Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game-Chapter 482 - 260 A cup of white peach honey tea on a spring night
Not far from Ji Wu’s courtyard stands another small building.
With an almost identical structure and even similar decorations, there’s a crabapple tree planted in the small yard. Freya Morgon holds Mia Miller in her arms. The little girl has fallen asleep, her thick eyelashes like black feathered fans, her delicate face charming and beautiful. Charlotte Miller gently plants a kiss on her cheek.
Perhaps due to moving locations several times in a short period, Mia was a little upset before going to sleep tonight, and her sleep was restless. So her mommy held her and sat in the yard.
Charlotte quietly pulled the small blanket over Mia and said softly, "Mom, I need to go to the hospital to check on things. Please don’t leave this yard. I’m afraid they might harm Mia."
Apart from his parents, Mia must be Atlas Hallow’s weakness, right?
Freya nodded. She could understand Charlotte’s decision; indeed, they should go take a look.
"Rogers was called back home immediately, apparently because something happened. You should call him later to ask." Looking at Charlotte, Freya noted her slight weariness, though she was still holding on.
This youngest daughter of hers truly lived a tough life.
But aside from caring for Mia, she couldn’t share more of the burden, which felt a bit wrong.
"I know." Rogers had called her before leaving; there was an urgent family matter he had to handle. Though Charlotte offered help, Rogers had declined.
Perhaps there were some things he didn’t want her to know, and Charlotte didn’t press further, just telling him to alert her if anything came up.
Charlotte put on a trench coat and disappeared into the night.
She didn’t understand why she felt a sense of reluctance. He had hurt her so many times, yet seeing him standing alone in the hospital corridor, she couldn’t help but feel unwilling to leave.
Daniel Parker arranged a driver and a bodyguard for her, reminding her not to be careless when going out and that she should always have company.
Not wanting to cause any trouble at this time, she allowed the two to accompany her. As the car drove past a bakery, she seemed to smell the fragrance of baked goods through the window.
She saw a baker opening a huge oven and taking out trays of golden croissants.
Charlotte suddenly told the driver, "Could you stop for a moment? I want to buy something."
"Okay." The stern-faced man in black readily agreed. They were only responsible for maintaining Charlotte’s safety and had no right to interfere with her actions.
The bodyguard responsible for protecting Charlotte first got out of the car, quickly scanned the surroundings, then opened the car door and accompanied Charlotte into the warmly lit bakery across the street.
"Good evening, what would you like? Everything is freshly baked..." The girl in the bakery had a round face, and her smile was bright, as if without a care in the world.
It had been so long since she’d smiled like that. Ever since meeting Atlas Hallow, her life had been as tumultuous as a roller coaster, constantly on edge.
Such a smile might never happen again, right?
Because her life was no longer simple.
Looking at the rows of bread in the display, Charlotte chose a few. After the girl packed them in a kraft paper bag, she continued smiling and asked, "Miss, would you like to take a cup of our white peach honey tea? Its peach aroma is lovely. On a night like this, drinking a cup makes life feel wonderful..."
The baker girl took a deep breath, as if the air genuinely held the aroma of those peaches.
"Sure, give me two cups..." The kraft paper bag in her hand was warm, snugly holding two steaming cups of tea.
The car sped towards the hospital, and as Charlotte saw the building from afar, she prayed silently that everything would be alright.
But the surgery had been going on for hours without any news, which should be good news, as at least they were still trying to save them.
The bodyguard escorted Charlotte into the elevator, and as it ascended to the surgery floor, that tall figure came into view from afar.
"You can wait for me downstairs." Charlotte softly whispered, and the bodyguard naturally went downstairs. Here, Charlotte was certainly safe, so his protection was unnecessary.
The white lights and walls in the corridor cast a chilling vibe, especially when the scent of disinfectant mixed with a faint smell of blood filled the air.
Not far away, that figure stood with arms crossed, leaning against the cold white wall. He seemed like the support many relied on, with tens of thousands of employees from the Hallow Clan depending on him for their livelihood, yet he appeared to have only this cold wall to rely on.
Charlotte stood in front of him, looking at his chiseled face under the light, stained with anxiety and pain.
Despite being inside for so long, all he could do was wait here. His father had already been sent to the morgue without his having the chance to see him, and Charlotte’s heart ached.
Opening a cup of the white peach honey tea, the bakery girl hadn’t lied—the moment she lifted the lid, the sweet aroma of peaches filled the space.
On such a spring night, nothing was better at soothing the heart than a sweet, warm cup of tea.
Charlotte handed the tea to Atlas Hallow and softly said, "I think everything will be fine..."
The two didn’t say much more. Charlotte stood quietly beside Atlas, then opened the kraft paper bag and took out a golden croissant, placing it in his hand. The pastry still retained its warmth.
He ate slowly, his manner as graceful as if dining at a high-end restaurant, rather than standing outside a hospital surgery room.
The sweet tea and warm bread comforted his aching stomach, and her presence on this night warmed his cold and lonely heart.
"Actually, I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals too..." Under the night, Charlotte slowly recounted many past events.
"Mia was a troublesome girl. While in my belly, she always seemed eager to come out early. So I spent a lot of time in the hospital. The doctors said I might not be able to have her, even warned that catching a cold and sneezing could scare her out. So I always kept myself bundled up, not daring to even drink a glass of cold water. I lay in the hospital for eight months. Mia turned out to be strong and resilient. See, from ’impossible’ to now, she’s grown so much. So you must believe that everything is predestined. We just need to patiently wait and accept." Charlotte’s voice resonated in the stillness, filled with compassion and gentle strength.
Putting down the empty cup, Atlas said nothing, only hugged Charlotte. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
His head buried in her shoulder, Charlotte felt a slight warmth and wetness against her shoulder and neck.
This man had never shown vulnerability at any time, but tonight, he resembled a helpless child.
He possessed an untold amount of wealth, but none of it could turn back time, bring his father back, or ensure his mother emerged unscathed from the surgery room.
In the silence, Charlotte gently wrapped her hand around Atlas’s waist; this was all she could do for him.
Time ticked away second by second, and they didn’t know how long they waited. Her legs felt numb, and finally, the surgical light above the door went off.
As the surgery room doors opened, the doctor emerged, and the smell of blood in the air intensified.
The green surgical gown was stained with red blood, a frightening sight.
"Mr. Hallow, we’ve done everything we could, but whether she can survive the critical period depends on her fate. The injuries were indeed severe. Upon opening the thoracic and abdominal cavities, they were worse than the scans showed. Old Madam Hallow suffered internal organ bruising, a ruptured spleen, peritoneal effusion, a jaw wound from glass, and an open fracture on the right calf. All have been treated optimally. The major concern now is her brain. Intracranial hemorrhage is the main reason for her coma. Even if she fully regains consciousness, it might affect her future life," the doctor apologetically explained, but in such situations, there was nothing more they could do. Doctors aren’t miracle workers.
"Thank you for your efforts..." Atlas Hallow replied quietly, his eyes dark as ink, leaving his thoughts unreadable.
They didn’t see Ayla Kim, as she was directly transferred to the ICU.
Through the glass, seeing his completely unrecognizable mother, Atlas’s heart sank deeper, while flames of anger surged from his feet.
Why can’t disputes be straightforward, without costing lives?
Ever since discovering he had a daughter, he was more reluctant to stain his hands with blood, believing himself undeserving of an angelic child like Mia. But as his family’s safety became threatened, it was time to unleash chaos...
