“She can’t go now.”
As Coraline passed Rachel’s message, everyone was surprised.
“Why?” Victor stood up suddenly. “Is she scared of being found out by Justin?”
“No. She is pregnant.”
Everyone else was taken aback.
Although they had guessed that Rachel was pregnant when Julian mentioned that Flynn was the director of the gynecology department, it was still unbelievable to hear the truth right from Coraline’s mouth.
No one wanted to believe that Justin actually imprisoned a pregnant woman.
Victor said coldly to Gloria, “Are you still going to help him out now? He is a lunatic.”
Gloria bit her lip and had nothing to say.
Janice glanced at them. “Then what do we do now? What does Rachel want to do?”
Coraline replied, “We’ll have to wait until after she gives birth.”
“After she gives birth? Wouldn’t it be more troublesome to escape with a child?” Victor was puzzled.
Coraline hesitated for a while. “She said that she will leave the child behind.”
The room fell quiet all of a sudden.
No one could imagine how much Rachel was wronged and tortured to the point that she didn’t even want her child and only wanted to run away from that man.
Two months later, Justin officially announced the wedding date with Amber.
This meant the marriage between the Burton Group and Hudson Pharmaceuticals was set in stone. The Hudson Pharmaceuticals’ stock market had skyrocketed overnight, and its market value had doubled as well, effectively lifting them from the past turmoil.
On the night of the press conference, there was a gala dinner.
Amber held Justin’s hand and toasted with the guests with a smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Riley.”
“Congratulations!”
“Justin, the designer I invited from Italy has designed a few wedding dresses for me. Can you help me take a look at them later?”
“Just get whichever you want.”
Frankie hurriedly walked in from outside but stopped talking as soon as he saw Amber. “President Burton.”
Hearing that, Justin’s eyes narrowed as he let go of Amber. “I have something to deal with. You can go ahead first.”
Amber was taken aback by Justin’s action and was trying to hold him back to ask what was going on, but he had already walked away.
Seeing Justin’s hurried departure, Amber frowned and beckoned to her assistant. “Follow them and find out what’s going on.”
Right then, Justin and Frankie walked to a quieter place.
“What is it?”
Frankie replied, “Mrs. Burton suddenly showed signs of premature delivery.”
“How come? Wasn’t everything okay during the check up? There’s supposed to still be two more months until her due date!”
“It was said that Mrs. Burton had accidentally fallen in the bathroom. Don’t worry, President Burton. She has already been sent to the hospital immediately.”
Justin’s expression froze. “Prepare a car-we’re going to the hospital.”
“What? Then what about the banquet?”
Justin obviously couldn’t care less about the banquet. Frankie glanced back, and while following Justin, he called the secretary to make sure someone would oversee the banquet.
Meanwhile, in the operating room.
“Ah!”
Rachel was lying on the delivery bed with her legs spread apart-her jaw was tightly clenched, and her voice was hoarse.
She could feel nothing but numbing pain in her lower body.
“Breathe in. Breathe out.”
“Push.”
The amniotic sac had long broken, and she even showed symptoms of hemorrhaging.
“Hold on for a little bit more. Just a little bit more, and the baby will be here-it’s not that big.”
The midwife’s voice rang in her ears.
Rachel nodded hard and raised her neck high-it was covered in sweat from the labor.
Outside the operating room, Justin arrived hurriedly.
“How is she?”
The bodyguard who sent Rachel here hurriedly stood up and said, “President Burton, s-she is still inside, and the doctor hasn’t come out. I’m not sure what is going on in there either.”
Just as Justin was about to erupt in anger, the door of the operating room opened up, and a nurse came out from inside. “Which one of you is her family member?”
“I am.”
Justin stepped forward immediately.
Looking at him, the nurse asked Justin, “Who are you to the mother?”
“I am her husband.”
“The umbilical cord of the newborn is tied around the neck, so the mother can’t give birth naturally. We have to prepare for the cesarean section. Please follow me to sign some documents.”
Justin’s pupils constricted. “Are there any risks? How is she now?”
“Well, any woman is inherently at risk when giving birth. On top of that, she is giving birth prematurely. Now that the fetal position is not correct and she can’t give birth naturally, we can only perform surgery on her. Please sign it quickly.”
Holding the pen, Justin immediately signed his name on the consent form for the operation.
The operation light stayed on while Justin stood in the corridor steadfastly.
Time passed by, and even when everyone else, including Frankie, couldn’t stand it anymore, Justin stood straight and did nothing but stare at the operating room’s doors.
In the early morning, the operation lights finally went out.
The nurse took a baby out of the ward. “Congratulations! It’s a girl.”
Justin asked anxiously, “How is she?”
“Both the mother and daughter are safe.”
Justin breathed a sigh of relief before he lowered his head to see the child in the nurse’s arms. The pinkish baby was curled up into a small ball, her eyes still closed.
The moment he saw her, Justin suddenly felt that his heart, which had been frozen for many years, began to thaw from the inside out. His eyes were fixed on the child’s face, and he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
This was his first child-a daughter.
After the effect of the anesthetic passed, Rachel, who had been out cold for a long time, finally woke
up.
It was late at night when she regained consciousness, and as she moved her hands, she found that her hand was being held-only then did she see the man lying on the side of her bed, fast asleep.
All of a sudden, Justin woke up, his eyes filled with grogginess.
Seeing how Rachel was looking at himself, he immediately sobered up and asked, “How are you? Let me get a doctor.”
Rachel held his hand. Her pale lips moved, but she still couldn’t make a sound.
“What’s wrong?”
Rachel raised her hand weakly and made a gesture.
I want some water.
Justin was stunned for a moment before he understood what she meant. “Oh. Wait a moment. I’ll pour some for you.”
Rachel leaned on the pillow and drank half a glass of water to moisturize her chapped lips.
Justin then said, “Our baby is in the nursery. Do you want me to get the nurses to bring her here for you to see?”
Rachel shook her head.
It’s okay. I’ll see her tomorrow.
“Alright. You just woke up anyway. Get some rest.”
Justin sat down again, not intending to leave.
Rachel looked at him quietly. All his harshness and indifference to her during this period had dissipated. Overnight, it was as if she had returned to the time when she first married him-his eyes were gentle and calm.
Justin held her hand. “It’s a girl. She looks very much like you.”
Rachel pointed to her lips. If she’s mute like me too, then it’s not good.
Justin was taken aback for a moment, and then he chuckled. “She won’t be. Don’t worry.”
Rachel also laughed.
Looking at her smile under the dim light, Justin was in a daze. He hadn’t seen her smile so naturally and happily for such a long time now.
Did I tell you before that I was not born mute?
“Nope. Was that not the case?”
Rachel shook her head. I got terribly sick when I was a child and damaged my voice box.
Justin was startled slightly. As he was about to inquire further about it, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Out of the corner of Rachel’s eye, she caught a glimpse of Amber’s name on the caller ID.
“I have to get this.”
Sure. She nodded.
With that, Justin went out with his mobile phone.
After a while, he opened the door and walked in. “Rachel, I have to deal with something for a bit.”
Rachel nodded. Go ahead.
“Get more rest.” Justin leaned down and tucked her hair behind her ears. His voice was exceptionally soft and gentle as he uttered, “I’ll come see you again tomorrow morning.”
