Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 51: Wanting to Save Her

Raina Reddington was mortified and didn’t know how to take the phone back. Ethan Lancaster leaned his face toward the screen. "Mom, I’m hanging up now."

Jessica Jacobs said nothing and simply ended the call.

"Tsk, tsk. How obscene. No, it’s just plain indecent. Raina Reddington, this bed is all you can think about..."

Raina Reddington snatched Ethan Lancaster’s phone, intending to smash it on the floor. He reacted instantly, lunging at her just as she reached out and pinning her to the bed. "Raina Reddington, damn it!"

He yanked the phone back and sat on top of Raina, preventing her from getting up. She shoved at him a few times but couldn’t dislodge him.

"I’m leaving for a technical aid project next week. I’ll be gone for a few days."

"You have a perfectly good job at Mercy Seas. Why are you running off?"

Raina motioned for him to get up. "The hospital organizes one every year. I signed up a while ago, and the roster was just finalized."

’Ethan Lancaster didn’t believe her for a second. It had to be because of what happened today. If she wanted to run away, fine. If she wanted to leave, fine. Who was he to stop her?’

"Then go. No one’s keeping you."

The partner hospital was located outside of Stoneworth, and the roads were notoriously bad. The drive was so bumpy it felt like it could shake your bones apart—even more arduous than a trip back to Hemlock Village. On the day she left, Raina Reddington packed a small bag. Mercy Seas Hospital had arranged a car, and she was accompanied by another surgeon and two nurses.

As it happened, Ethan Lancaster also had to leave on a business trip for a few days. With Raina gone, the vast expanse of The Verdant Garden felt even more deserted.

The hospital had arranged accommodations for them. Raina stood on the balcony of the staff dormitory, gazing into the distance. She could see wisps of smoke rising from the faraway mountains. The sun was setting, and besides the chirping of a few birds, the surroundings were utterly silent.

After his meeting, Ethan Lancaster glanced at the time. ’It’s getting late. Raina should have arrived by now.’

’That woman is completely thoughtless. She doesn’t even have the decency to call and say she arrived safely.’

Miranda Cameron walked into the conference room with a cup of coffee. She placed it on the table. "You must be exhausted."

Ethan Lancaster leaned his head back in his chair, not saying a word. Miranda Cameron came up behind him and gently placed her hands on his temples. "I’ll have Seth Sinclair find a nice place. Why don’t we go out for dinner?"

"No, thanks. Are the materials for tomorrow ready?"

"Yes," Miranda said. Seeing the weariness on his face, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ethan..."

Ethan Lancaster pushed her hands away. "Go and check them again. If there are any mistakes in those materials, no one will be able to cover for you."

He stood up. The freshly brewed coffee was still warm, but Ethan Lancaster left without so much as touching it.

He was giving Raina the silent treatment. He was determined to see who would lose their nerve first and make the call.

The next day, after finishing her clinic hours, Raina returned to her dorm. Just as she was about to rest, she received a call from a nurse.

"Hello?"

"Doctor Reddington, you need to get to the obstetrics department, quickly. We have a patient in labor who’s not doing well."

Raina didn’t dare to delay. She hung up and headed straight for the obstetrics ward.

As soon as she reached the hallway, she heard the sound of arguing from a short distance away. "She’s just having a baby, isn’t she? A natural birth! It has to be a natural birth!"

The woman’s voice was shrill. Medical staff were still trying to reason with her. "Her condition simply won’t allow for a natural delivery. If you keep delaying, someone could die..."

"We want to have a second child next year! A C-section is out of the question! Enough talk, just deliver the baby!"

Raina pushed through the crowd and saw a ferocious, hysterical face. She burst into the delivery room and found Zion Lancaster lying there, contractions wracking her body as she shrieked in agony on the narrow bed.

Raina’s mind went blank. For a moment, she thought she was mistaken.

But after a closer look, who else could it be but Zion Lancaster?

Raina rushed to the bedside. When Zion Lancaster saw her, she grabbed her hand like a lifeline. "Raina, save me! Save me—"

"Sis, don’t be afraid. I’m here. You’ll be okay."

She pulled her hand free and strode to the door of the delivery room. "Where are the reports?"

One of the nurses who had come with her from Stoneworth quickly handed Raina the file. As she read through it, her expression grew increasingly grim. ’Insisting on a natural birth with these results? They’re practically gambling with her life.’

"Prep an OR, now."

Mrs. York never dreamed she would run into Raina here. She pushed forward aggressively. "We do not consent! I’d like to see who dares operate!"

A doctor from the local hospital also pulled Raina aside. "We can’t operate without the family’s signed consent."

"But her life will be in danger if we delay any longer."

"We can bear any and all consequences." Raina couldn’t believe Mrs. York would say something like that. Zion Lancaster was Ethan Lancaster’s older sister. Raina had only met her and her husband, Jason York, once at their wedding.

Jessica Jacobs had mentioned Zion’s pregnancy was a difficult one, and that Jason York was so protective he barely even let her visit her own family, which meant Raina had even less of a chance to see her.

’But Zion was doted on by her parents and had a younger brother who would move heaven and earth to protect her. So why on earth was she giving birth in this hospital?’

Without a second thought, she pulled out her phone to call Ethan Lancaster. Seeing this, Mrs. York lunged forward viciously, her nails scratching Raina’s arm as she tried to shove her away.

Raina kicked her hard in the knee. Mrs. York crumpled forward, landing on her knees. The call connected just then, and Raina spoke before the person on the other end could even say hello.

"Ethan Lancaster, where are you?"

Her voice was fraught with anxiety, but the person on the other end replied in a slow, unhurried tone. "Are you looking for the Fourth Master?"

Raina’s mind was in turmoil, and with Mrs. York trying to snatch the phone, she had no time to think. "Just give him the phone! It’s an emergency! Something terrible has happened—"

"I’m sorry, the Fourth Master is in a meeting. His orders were not to be disturbed by anyone."

Raina heard the dial tone buzz in her ear. After hanging up, Miranda Cameron felt a surge of satisfaction and promptly deleted the call from the history.

’A life was at stake, and that bitch hung up! She must have a death wish!’

"You’d better stay out of this! It’s our family’s business!" Mrs. York’s expression was savage, completely lacking the composure expected of a woman of her status. "Jason, what are you doing? Go stop her!"

Jason York just sat there on a bench in the hallway, head bowed, as motionless as a corpse.

Raina ran back into the delivery room and pulled the door shut. She glanced at Zion on the hospital bed. ’Miranda Cameron really walked into the line of fire this time. It would have been one thing to hang up on me, but she hung up on the one call that could save Zion’s life.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

’Raina actually had Seth Sinclair’s number in her phone. If she called him, he would definitely pick up. All he would have to do is pass on the message, and she could reach Ethan Lancaster right away.’

But her finger scrolled past his name in her contacts. Instead, she dialed the Lancaster family’s home number.

As it happened, Jessica Jacobs was the one who answered. Raina didn’t have time for pleasantries. "Mom, you need to find a way to get Ethan to call me right now. I’m at the county hospital. I found Zion here, and she’s in grave danger. The baby is in distress. Please, have him call me immediately."

"What?" Jessica Jacobs’s voice was filled with alarm. "What happened to Zion? Don’t scare me like this."

"Mom, I don’t have time to explain! There’s no time!"

No matter how worried she was, Jessica Jacobs knew she couldn’t panic now. "Alright."

She didn’t say another word. After hanging up, she immediately contacted Ethan Lancaster.

A few moments later, a call from Ethan Lancaster came through.