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Novel Catalog
Chapter 61
Gale hadn’t heard anything about her mother since Shawn had taken her from the hospital. It had been weeks of uncertainty, and the weight of it all had settled heavily on her shoulders. But now, she stood in shock as the housekeeper’s cheerful voice broke through her cloud of worry.
“Madam, it’s good news. The hospital called to say that Mrs. Warm is awake!”
Gale froze. Her mother… was awake? After all this time, after the long stretch of silence, the news was almost too incredible to grasp.
Her mother… had been awakened from her vegetative state!
A miracle. It was a miracle.
Tears welled up in Gale’s eyes as relief flooded her heart. No matter how much she had suffered, how many times she had felt hopeless, this news washed it all away. She was overwhelmed with a sense of joy and disbelief, and before she knew it, she was laughing and crying at the same time.
“It’s good, it’s good… My mother is finally awake…” she whispered through her tears.
The housekeeper smiled kindly, watching as Gale’s emotions took over. But Gale, still in a daze from the shock, turned to Shawn.
“Shawn, can I visit my mother?” she asked, her voice trembling with hope.
She braced herself for his refusal. She needed to make him understand. “I just want to see her. Nothing else. She must miss me, too.”
Shawn didn’t immediately respond. His gaze was distant, his face unreadable, and Gale’s heart sank, sensing that he wasn’t going to agree without conditions.
“Sure,” Shawn finally said, and for a moment, Gale thought maybe, just maybe, he had softened.
But then she felt it — that tugging sensation in her gut that told her something wasn’t right. Shawn was never this kind. He must have a condition.
She had guessed correctly.
Shawn’s next words confirmed her suspicion. “You can go visit your mother after your blood is drawn.”
Gale’s heart sank.
They were still after her blood.
Shawn’s posture was casual as he stood, one hand in his trouser pocket. “Either way, you have to let them draw your blood. You just have to cooperate, and then you can see your mother.”
The words felt like a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. She was being forced to choose between her child and her mother. She could feel her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to hold back her tears.
This decision… it was too much.
“I’ll give you five minutes to think about it,” Shawn added, his tone indifferent. “You only have one chance.”
Gale’s mind raced. She knew Shawn was a man of his word. If she hesitated any longer, she would lose the chance to see her mother — and her blood would be drawn anyway.
Her thoughts spun, the weight of her choice unbearable.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Gale said finally, her voice tight with emotion. “I want to see my mother.”
Shawn’s eyes flickered, but he nodded. “Then go draw blood.”
Gale’s heart sank even further. She knew what that meant — the pain, the risk. But she had no choice.
As she turned to walk away, the housekeeper spoke up, his voice concerned. “Mr. Wood, you can’t let her do that for two consecutive days…”
“Shut up!” Shawn snapped, cutting him off.
Even the housekeeper understood the danger, but Shawn didn’t care. He never had.
Gale, now alone at the door of the master bedroom, glanced down at her flat stomach. She touched it gently, whispering to her baby.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help you. I have a mother, too. I want to see her. Baby, I’ll take you to see your grandma…”
Her voice cracked with the weight of her emotions. “Please, be strong and don’t leave Mommy…”
She wiped her tears, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I’ll take care of you. I’ll protect you with all my heart. Just stay in my belly, okay?”
It was all she could do now. Hope. Hope that her baby would survive, even if she couldn’t make the right choices for it.
Downstairs in the dining hall, the housekeeper had arranged food for her, prepared specially to help her recover. Gale gave him a small, grateful glance. Throughout this ordeal, he had been the only one who had truly shown her kindness. The only one who had silently supported her.
The other servants looked at her with disdain, their eyes filled with contempt. But the housekeeper, he had always treated her with compassion.
Gale did her best to eat, pushing the food down to nourish herself — and, most importantly, to give her baby the strength it needed to survive. She had no idea what the future held, but she had to keep going, for the sake of the child she carried inside her.