didn't understand what Patricia truly meant. After all, she was already with Hunter, yet she spoke to him with ambiguous hints and unsaid implications.
Seeing that he did not reply, Patricia thought her sudden change had scared him, and dared not say more. Wiping away her tears, she asked, "Weren't you in Ivara City? How did you end up here?"
Martin didn't look at her., Iinstead, he gazed evasively out the window behind Patricia. "Carter told me you were kidnapped. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you," he said, keeping it simple.
It sounded as if he had rescued Patricia by pure coincidence. But only he knew the extent of histhe efforts he had exerted to trace Patricia's whereabouts. Patricia hung her head in guilt and self-reproof.
"I'm sorry, I've caused you worry again! I promise I won't do anything to worry you in the future."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
From now on, their relationship would be nothing more than ex-husband and ex-wife; her life would no longer have anything to do with him. Martin lowered his gaze, whispering so faintly it was as if his words were barely there.
Patricia, not catching his words, pressed, "What? What did you say?"
Martin shook his head. "It's nothing."
"Where are we? Are we still in Los Angeles?"
No sooner had Patricia's words fallen, than the door burst open., and Hunter rushed in, embracing Patricia urgently, his voice laden with tension and self-blame, "Patricia, I'm sorry I'm late, so sorry..."
His strength was overwhelming, as if he longed to crush her into his being. Patricia, struggling to breathe in his embrace, tapped him lightly, "Let go, let me go! I'm suffocating."
Only then did Hunter realize, releasing her immediately, holding her arms tight and checking her from head to toe, asking with concern, "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"
Patricia shook her head, gasping for air. AWatching their intimate interaction, a sharp pang of bitterness rosewelled up in Martin's chest, watching their intimate interaction. In the past, he would have surely separated them in anger and taken Patricia away.
But at that moment, he felt like the outsider who couldn't blend in, and staying any longer would only add to his humiliation. Martin's lips curved in a wry smile, and he silently left the room, leaving it to them.
When Patricia caught her breath and looked up, Martin was already gone. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly, a strange sensation rising in her heart.
For some reason, she felt that Martin was a little off today;, his attitude towards her was slightly altered. This subtle change filled her with an inexplicable sense of panic and fear.
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