Chapter 3

I bit down so hard I tore the soft flesh inside my mouth. Blood trickled from the corner of my lips.

Nicholas came over with a soothing tone.

"I had the doctor increase the anesthetic dosage for you. You won't feel any pain."

I clenched my jaw and shut my eyes, refusing to look at him.

Three years ago, when I had a curettage surgery, I told him that I was immune to anesthesia. At that time, he hugged me with red eyes and said that he would never let me get hurt again.

But now, all my injuries were his doing.

Janelle let out a few faint murmurs while lying on the other hospital bed. Nicholas quickly rushed to her side and barked sharply.

"Where's the anesthetist? Didn't Janelle get an anesthetic? Why is she still reacting?"

The doctor, dripping with sweat, told Nicholas it was a normal reaction to the anesthetic, but he was still worried.

"Pause the surgery. Go find the best anesthetist in the city."

"Mr. Cabell, the bone marrow has already been extracted. If we don't proceed with the surgery quickly, we'll have to extract it again."

Looking at my pale face, Nicholas hesitated briefly, but his concern for Janelle quickly overcame his fleeting hesitation.

"Janelle is afraid of pain. Laura has an anesthetic, she'll be fine."

I closed my eyes, my emotions draining away.

The doctor tried to say something else, but Nicholas cut him off.

"I hired you to ensure Janelle's safety. You don't need to worry about anything else."

An hour later, his assistant arrived in the operating room with an anesthetist.

The thick needle was plunged into my body again, but this time, under immense pain, I completely blacked out.

I was the only one in the huge ward when I woke once more.

I forced myself to reach for my phone. The invitation to join the scientific expedition team had arrived.

After a quick glance, I signed my name without hesitation.

This was a classified national research expedition. Long ago, I had turned them down for Nicholas.

Yet, in the end, they were the ones who took me in.

Seeing the flight details for three days later flash across my screen, I finally sighed in relief.

I had just put my phone down when Nicholas walked in, carrying a meal box.

Noticing my movement, he casually asked.

"What are you doing?"

I wiped the smile from my face and tucked the phone away.

"Nothing."

Nicholas looked at the woman who had been expressionless since he entered, feeling a knot of irritation and unease in his heart.

He put the food on the table, just about to speak, when Janelle's special ringtone chimed.

"Nicholas, didn't you say you'd come with me to pick out rings? Where did you go?"

Without even looking at me, Nicholas turned to leave.

"I've got things to take care of today. I'll come pick you up when you're feeling better."

Still, he never came. Not even on the day I was discharged.

Ever since Janelle appeared, "busy" became his catchphrase.

Busy taking care of the sick Janelle, busy taking Janelle out.

He devoted all his time to Janelle, leaving me with nothing but the sight of his retreating figure, time and time again.

But this time, I wouldn't wait for him anymore.

During my hospital stay, only one caregiver looked after me.

When the caregiver brought me my meal at lunchtime, she spoke enviously of Janelle, who was on the same floor as me.

"I heard that because she couldn't get used to a regular room, her husband paid a high price to have a designer redecorate her room during her surgery. And every meal she eats is personally made by her husband after consulting with a nutritionist."