Chapter 16

It was already morning when Sally woke up.

She moved slightly and felt the searing pain on her back, which jolted her awake.

She realized that Elijah was sleeping next to her on the same hospital bed.

The bed was for one person, which made it quite the squeeze for both of them. He hugged her tightly, and their bodies clung together in a tight embrace. They were so close that she could hear his heartbeat.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart was beating at the same strength and frequency as hers.

The corners of her lips subconsciously curled upward.

That was the first time someone had hugged her to sleep and the first time that she lay close enough to someone else to hear their heartbeat.

She lifted her eyes to look at Elijah's face.

His side profile was clean and handsome. His thin eyebrows were of the perfect length and thickness, and his eyelashes were long and neat. The curvature of his lips was perfect, and his collarbones were seductively tempting.

His eyes were especially charming in the morning sun.

'Wait! … Eyes?'

Sally came to her senses. "You're… you're awake."

Elijah chuckled because of how cute she looked. He kissed her forehead and said, "Is it still painful?"

"No, not anymore."

Sally was not sure if the kiss or the question made her heart thump madly and her face blush.

"That's good to know."

Elijah reached out to touch Sally's adorable face. "Why didn't you apologize last night?"

Sally pressed her lips together. "Because I didn't do anything wrong."

"If you apologize, you wouldn't have to suffer."

"That's because I have my principles."

Sally looked defiantly at him. "I can't endure it if it's just pain, but I cannot forgive myself if I admit to something that I didn't do, much less admit to something obviously wrong."

"I pity those who would abandon their own principles for temporary gain.

"My principle is simple. If I didn't do it, I won't admit to it."

She looked so cute when she was serious.

Elijah looked at her and sighed. "You are very precious."

The doctors expected Sally's wounds to heal after a week, but she was almost back to normal after only three days. On the day of her discharge, she had packed all her belongings since the morning.

Back at home, she fell face-first onto her bed. "No wonder Grandma doesn't like staying in the hospital. It's too restrictive."

She let out a prolonged sigh. Just when she wanted to continue to laze around, her phone in her bag started ringing.

It was from Aunt Jane.

Her aunt had not called her for a few days. Sally pressed her lips and carefully answered the call. "Auntie…"

She thought that Jane called her to ask her about her progress with Elijah. "I haven't…" she stammered.

"Sally."

The woman on the other end of the call sounded as though she was crying. "Your Grandma fainted again just now. The doctors are trying to save her in the resuscitation room!"

Sally's jaw dropped.

"How could that be…"

After Sally agreed to marry Elijah, Grandma was transferred to the best hospital in Koel City, and her condition had been improving recently, so how…

"You'd better come quickly. Grandma is already seventy years old. She might just…"

Jane broke out crying and did not complete the sentence.

Sally felt her chest tighten.

She ended the call and quickly rushed outside.

She bumped into Elijah, who was coming out of the bathroom.

As their bodies collided, she lost her balance, and her body fell forward onto the floor.

In the nick of time, Elijah tossed away the walking stick in his hand and reached out to grab her. He fell backward because of the impact.

Fortunately, his other hand supported him against the wall, so neither of them fell on the floor.

"What's wrong? You sound like you're in a hurry."

"My… My grandma…"

Sally was beginning to sob. She lifted her head and looked at him. "Can you ask the driver to send me to the hospital?

"Grandma is in the resuscitation room, and the doctors are struggling to save her…"

The man seemed to be affected by her frantic expression and worried tone of voice. He nodded. "Let's go together."

Sally bit her lip and wanted to say something, but the man had already pressed the call button near the door.

Ol' Joe quickly ran upstairs. "Sir."

"Bring us to the hospital."

Elijah shot a glance at Ol' Joe.

Ol' Joe quickly went into the room, retrieved Elijah's jacket and black silk ribbon, set up the wheelchair, and pushed Elijah out of the room and into the private elevator.

Soon, Ol' Joe and Elijah were out of the house.

Aunt Leigh draped a jacket over Sally's shoulders. "Be careful, Madam."

Sally came to her senses. She clutched her phone and ran outside without saying thank you.

Sally hesitated when Elijah said that he wanted to go to the hospital with her. After all, it would be troublesome for a handicapped person like him to go outdoors.

However… Ol' Joe had brought Elijah out of the house in less than two minutes.

That speed was incredible.

She sat down next to Elijah in the car, still unable to calm down. "Are you going to fetch me there, then go home by yourself, or…"

Elijah gestured for Ol' Joe to start driving. "You're a frantic mess. Do you think I'll be at ease if I leave you there alone?"

Sally pressed her lips. "How about… you stay in the car?"

Aunt Jane should have informed Sally's two other aunts about her grandmother's condition.

Those two aunts did not know that Sally was married.

The aunts and their children would ask questions if they saw Elijah at the hospital. They might even laugh and mock him for being wheelchair-bound.

"Why?"

The atmosphere in the car seemed to have frozen. Sally could sense that the blindfolded man sitting next to her was not very happy.

She had to tell him the truth to prevent other complications. "It's nothing. It's just that my other relatives will be there.

"They're rural folk, and they don't know etiquette, so…"

Elijah smiled gently. "So you're afraid that they might offend me?"

She twiddled her thumbs and nodded. "Yes."

Elijah glanced at her and said, "I can forgive them, only because it's you."

Sally discreetly rolled her eyes.

He might be magnanimous, but her relatives would definitely not shut up because of her.

Her two aunts had always been haughty and miserly. When Grandma was first admitted into the hospital, she needed hundreds and thousands of medical fees. The two aunts gave their uncle ten thousand Yuan each and told him to foot the rest of the bill.

Sally's uncle, Aunt Jane's husband, was an honest and down-to-earth farmer. He did not have that much money.

If the Moses family had not helped her, Grandma would not have survived.

If her two aunts could treat their biological mother like that, how would they treat their adopted niece?.

They even blamed Sally for causing Grandma's illness.

Sally was still trying to find excuses to stop Elijah from going into the hospital when the car stopped.

She heard the man speak softly in her ear. "I'm already here. It would be rude of me if I don't meet them."