After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 119: Making Alice York Choose
On the way back to the old residence, Mason Cheney received a message.
He immediately relayed it to Wyatt Sterling. "Third Master, Miss Alice’s stomach condition flared up. The young master has already taken her to the hospital."
Wyatt Sterling’s fingertips, which had been massaging his temples, paused. He looked up and asked, "When?"
Mason Cheney replied, "About ten minutes ago."
Wyatt Sterling lowered his hand, his face clouding over. "Go to the hospital."
Serene Creek Hospital was seven kilometers from the old residence, so Owen Sterling had to take Alice York to the hospital closest to the house, which was about three kilometers away. They arrived quickly.
Alice York knew her body well. If the pain hadn’t been so severe and slow to subside, she wouldn’t have wanted to go to the hospital. She had planned to just endure it, but unexpectedly, Owen Sterling happened to arrive.
He had heard she hadn’t eaten dinner and had come over specifically to bring her a late-night snack.
And that’s when he found her curled up on the floor in pain.
Once at the hospital, Alice York didn’t undergo any further examinations. An intravenous drip was the fastest way to relieve her pain.
Now, Owen Sterling stood quietly by her bedside. His gaze occasionally flickered to the liquid in the IV bag, but his hand was wrapped around the tube, trying to warm the fluid before it entered Alice York’s body.
"Are you feeling any better? Does it still hurt?"
Owen asked nervously the moment he saw Alice York open her eyes.
Alice York shook her head, then said, "I want some water."
"Okay, I’ll go get you some right now." Owen let go of the IV tube and quickly got up to pour a glass of water.
Alice York was truly thirsty. She drank the entire glass Owen brought her in one go. She must have drunk too quickly, as a little trickled from the corner of her mouth. Before she could put the glass down and wipe it herself, Owen had already wiped it away with his hand.
He didn’t use a tissue, just his fingers. His touch was gentle, without a hint of disgust.
Just then, the door to the hospital room opened. The moment Wyatt Sterling walked in, he saw this ’warm’ and ’jarring’ scene.
"Third Uncle... why are you here?"
Owen Sterling shot to his feet, subconsciously trying to block the path with his body to keep him away from Alice York.
The moment she saw Wyatt Sterling, Alice York immediately turned her head and body to the other side, pointedly ignoring him.
Her evasive reaction was not lost on Wyatt Sterling. He walked around Owen, past the foot of the bed, and came to the other side.
"I was just passing by. Came to have a look."
He stood over her, his gaze locked on Alice York’s face. She kept her eyes shut tight, clearly not wanting to see him.
Owen Sterling had assumed that Wyatt Sterling wouldn’t find out about Alice’s hospitalization until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Even if he did find out tonight, Owen thought, there was no way he would come. Owen had never felt that Alice was particularly important to Wyatt Sterling; even his forceful possession of her was, in his view, nothing more than an act of lust.
But now, Wyatt Sterling was here, standing right in front of him!
’Is he worried about Alice?’
"Alice is fine now. She can go home after this IV bag is finished. You should go home and rest too, Third Uncle. I’m here, and I’ll stay with Alice until she’s done and take her home."
Owen Sterling said, eager for him to leave.
Wyatt Sterling completely ignored Owen’s presence. He leaned down slightly, reaching a hand toward Alice York.
As he got closer and his fingertips were about to touch her face, Owen immediately stopped him. "Third Uncle!"
Wyatt Sterling’s hand froze, a flash of displeasure in his eyes.
"Third Uncle, Alice was in so much pain earlier she was covered in sweat. She’s finally getting some relief and can rest now. Please, don’t disturb her."
Owen Sterling tried his best to speak calmly, not wanting to provoke Wyatt Sterling.
Alice York, pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed, could barely keep up the act. With Wyatt Sterling right there and Owen Sterling behind her, she was terrified they would start a fight.
Just as she wondered how much longer she could feign sleep, she heard Wyatt Sterling say, "Alice York, open your eyes and make a choice."
"..."
Wyatt Sterling straightened up, hands in his pockets. His tone was light, but his words were heavy with threat. "Only one of us can stay. You choose."
"..."
Beside them, a look of astonishment crossed Owen Sterling’s face. He never expected Wyatt Sterling would actually let Alice York choose.
’Is that even a question? Of course Alice will choose for me to stay. How could she possibly choose Wyatt Sterling!’
"Alice, don’t be afraid of him. This is a hospital. I’ll stay by your side."
With no one else around, Owen no longer referred to himself as her ’big brother,’ but simply and firmly as ’I’.
Alice York slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Wyatt Sterling’s cold, handsome face. As their eyes met, she felt as if she could be sucked into the abyss of his deep gaze at any moment.
After a moment of silence, she slowly sat up. Owen reached out to help her, but Alice quickly said, "I can manage on my own."
Then, she looked at Owen and gave him a gentle smile. "Owen, thank you for bringing me to the hospital. It’s late. You should go home and get some rest."
A look of confusion appeared in Owen’s eyes. "You’re asking me to leave?"
Alice York nodded. "Owen, you should go home first."
Owen quickly understood. "Is he threatening..."
"Owen!"
Alice York cut him off, terrified that another word would enrage Wyatt Sterling.
Owen Sterling naturally assumed Alice was only compromising with Wyatt Sterling because she was worried about him. He didn’t want to see her caught in a difficult position, still having to worry about his well-being.
"Fine, I’ll go. Call me immediately if anything happens," Owen said, still concerned.
Alice York nodded, watching him leave the room.
The moment the door closed, the last trace of a smile vanished from Alice York’s face.
She looked up at Wyatt Sterling. "Shouldn’t you be in Miss Lancaster’s tender embrace right now, Third Uncle? How could you be ’just passing by’ to see me? Heh... I’m fine. It’s just my old ailment acting up. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thank you for your concern, Third Uncle. You can go now."
Wyatt Sterling watched her quietly for a moment before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "What’s with the attitude?"
Alice York remembered the voice on the phone, and a tightness filled her chest. "What attitude? I’m just kindly reminding you, Third Uncle..."
"I went to see Melody Lancaster."
He cut her off, pre-empting a string of wild accusations and shutting down her frantic guesses.
Hearing him admit he had gone to see Melody Lancaster, Alice York’s heart felt even heavier. She turned her head away and fell silent.
Distracted, she didn’t notice that she had bent her hand too much. The vein constricted, preventing the IV fluid from flowing and causing a bit of blood to back up into the tube.
Wyatt Sterling took her hand to straighten it. Alice York didn’t want him touching her and tried to pull away, but he held her shoulder firmly. "Don’t move."
"Stop being so forceful with me all the time!"
"Blood is backing up into the line."
"..."
She looked down and saw that blood had indeed backed up into the IV needle, a short red line that hadn’t yet receded. Only when she flattened her hand did the blood clear from the tube.
As she sullenly lowered her hand, she heard the man’s voice, unhurriedly explaining, "The part about showering and staying the night—she said that on purpose for you to hear. I wasn’t there for long. I left as soon as I took care of things."
Alice York looked at him, baffled. "Why are you telling me all this, Third Uncle?"
Wyatt Sterling replied, "Aren’t you jealous?"
"Jealous? You’re overthinking it, Third Uncle. I don’t care, so what is there to be jealous about?" As Alice York said this, her gaze involuntarily drifted away, refusing to meet his.
Wyatt Sterling grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn and look at him. "Then let’s just say I care. I want to make things clear to you. Is that all right?"
Alice York’s heart skipped a beat.
