“Why should I stay out? Sadie is my wife,” Noah retorted, puzzled.
This was not the first time Jim had come to his house to attend to Sadie, and Jim hadn’t asked him to leave them alone before.
Noah eyed Jim with suspicion, his gaze piercing. “You’ve been close to Sadie lately. Are you hiding things from me?”
Jim felt a tightness in his chest, his gaze flickering.
He doubted Noah’s abilities as a father. Resolute, he was prepared to shield Sadie’s secret pregnancy from him.
Jim steadied himself, drawing in a deep breath to quell the turmoil churning inside.
Lifting his gaze to Noah, he let out a sharp, pointed remark. “Mr. Big Shot, of course, you can go in. But are you certain you won’t make things worse? If the patient refuses to cooperate and I can’t treat her, don’t come pointing fingers at me.”
Noah’s brows furrowed tighter, his eyes clouded with confusion and hesitation.
His lips pressed into a thin line, but no words came.
Jim didn’t press. Instead, he simply swung open the door to the master bedroom, stepping to the side with a slight, almost dismissive wave. “This is your house, your kingdom. Naturally, you can go in if you wish.” He met Noah’s gaze with a steady one of his own. “But if things go south, that’s on you.”
Noah’s jaw tightened, his expression hardening. He could feel the weight behind Jim’s words.
Jim’s forthrightness made Noah second-guess his own suspicions.
His mind flashed back to that morning-Sadie refusing to open the door, her coldness gnawing at his patience. A surge of frustration bubbled to the surface.
“Forget it,” Noah snapped, his voice laced with defiance and something unspoken beneath. “It’s not like I wanted to go in anyway.” He spun on his heel to leave, but his steps weren’t as sure as his words. There was a slight hesitation, a flicker of something uncertain in his stride.
Through the ajar door, Sadie heard every word.
She lay curled on the bed, her face ghostly pale, eyes staring into nothingness.
She had long known Noah didn’t care. Her heart, already numb, felt like it was being cut by a knife, yet she felt nothing.
A bitter, self-mocking smile tugged at her lips, as if she were laughing at the foolish hopes she’d once clung to.
Without a word, Jim quietly closed the door, shutting out Noah’s final, wavering glance.
Silence settled over the room, broken only by the soft, shallow rhythm of Sadie’s breathing.
Jim’s footsteps were soft as he approached the bed. His eyes filled with concern as he studied Sadie’s pale, unmoving face. “Are you all right?” he asked gently, his voice low and careful.
Sadie remained silent, lying still as if she were nothing more than a hollow shell, a puppet with its strings cut.
Jim let out a quiet sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out to feel her forehead, his touch light. “It’s alright. The fever isn’t too high.”
But then, without warning, Sadie stirred.
She shot up abruptly, her eyes wild, glinting with a desperate, almost frantic light.
Before Jim could react, she seized his hand. Her fingers were ice-cold, but her grip was fierce, unrelenting.
Then, to his utter shock, Sadie slid off the bed and dropped to her knees with a dull thud.
“Please.” The word tore from her throat, hoarse and raw, trembling with emotions she had buried for far too long. “Help me.”
Jim’s heart lurched. He quickly reached down, flustered, and helped her back to her feet. “Sadie, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice urgent but gentle. “What happened? I was told you were just sick.” He held her by the arms, his steady hands trying to calm her.
Sadie fought to keep her tears at bay, her voice trembling as she forced out the words. “Noah has me trapped here… cut off from everyone. I need to get out. Please, can you help me?” Her eyes locked onto Jim’s, her desperation palpable.
Jim froze, the weight of her plea pressing down on him. “Well…” He trailed off, torn between empathy and concern.
He knew all too well how ruthless Noah could be. If Noah ever found out he’d helped Sadie escape, the fallout would be catastrophic. The mere thought of Noah’s wrath sent a trickle of sweat down Jim’s temple.
Sadie saw the hesitation flicker across his face. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself, her voice soft but resolute. “Don’t worry. I won’t drag you into this any more than necessary. Just… distract the guards downstairs. That’s all I need. I’ll take care of the rest.” Her tone was calm, but her eyes burned with fierce determination. She was ready to risk everything.
Jim wavered, the logic gnawing at him.
It wasn’t much-just a simple diversion.
Harmless enough, or so it seemed.
As if sensing his internal struggle, Sadie pressed her advantage. Her trembling hand moved to her abdomen.
“Yesterday…” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Noah carried me back. It… it put the pregnancy at risk.” She swallowed hard, her words thick with emotion. “And today, I’ve been running a fever.”
She lifted her gaze to meet Jim’s, her eyes swimming with a mix of despair and silent pleading.
“If I stay here any longer… I’ll either be forced into an abortion when he finds out about the pregnancy… or I’ll lose the baby from his neglect.”
Her words hung heavy in the air. She squeezed her eyes shut, and the tears she’d fought so hard to hold back finally broke free, trailing down her pale cheeks.
“Either way…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I can’t keep the baby… For the sake of my child… I have to leave.”
Jim stood frozen, feeling as though two warring voices clashed inside his mind.
One screamed at him to back away, to avoid entanglement in this mess. Noah’s wrath wasn’t just dangerous-it was catastrophic. Getting involved could ruin him.
But the other voice, softer yet more insistent, tugged at his conscience. It was the voice of compassion, of duty, reminding him of why he became a doctor in the first place: to save lives.
His eyes drifted to Sadie-her haunted, pleading gaze, the tear-streaked cheeks, and her trembling hand resting protectively over her abdomen. It felt like something had pierced through his chest, striking the very core of him.
Jim remembered his oath, the promise he’d made to protect life in all its forms, no matter the cost.
The battle within him settled. Compassion outweighed fear.
“Alright, fine,” Jim said, his voice low but unwavering as he gritted his teeth. “I’ll help you.”
Sadie gazed at Jim, her eyes brimming with gratitude, tears gleaming as though she had clung to a lifeline in the midst of a storm.
“I won’t forget this-I’ll pay you back when the time comes,” she stated, her voice thick with emotion, each word laden with raw sincerity. Jim caught the shimmer of genuine thanks in her eyes, feeling an unexpected warmth bloom in his chest.
He shifted his gaze away, an awkward gesture as he cleared his throat. “We don’t have to talk about that yet,” he replied, his voice striving for calm. “How are you feeling right now?”
He paused, a concerned look crossing his face before continuing, “You need to focus on your health first.”
As he spoke, Jim gently began to check Sadie’s condition.
His hands were careful as he listened to her heartbeat and delicately touched her slightly swollen belly. His brow furrowed deeply with concern.
“The fetus is showing signs of distress,” he announced, withdrawing his hand with a grave tone. “If the situation worsens, you might start bleeding, and that could be dangerous.”
At his words, a chill ran through Sadie, her complexion turning ghostly pale.
She gripped the bedsheet tightly, her knuckles whitening, a storm of fear and anxiety swirling in her heart.
Jim observed Sadie’s tense posture, his heart twinging with sympathy. He considered her condition thoughtfully, then offered a gentle suggestion. “It’s a mild fever, nothing too concerning. Put on a cooling patch, and I’ll prescribe something to help with the fever and keep your pregnancy stable. You have to take it,” he advised, his voice calm and reassuring.
He hesitated briefly before adding, “Once you’re feeling better, I’ll help you get out of here safely.”
Sadie paused, absorbing his words, then gave a slow, determined nod. The child growing inside her was her anchor in this vast, uncertain world. She couldn’t risk anything harming her unborn baby.
She needed to forge a secure future for them both, a life far away from Noah’s destructive reach. That meant vanishing completely-no traces left behind.
However, there were things to settle first. She needed to ensure Laura’s well-being and advance the secretive project Roy had promised to orchestrate for her, sidestepping Noah completely.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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