Chapter 29 Antonio Likes Ryan
Antonio busted into the hospital, but Michael and Ethan had already split.
After the emergency treatment, Ryan was chillin' on the bed, catching some Z's.
The doc saw Antonio and rushed over before he could even ask, "Mr. Valencia, Ryan's been stressed out, which triggered a heart attack."
Seeing Antonio's face turn dark, the doc got a bit freaked and added, "Luckily, he got here in time, so it's not too serious."
Hearing Ryan was okay, Antonio's tense face eased up a bit.
Under the harsh hospital lights, Ryan's little face looked ghostly pale, almost blending in with the white walls. Hearing the commotion, he opened his eyes and, spotting Antonio, managed a weak smile. "Dad."
Antonio's eyes softened with rare gentleness as he sat by the bed, his big hand gently holding Ryan's tiny one. "How you feelin' now? Anything still hurt?"
His voice was super soft, like Ryan was a delicate doll that might break if he spoke too loud.
Ryan's body was still weak, but the pain in his heart was gone.
He shook his head and, despite his lack of strength, managed to say, "It doesn't hurt anymore, Dad. Don't worry."
His obedience made Antonio's heart ache even more, and for a moment, he thought of Sarah.
Antonio didn't dwell on it and gently picked Ryan up. "It's good you're okay. Let's get you home."
Just like that, Ryan rested peacefully in Antonio's arms as they left the ward.
"Dad, by the way, someone saved me earlier."
Antonio didn't pay much attention and gently pressed Ryan's head back into his arms. "You're good. Don't overthink it. Just rest like the doc said."
He carried Ryan away, totally unaware of Ethan lurking around the corner, watching his every move.
Ethan watched Antonio leave from a distance. Antonio's concern and gentleness towards Ryan stung his eyes.
He couldn't help but remember the times Antonio had been so violent towards him and Harper, like he was ready to tear them apart any second. But with Ryan, he was unbelievably gentle!
Ethan felt sad, and soon his sadness turned into anger. His young face was full of gloom.
Antonio liked Ryan, which made Ethan hate Antonio even more!
Michael, standing beside him, naturally noticed Ethan's disappointment and looked at him with a bit of pity.
He could feel that Ethan's hatred for Antonio was more because he had never received any love from Antonio.
He was just a kid who should have grown up with the love of his parents. It was only natural for him to crave fatherly love.
Although he wouldn't admit it, he longed to have Antonio's love.
Back at the villa, Harper was eating curry noodles sullenly. It was her favorite food, but she had no interest in it now.
Sarah looked at Harper, feeling both heartache and anger. "Harper, don't sweat it. He's not your dad."
Antonio was a heartless jerk, totally unworthy of being Harper's dad, and even less worthy of making Harper sad!
Harper, munching on her curry noodles, casually replied, "Mm." But it was clear she was still bummed out.
Soon, she convinced herself again.
Antonio didn't care about her only because he didn't know she was his real daughter.
Antonio liked Sarah so much that if he knew the truth, he wouldn't ditch her for anyone else!
After figuring it out, she decided to give Antonio another shot and keep playing matchmaker for Antonio and Sarah!
Her disappointment faded, and her appetite came back. After finishing one bowl, Harper asked for another.
Sarah watched as the sadness on Harper's face vanished in an instant and couldn't help but admire Harper's resilience. But it was a good thing; better than being all mopey.
Little did she know, Harper was already silently plotting how to set up Sarah again.
After dinner, Sarah kept searching for surveillance footage while Antonio was still out. She went to Antonio's room and was rummaging through it when she heard the sound of a car outside. Looking out the window, she realized something was off.
Wasn't Antonio supposed to be with Ryan? Why was he back so soon?
Sarah quickly bailed and slipped into Harper's room.
As soon as she walked in, she saw Harper holding a teddy bear, lost in thought.
"Harper, it's getting late. Take a bath and hit the sack."
Harper snapped out of it and said with a sweet smile, "Okay, dear mommy!"
Sarah's steps paused, and alarm bells went off in her mind. Every time Harper called her "dear mommy," she was definitely up to something.
She tilted her head in confusion but said nothing and went into the bathroom to prep a bath for Harper.
In the bathroom, as she watched the warm water fill the tub, Sarah stretched her sore neck and shoulders. Suddenly, the faucet burst, turning the bathroom into a fountain.
She hurried to shut off the water, but it only made it spray harder. She grabbed a towel to block the gushing water and then tried to shut off the valve. Out of the blue, she slipped, lost her footing, and tumbled straight into the bathtub!
"Ah!" She fell straight into the tub, and when she tried to get up, she accidentally twisted her ankle and fell back in.
Hearing the commotion outside, Harper smiled, having broken the valve to get Sarah wet, prompting Antonio to comfort her.
However, hearing the sounds of pain, Harper was startled and quickly rushed into the bathroom.
"Mommy, what happened?"
Seeing the scene before her, Harper panicked. Sarah had accidentally fallen!
Harper was anxious, but then had an idea: This was the perfect moment for Antonio to step in!
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