Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 328: Risa’s agony...

Jessica spun on her heels to lead the way. Inasmuch as she was worried and concerned about the Old Man, she understood the need to be calm especially at a moment like this.

Panic would help no one, and right now, all eyes were watching. Her spine straightened with silent resolve as she paced ahead, her composure collected.

Behind her, Bella halted briefly, her eyes heavy and filled with unshed tears. She glanced back toward the ward’s door, as if willing it to open and bring better news.

The beeping machines and the fluttering pulse on the monitor were still etched in her mind. She bit her lower lip,to keep her emotions in check.

Beside her, Ethan stood quietly, his hands in his pocket as he watched her, his gaze laced with concern and worry not just for Elder Allen, but for Bella too.

"Bella," he said softly, "things aren’t as hopeless as you think. Otherwise, who is your brother? Do you really believe he’ll just sit back and watch things fall apart?"

His tone was calm but firm yet the silent support laced into it was noticeable.

Bella turned to him slowly. "Ethan, we were only hoping to meet him after the launch. My brother hasn’t even informed him about me yet. He wanted it to be a surprise," she whispered, her voice crackling with emotion. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

"I know," Ethan replied gently. "But with how things are unfolding, isn’t it better to be strong and think of a way out instead of....crying?" he scolded gently.

"Maybe with the connections you have built over the years, it might go a long way," he suggested.

He actually didn’t want to put this pressure on her but with her tears flowing non-stop, he had no other choice.

He couldn’t help but wonder why she had turned so emotional about the situation.

Even though there is a past that needed to be corrected but then Elder Allen’s situation isn’t entirely hopeless. The doctors were simply being cautious.

In their field, the unexpected was routine and no matter the diagnosis there’s always room for the unexpected.

Just like in the case of Elder Allen, he woke up and slipped back into unconsciousness. It was never predictable.

And though they hadn’t said it outright, the medical team had arranged for such a possibility.

The emergency team had been prepared; it was within that fragile window they had calculated. Time was of the essence, but not all hope was lost.

Bella closed her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath. No matter what, she had to be strong enough to face the situation. She schooled herself.

Bella opened her eyes again and fixed them on Ethan. "Do you think he’ll be fine?" she asked more steadily now, searching his face for reassurance.

Ethan nodded once. "He will be fine," he replied confidently, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before leading her gently toward the elevator.

The group stood at the elevator doors, waiting patiently for them, they arrived just as the doors slid open with a ding, they entered together in quiet unison.

The elevator descended and finally dinged again on their arrival at the ground floor of the hospital.

One after another, they stepped out, the warm fragrant air of the open air flowing through their nostrils as they took a deep breath easing the tension on their shoulders.

But at that moment just as Jessica moved forward she came face to face with a figure she hadn’t seen in a long time. Her stepsister –Risa.

She was standing there with arms folded, clearly waiting to ascend to the upper floor. Jessica’s eyes flickered briefly in her direction but didn’t linger.

past her without a single pause, her head held high, her shoulders

as though she had not seen anyone at that moment, as though Risa didn’t exist. Jessica didn’t glance back, didn’t falter, didn’t offer

indifference burned like acid in Risa’s chest, her action infuriating her so

its closure yet Risa never moved from the spot

furrowed, her fists clenched at her sides. She stood frozen, dumbfounded at the sheer boldness of Jessica to walk past her as if

turn

didn’t look

She didn’t even flinch.

through the corridor, Davis holding her hand, totally unaffected by the venom laced in Risa’s

slap in the face. Her blood boiled, her rage surging as anger and humiliation bubbled

Jessica.

fool,

The nerve of her.

as Risa was concerned, Jessica was the reason her life had collapsed. It was Jessica who had caused her pain

home and had successfully

hands of an abusive man, yet couldn’t pull away from him because she had

Jessica who destroyed her dream of being a

had denied her the benefits of the princess she was, a princess of the Brown family who deserved to

the spotlight. Jessica who had taken the family name and

in her name, yet she had turned them

the one to marry into the

have been the

supposed

last, the Browns had been reduced to ashes just because

in her

her should be doing but then it had

to live and enjoy the glory of

had always made up her mind to

chest heave, her fists clenched tightly, that she never noticed her fingernails digging into her

took a careful look at Jessica’s retreating form once again, a flash of what she

Her eyes narrowed.

A small bump?

No—could it be?

supposed to be a slight baby bump?"

to make sense of what

possible she’s conceived

raced through her

always mention Davis in one problem or the

extra mile to have the baby

hired

"Would the family know?

if it is that way, doesn’t that mean the

too timid, too dull to think that far

she’s pregnant...and still living in the Allen household, that could only mean one