Chapter 21
“Kate,” Chelsea began to explain.
“Am I wrong? You were just a teenager back then. For him, you got hurt and spent months recovering in bed. And how did he repay you? By turning his back on you like this!” Kate’s voice was sharp with anger.
Kate couldn’t understand why Chelsea had wasted so much for Wade. During that kidnapping incident, Chelsea had been badly injured and spent months in the hospital. And Wade? He never once came to visit or even asked how she was doing.
When she finally got discharged, Chelsea found that Wade and Margot had been getting closer than she’d realized.
Chelsea lowered her gaze. “Just drop it, okay? There’s no point in bringing it up again.”
Chelsea had saved Wade willingly. No one forced her, so revisiting the past now meant nothing.
Kate huffed in frustration. “Fine. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”
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“Up to you,” Chelsea replied quietly. She wasn’t in the mood for food, but she picked up her phone to call Heath, reminding him to rest well and promising to see him the next day.
When the call ended, Kate had already ordered dinner. “We’ve got this suite–might as well make the most of it. Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight,” she added.
Chelsea gave her a helpless look. “Alright.”
In a VIP hospital room, Heath sat propped up in bed, working on his laptop. A cold, distant expression shadowed his usually warm features.
Julia, sitting nearby, was peeling an apple, though her attempt left it jagged and uneven. She held the misshapen piece of fruit out to him. “Heath, here. Eat this.”
Heath knew Julia had feelings for him–she’d made it obvious more than once. He’d turned her down repeatedly and had no intention of changing his mind.
“Thanks,” Heath said politely but didn’t take the apple.
Julia bit her lip, frustration flashing across her face. “Are you waiting for Chelsea to visit?”
Heath’s eyes flicked to her. “Chelsea called earlier. She said she wouldn’t make it tonight.”
“Of course, she’s not coming,” Julia said with a bitter laugh. “Heath, Chelsea’s married now.”
Heath was taken aback. “What did you say?”
Seeing his shock, Julia pressed on, her voice tinged with jealousy. “Chelsea got married. You don’t have a chance anymore.”
Shaking his head, Heath refused to believe it. He replied, “That’s impossible. She and Wade just broke up. How could she have married someone else so quickly?”
Julia didn’t understand it either. How had Chelsea managed to snag someone like Winston so soon? But it was the truth.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself.” Julia placed the apple down. “Heath, she’s married now. Can’t you at least give me a chance? I really like you.”
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Chapter 21
Heath’s mind was in turmoil. Chelsea was married? Then that meant any possibility between them was truly gone.
Seizing the moment, Julia reached out and took his hand. Her voice trembled with urgency. “Heath, I mean it. Please, just give me one-
“Heath,” Wilona interrupted as she walked into the room. She froze at the sight of Julia holding Heath’s hand. Recovering quickly, she smiled. “Is this the girl you like?”
Julia released his hand and stood up. “Hi, Mrs. Carson.”
Wilona gave Julia an appraising look, but Heath explained, his voice cold, “Mom, she’s just a colleague, Julia Martin.”
With that, Heath turned to Julia and added, “Julia, it’s late. You should head home.”
Julia bit her lip, but she gathered her bag. Now that Heath knew Chelsea was married, he wouldn’t spend all his energy thinking about her anymore. She still had a chance to win him over.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Carson. Heath,” Julia said before leaving.
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Once she was gone, Wilona sat down by the bed, her gaze falling on the messily peeled apple on the table. “This girl isn’t the one you’re interested in, is she?” she asked.
At noon, Wilona came to deliver the meal while Heath was sipping his soup. The aroma was delightful, and it seemed that the girl must be someone who often cooked.
Heath sighed and leaned back against the pillows. “Mom, can we not talk about this right now?”
Wilona mistook his somber mood for heartbreak and wanted to comfort him, but she couldn’t find the right words.
The next morning, Chelsea showed up again. She greeted Wilona with a warm smile, carrying a familiar lunch box. “Good morning, Mrs. Carson. I’m Chelsea Wise.”
Heath, who was awake and as composed as always, watched Chelsea quietly. And Wilona rose from her seat. “Come in, have
a seat,”
Chelsea set the lunch box on the table. “Heath, I made you some soup. Make sure to have it later.”
Chelsea had stayed at the hotel with Kate the night before, then rushed home early to cook. The lunch box she had brought previously was washed and placed it neatly to the side.
Heath spoke up. “Mom, didn’t the doctor mention switching my medication? Could you check on that for me?”
Wilona caught on quickly, giving them a knowing look before excusing herself. Then she replied, “Alright, I’ll go ask. Chelsea, keep Heath company.”
After Wilona left, Heath finally spoke, his voice thick with emotion. “Is it true? Did you get married?”
‘How does Heath know that?‘ Chelsea blinked, startled by the direct question, but recovered quickly. ‘Of course, this can’t stay a secret forever,
“Yes,” Chelsea admitted softly,
Heath’s chest tightened. “You just broke up with Wade. Why would you marry someone else so soon?”
Chelsea’s hands clenched at her sides. After a pause, she explained, “My family wanted to arrange my marriage. I didn’t want to marry their choice, so I… went with someone else instead.”
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Chapter 21
Chelsea didn’t mention that it was a marriage in name only. And Heath felt sorry for what she had gone through and regretted coming back too late. If only he’d returned sooner.
“What kind of person is he?” Heath asked quietly.
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What Heath really wanted to ask was why Chelsea would choose a stranger for a flash marriage instead of him. Did she not trust him? Or had she never realized how he felt about her?
“Just an ordinary man,” Chelsea replied softly, before apologizing. “I’m sorry, Heath. I didn’t mean to hide it. I just didn’t think the whole world needed to know I got married.”
This marriage wasn’t something Chelsea had wanted in the first place. There was no need to publicize it when it was bound
to end in divorce.
Heath parted his lips as if to say something but ultimately fell silent.
As Chelsea was leaving, she ran into Wilona. She greeted her politely, and Wilona returned to the room, mumbling to herself, “Chelsea seems like such a lovely girl. Where does she work? What’s her family like?”
They never cared about Heath’s wife’s background. All they wanted was someone Heath liked–someone who was a good
person.
“She’s married,” Heath said abruptly, cutting her off.
Wilona froze, stunned. She thought of how Heath had been injured saving Chelsea, only to find out that she had already married someone else. “Heath, you…”
“She doesn’t know how I feel about her.” Heath forced a smile. “We’ve always just been friends.”
Suddenly, Wilona felt a pang of sadness. After a few words of comfort, she found an excuse to leave the room.
Unaware of any of this, Chelsea continued her routine as usual.
Winston was on a business trip and had been out of contact for several days. Chelsea didn’t bother asking about his schedule and went on with her work.
But Wilona’s attitude toward Chelsea began to change subtly. The warmth and familiarity she’d shown at first were replaced with a touch of reserve.
So Chelsea, aside from delivering soup daily, barely lingered in the hospital.
At Evergreen Airport, the flight had just landed. A tall, striking man walked out, followed closely by Fabian, who was finishing a phone call.
“Mr. Moody, I just got word that Mr. Carson has been in the hospital for days and hasn’t been discharged yet,” Fabian reported.
Hearing this, Winston stopped in his tracks. ‘No wonder Amber Jewels has been so quiet recently, he thought.
Winston asked, “Is it serious?”
“Apparently, it’s a head injury, Fabian replied.
Winston changed his plans immediately and ordered, ‘Let’s head to the hospital.”
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Chapter 21
Half an hour later, Winston arrived at Heath’s hospital room. Fabian placed the flowers on a table, expressed his concern, and stepped out,
“You’re about to be discharged. What brings you here?” Heath joked.
Winston walked over to the bed, his dark eyes settling on Heath’s head. The injury looked pretty bad. “I heard it was because of a woman. Why isn’t she here taking care of you?” he asked.
Winston knew Heath had someone he cared about, but Heath always kept it to himself. Even Winston, one of his closest friends, had no idea who it was.
Heath spread his hands. “She’s busy with work.”
The truth was, she was married. Heath was determined to keep his distance, not wanting to tarnish Chelsea’s reputation or give people something to gossip about.
After chatting for a while, Winston glanced at the bedside table and noticed a lunch box partially hidden by the flowers. His eyes lingered for a moment.”
The lunch box looked familiar–almost identical to one Chelsea owned. Winston turned back, curiosity piqued. “That lunch box… did she bring it?”
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