Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 53: A Tight Hug

"Do we have an anesthesiologist?"

"Yes, I’ve already found one."

Raina Reddington nodded lightly. "I need an operating room."

"Okay."

The doctor glanced at Zion Lancaster on the hospital bed. "You’ve seen her condition. The surgery is extremely risky. There’s no way you’ll come out of this unscathed."

Hearing this, Ethan Lancaster gave Raina a deep look. She just gave a faint smile. "Then you probably don’t know what Fourth Master is capable of. I just have to save the patient. He’ll take care of the aftermath."

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. Those words were a hundred times more beautiful than any cheesy sweet-nothings he had ever heard in his life.

Seth Sinclair was arranging for an operating room while Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, not daring to touch Zion lying there.

The woman’s hair was a mess, her condition wretched, and her belly was swollen high. Seeing her suffering so openly, Ethan wanted nothing more than to rush out and tear that mother and son duo to shreds.

The hospital had received instructions. All the operating rooms were booked with other surgeries, leaving Seth with no way to coordinate one.

Zion was screaming her lungs out. Raina didn’t need to worry about anything else; her only job was to help Zion hold on.

The man paced anxiously at the foot of the bed, waiting for news from Seth.

He clenched his fists, watching as Zion tore at her own clothes in agony, her garments now in disarray, tears and snot streaming down her face.

’His sister had always been the gentlest person in his memory,’ Ethan thought. ’She’d never even raised her voice to anyone. How could she be reduced to this?’

Seth knocked heavily on the delivery room door. "Fourth Master, there are no available operating rooms at the moment..."

Hearing this, Ethan flew into a rage, nearly losing his mind. "Then go take one!"

The man outside was stunned for a moment. ’He must be frantic,’ he thought. A little strong-arming is always more effective than anything else. Besides, in a hospital this huge, could there really not be a single place to prep for surgery?

Seth rolled up his sleeves and actually managed to secure a room by force.

Ethan watched as Zion was wheeled out of the delivery room, and he followed close behind.

Miranda Cameron sat on a bench in the hallway, watching the hospital bed being pushed rapidly across the smooth floor tiles. Zion, lying on it, was nearly unconscious, the back of her hands covered in bloody scratches she had inflicted on herself, her lower lip bitten raw.

Miranda was too terrified to approach, her legs trembling. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if something happened to Zion.

She saw Raina and Ethan flanking Zion’s side, a pair no one could seem to get between. A severe panic seized Miranda, and she found she couldn’t even lift her legs.

Seeing the situation, Mrs. York rushed over to stop them. "Who gave you permission to operate on her?"

Seth and his men pushed her roughly aside. Miranda looked toward the end of the hallway and saw Ethan follow them into the operating room.

The man now sat quietly in a corner of the operating room, watching Raina complete the pre-op preparations. The bright overhead surgical light stung his eyes.

’This is my woman,’ he thought, ’risking everything to save someone else who is as important to me as my own life.’

"Sean, Sean..."

When they were little, his sister always called him that.

Once he was older and began to take over the Lancaster family business, even the way his sister addressed him changed.

Ethan had been a rebellious and unruly child, and getting hit was a common occurrence. Every single time, Zion would protect him like a mother protecting her cub.

One time, Zachary Lancaster couldn’t hold back and a rod struck Zion, who was shielding Ethan. Zachary was so furious at the time that he didn’t control his strength, leaving Zion’s back a mess of torn skin and bloody flesh.

Sitting in the operating room, Ethan could almost hear his younger self crying as he held his sister. "Sis, don’t die! I’ll never let you get hurt again. I’ll protect you..."

In a daze, he thought he heard a voice saying the situation was bad. Ethan didn’t dare to look up, didn’t dare to listen. His usual decisiveness and ruthlessness crumbled in an instant.

Ethan felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing on his shoulders, nearly crushing him.

The York Family had also brought people, and a conflict broke out between the two sides. Mrs. York rushed to the operating room door, pounding on it. "Who dares to operate on her? I’ll sue you! Raina Reddington, I’ll make you regret this! Just you wait until you’re fired and have to go crawling back home!"

Ethan’s hands clenched in anger. He stood up, and as he lifted his gaze, he saw Raina’s scalpel make the incision. Her movements were skilled, and though she wore a mask, the composure in her eyes was unmistakable.

She glanced up for a moment, too. Their eyes met for just a second, but it was enough for Ethan to brush aside his agitation and slowly sit back down.

Mrs. York’s curses and threats continued outside. Zion said nothing; she was fully conscious now, her teeth clenched tight as tears streamed relentlessly from her eyes.

The cry of a baby startled Ethan from his seat. Raina glanced over—it was a girl. But a closer look made her heart sink.

"Raina, let me see her," Zion said, anxiously reaching out her hand.

"Sis, she has to look pretty for her first time meeting her mommy. We need to get her dressed first."

Zion couldn’t help but chuckle. "A boy or a girl?"

"A girl."

"That’s wonderful. I wanted a daughter."

Raina continued with the surgery. Zion turned her head to look at Ethan not far away. "Look, you’ve scared the little fool."

A nurse stalled nearby, not bringing the baby over for Zion to see.

When Raina finished the surgery, she softly called out to Ethan. The man saw her raised, gloved hands covered in blood and remained frozen in his seat.

Without even taking off her surgical gown, Raina walked over to Ethan. She was about to speak, but the moment her lips moved, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace.

The man pressed his face against Raina’s chest. There was still blood on the green surgical gown. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "It’s all over. She’s okay."

"If we had been any later, what would have happened?"

Raina didn’t answer, but a nearby nurse spoke up. "Forget a little later. A delay of just a few more minutes, and we would have lost them both—mother and child. Trying to have a natural birth with a baby over ten pounds and the cord wrapped around its neck. Seriously, what did she eat during her pregnancy? How did this baby get so big..."

Ethan was terrified by what he heard. The nurse brought the baby over, looking at Raina with a troubled expression.

Her expression grew heavy as well. Ethan’s arms tightened around her, and the breath caught in his throat finally felt a little smoother. He held Raina tightly, his hands still trembling.

"Ethan, bring the baby here."

Ethan released his embrace on Raina and moved to take the child. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Raina held up the baby’s hand for him to see. His eyes filled with shock, disbelief, and anger. In the end, all those complex emotions melted into heartbreak.