Chapter 101: Chapter 101: A Few Days After the Breakup
Lifting her head, she scanned the crowd of people in front of her who were also taking shelter from the rain.
With a single glance, she spotted a man who stood out from the crowd.
Dressed in a black, custom-tailored suit, Elliot Sheridan stood amidst the people. His tall frame, handsome face, and cold aura drew the gazes of many women around him.
Georgia Thorne stared at him, unable to tear her eyes away.
There was no denying it—Elliot Sheridan was captivating. Wherever he went, countless eyes followed him.
As she gazed at the man with an almost obsessive look, he seemed to sense it and turned his head, his icy gaze sweeping over to her.
Georgia immediately lowered her head, pretending to look elsewhere.
When she looked up again, a woman was standing beside him.
She couldn’t see the woman’s face, only her beautiful, long, curly chestnut hair cascading down her back. A fair, slender hand linked through Elliot Sheridan’s arm.
Owen Sawyer came over to hold an umbrella for the two of them, and they slowly made their way to the car.
Georgia’s eyes suddenly welled up, her vision blurring.
That woman just now must be Joanne Donovan from the newspapers—Elliot Sheridan’s fiancée.
Indeed, they looked like a perfect match standing together.
Georgia felt a little dizzy and desperately missed home.
Suddenly ignoring the rain, she rushed out into the drizzle and ran toward the bus station.
’Since I’ve already decided to let go, I shouldn’t be having these thoughts.’
’But it seems my feelings for him are already too deep.’
How many days had they been together?
Georgia doubted it had even been a full 24 hours.
「Inside the small, quiet car」
Elliot Sheridan had been in a foul mood for the past few days; everything seemed to set him off.
Just now, when he glanced across the corridor and saw Georgia Thorne’s pale face, his mood had darkened even further.
He had caught a quick glimpse of her in the hospital earlier and thought he was mistaken, but it really was her.
Sitting alone on a chair, getting an IV drip... ’Is she sick?’
Just a few days after their breakup, she shows up in front of him with that deathly pale face. ’What is she trying to pull?’
’Is she doing this on purpose?’
Whether it was on purpose or not, Elliot Sheridan cared. Deeply.
The last time he had seen Georgia’s face this pale was during her military training.
The menstrual cramps, caused by birth control pills, had been so painful she looked like she was terminally ill.
Ignoring the woman beside him, Elliot lit a cigarette and started smoking.
Joanne Donovan glanced at him and reached out to take his cigarette. "Elliot, are you angry?"
Elliot narrowed his eyes, looking ahead with displeasure. ’That woman must have a death wish!’
’One moment she’s in the hospital on an IV, and the next she’s running out into the rain.’
’Did she see me? Is she doing this to make me feel sorry for her?!’
The fingers holding the cigarette tightened. Owen Sawyer was so terrified he barely dared to breathe.
’Lately, ever since the CEO broke up with Miss Thorne, he’s been on the verge of exploding. Joanne Donovan showing up at the hospital must have infuriated him.’
Elliot had come to the hospital to visit his grandfather today. Somehow, Joanne Donovan had found out. When Elliot arrived, she was already there, chatting with Mr. Sheridan.
Mr. Sheridan’s health was poor, requiring long-term hospitalization and a team of professional medical staff. There was no room for even the slightest error.
Joanne Donovan visiting Mr. Sheridan had crossed a line for Elliot.
Although Elliot didn’t show it in the hospital room, the moment he sat down, the chilling aura he exuded was enough to freeze the air.
"Joanne, you know full well what happened back then. Next time, I don’t want to see you in my grandfather’s room," Elliot said icily.
Joanne Donovan was a perceptive woman. She replied gently, "I’ve been abroad for so long, I just wanted to see the old gentleman."
After getting soaked in the rain for a short while, Georgia boarded the bus. By the time she got home, her hair was completely drenched.
She took a hot shower, dried her hair, and, too lazy to even bother with dinner, went straight to bed.
Her body craved sleep, but her mind was unusually clear.
She wasn’t sleepy. Instead, a single scene played on a loop in her head.
’The woman was so beautiful in the photos; she must be even more stunning in person.’
She tried to force herself not to think about it, but her brain wouldn’t obey.
She wondered over and over again why they were at the hospital together. ’Was what the interview said about a shotgun wedding true?’
Lost in these thoughts, she finally drifted into a dazed sleep.
When she woke up again, it was the middle of the night.
She was still running a fever and her whole body felt incredibly hot. Georgia grabbed her medicine but realized there was no hot water.
She got up, threw on a jacket, and went to boil some water.
While she was at it, she took her temperature again with the thermometer.
38.6 degrees!
It had gone down by 0.4 degrees. She wasn’t sure if that counted as a good sign.
Feeling dejected, Georgia waited for the water to boil.
After taking her medicine, she was about to head back to her room when she heard a small noise at the door.
Startled, she walked toward the door, her heart pounding.
’What’s going on? A burglar?’
Hearing a faint CLICK from the door, Georgia’s heart leaped into her throat. She instinctively lightened her steps as she approached.
The keyhole was moving. ’It really is a burglar!’
’Should I call the police first?’
Georgia reached into her pocket, only to find her phone was in her room.
She was terrified. ’What if it really is a burglar?’
She was just one woman, with no strength to speak of. She definitely wouldn’t be able to fight back.
With a loud CLICK, the door seemed to have been picked open. In a panic, Georgia rushed over, grabbed the doorknob, and pulled it inward.
"Listen up, whoever’s out there! There’s a man in my house! If you dare come in, I’ll have him beat you to death!" Her small hands, gripping the doorknob, had turned white. She could feel the person outside pulling on the door too, which only made her more afraid. "I’ve already called the police! If you don’t leave now, they’ll be here any second!"
Georgia was sick, her body weak and limp. If the burglar outside tried to force their way in, she wouldn’t be able to stop them.
She was on the verge of tears. At that moment, she truly wished there was a man in the house.
Someone who could be her rock and keep her from all her troubles.
The palms of her hands, gripping the doorknob, ached terribly; they were undoubtedly red.
Pain shot through her palms, but Georgia didn’t dare let go until a low, hoarse male voice came from outside.
"It’s me."
Those two words were enough to make Georgia completely break down.
The familiar voice made her release her grip, and as if the last of her strength had been drained away, she collapsed onto the floor.
Elliot Sheridan opened the door and walked in, only to find Georgia sitting on the floor, wailing her eyes out.
His face darkened. ’Isn’t she sick? Why is she sitting on the floor?’
’Doesn’t she know how cold the floor is?!’
Elliot scooped Georgia up into his arms.
Her two reddened hands balled into small fists, and she began pounding on the man’s chest. "Elliot, you’re terrible! You scared me to death!"
Normally, Elliot would have been furious.
But the moment he saw Georgia’s bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
’She really has me wrapped around her finger,’ he thought, going along with what she said. "Alright, I’m terrible."
His tone was uncharacteristically gentle as he let Georgia’s small hands beat against his chest.
How much strength could a woman have, let alone Georgia?
Elliot carried Georgia to the sofa and sat down, settling her on his lap. He wrapped one arm tightly around her waist, as if reluctant to let go.
It had only been a few days since he last held her, but he felt that her small frame had gotten even thinner.
Georgia was an emotional wreck. Her mood had been up and down all day, and with her sickness on top of it, the tears she’d been holding back finally burst forth.
All she wanted was to hold onto this man and have a good cry.
Once she had cried most of her emotions out, she let go of him. "Let me go!"
