Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Uninvited visitors
A mixture of panic and surprise swirled inside of me as I finally processed the nurse’s words. "What?" A single word pushed past the lump in my throat, my voice barely above a whisper as a frown made its way to settle between my brows.
What the hell are they doing here? What do they want this time? And on earth did they know which hospital I am in?
I didn’t even notice the way Rhy’s expression hardened, or the way a muscle tic in his jaw until his voice snapped me out of my own thoughts. "What are they doing here?" He questioned through gritted teeth, and even his fists were clenched tightly beside him.
The sharp edge in his tone could slice right through the thick tension in the air, even the nurse seemed to sense it. Her wide eyes bounced from his features to his balled fists and back to his eyes. She instinctively took a step back, her voice shaky when she spoke this time.
"I’m...I’m not too sure, Mr Carson," she stuttered slightly, and I didn’t miss the way she averted her gaze for a brief second before it was back on Rhys again. "They didn’t mention anything, except that they would like to visit Miss Hart."
I reached out to wrap my fingers around Rhys’ forearm, and almost immediately, I could feel the way his body relaxed just a little beneath my palm. His fists unclenched themselves, and he let out a soft breath.
Leaning in closer, I murmured under my breath, just soft enough for him to hear. "You are scaring the poor nurse."
His eyes grew wide, and an apologetic look flashed across his face when he finally realised what he was doing. He lifted his gaze to meet the nurse’s eyes. "I’m sorry if I came across too harshly. I was just..."
The young nurse only shook her head, a small smile etched onto her face. "It’s alright, I understand." Her eyes darted between the two of us for a while, as though waiting for us to say something. "Would you like me to let them know that you would not like any visitors today?" She asked this time, her voice piercing through the silence that settled between us.
Without saying a word, Rhys turned to look at me. I knew at that moment that he was letting me decide on my own, even though I knew how much he was against the idea. I tore my gaze away from him to look at the nurse instead.
"Let them know that I do not want any visitors," I told her, my voice firm and steady. I paused, thinking about how they probably wouldn’t listen to a word the nurse said. "And let them know that if they still choose to barge into the ward, I will call the police on them."
I watched as the nurse nodded before turning to walk out through the door and down the hallway. It was only when she left that I noticed the smile that was slowly spreading across his face from the corner of my eye. I turned to face him fully, and true enough, he was smiling back at me. I tilted my head, my brows knitted together.
"Are you...smiling?"
His smile immediately vanished as he pressed his lips into a thin line. "No?"
"No? I literally just saw you smiling."
A low chuckle emitted from his lips. "I was just glad that you chose to say no. I know you are soft-hearted and you might give them a chance to hear them out even though they certainly do not deserve it."
The words hung in the air for a while, and neither of us said a word as we simply stared into one another’s eyes. Then I watched as his lips twitched slightly. "I’m proud of you."
I could practically see the blush that painted my cheeks crimson. A warmth spread within my chest, and I could hardly hold back the smile that was starting to grace my lips. I looked away for a brief second before my eyes were back on his. "I...thank you, Rhys."
I let myself bask in the moment for a long time. Just the two of us in our own little world, and nobody could bother us even if they wanted to. I savoured every second of this, wishing that this moment could last a little longer. But it turned out that I had somehow jinxed myself with my own inner thoughts.
A familiar voice drifted to my ears from outside the door. The next thing I knew, Lucas and Jessica came bursting through the door with smug looks plastered across their faces. And the poor nurse from before came running behind them.
Her cheeks were flushed red, a flustered look plastered across her face as she looked at Rhys and me. "I’m...I’m so sorry. I tried to stop them, and I even warned them, but they wouldn’t listen."
Lucas huffed beside her, rolling his eyes dramatically while Jessica clung to his arm like her life depended on it.
I fixed my attention on the young nurse and gave her a quick smile. "That’s alright. This is not your fault. They can stay."
Her eyes grew wide, I could tell she was surprised by my response. But she only nodded and swiftly left the ward.
"Evelyn, are you sure about this?" Rhys asked, and I could hear the strain in his voice when he spoke. He had already risen from his seat to stand protectively in front of me, just like he always does.
I nodded. "Let’s hear what they have to say..." I drawled. "They must be so desperate if they feel the need to barge into my private ward in the hospital, even though the nurse tried to tell them no."
My eyes flickered over to Lucas and Jessica, and the smile remained on my lips as I kept my gaze steady. "Right?"
They frowned, but that didn’t stop them from inching closer towards Rhys and me, closing the distance between us in less than a few seconds. Rhys raised his arm to stop them from coming any closer.
"You don’t have to get so close, do you?" I could hear the threat that threaded his voice, though his expression remained mostly calm.
Lucas and Jessica complied, stopping a few steps away from us.
"What else could you possibly want this time?" I questioned, my tone sharp and curt.
A sick smile stretched across his lips. "Can’t I check on how my ex-wife is doing? I heard that you were admitted into the hospital a few days ago."
At that moment, questions about the surgery I didn’t know I had popped into my head. And I wanted nothing more than to wrap my hands around his neck or kick him in the balls if he was the one who did this to me. But I sucked in a deep breath, calming my nerves. I couldn’t let on the fact that I was aware of this yet, or it might ruin everything.
I gave him a wry smile. "I don’t need you to check in on me."
"Evelyn, how could you say that? After all, Lucas is just concerned about your health and well-being," Jessica chimed in, but I could tell that she was overjoyed by the fact that I was hospitalised. "He just cares about you."
A cold chuckle escaped my parted lips. "Oh, really? Aren’t you jealous that he still cares about me?"
I watched as her eyes grew wide, and a frown formed on her face. "You!"
"What?" I shrugged casually. "I was just asking a question."
Her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she pinned me with a glare. "Why would I be jealous of you? Lucas had promised to marry me."
"Well, congrats then..." I paused for a moment, and silence descended upon us as I kept my eyes on my stepsister. "...on picking up my trash."
Anger splashed across her features as she stepped towards me. "How dare you?"
Rhys quickly moved to block her. "What do you think you are doing?" He asked, a warning lying beneath his words. "If you want to walk out here freely, you better keep your hands to yourself."
"Who do you think you are trying to threaten Jessica?" Lucas snarled. "If you touch her, I will call the cops."
Rhys merely stepped forward, his body towering over Lucas. He didn’t say a word at first, but it was enough to force the shameless couple to step back without protesting. "Go ahead. And we will start from how you barge into our private ward without permission."
Lucas let out a breath, as though he was feeling indignant. "Don’t think you can be so arrogant, Rhys Carson. Isn’t TechHub losing investors and clients? If I were you, I wouldn’t be so smug."
"TechHub will do just fine. Couldn’t say the same for Smith Enterprise, though."
"Watch your mouth," Lucas sneered, but Rhys merely laughed. "Don’t gloat too early, I will be taking over Hart Group very soon. And I will make you regret everything."
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