Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Madeline was dressed in a pink princess outfit today. In the warm ward, the dress was light, form–fitting, and made her look like a princess.
Madeline saw her and greeted her warmly with a smile, “Hello, Juliette.”
“Hey, Louis is here too? Your dad’s still asleep, so keep it down, okay? Don’t wake him.” Madeline said gently to the boy.
Juliette frowned slightly, thinking, ‘She’s not the same as last night. She must be up to something!
Juliette stayed silent. Juliette stayed quiet. She took Louis’s hand and walked over to Patrick, observing him closely.
Patrick was indeed still asleep, his long, thick eyelashes casting delicate shadows. She almost envied him for having such captivating features.
Juliette was relieved that Patrick didn’t catch her being late. “We made it. He’s still out,” she thought.
But soon, Juliette started to worry. It wasn’t a good sign that he hadn’t woken up once since leaving the ICU. It was taking too long.
“Louis, stay here with Daddy for a bit. I’m gonna go ask the doctor when he’ll wake up,” Juliette said softly as she crouched down in front of the boy.
“Can I go with you, Mommy?” Louis asked in his sweet voice.
“Just wait here, okay? If there’s any news, I’ll tell you right away. I didn’t keep anything from you about Daddy being in the hospital. I trust you, my little man.”
Louis thought about it and decided that she had a point. He nodded vigorously. “I’ll stay here with Dad. Mommy, come back soon.”
Madeline watched them, her nails digging into her palms. She never imagined they would get along so well.
Madeline had always yearned for a close bond with Louis, but he remained polite and distant.
Hearing him call Juliette “Mommy” made her furious, but as she thought about her plan for the day, her anger cooled.
She was sure that when the time came, it would be Juliette who was truly furious, not her.
A sly smirk flickered in Madeline’s seemingly innocent eyes as she followed Juliette out of the ward. Juliette went to ask the doctor about Patrick’s condition and when he would wake up.
In the hallway, she ran into Beau, who had just finished breakfast. Seeing Juliette, he looked relieved. “Juliette, you’re finally here.
“I asked you to come back quickly last night, but you didn’t. He woke up in the middle of the night. I poured him water but he refused to drink. He stayed awake until morning. Without the new meds, he’d still be waiting for you.”
Juliette was floored, thinking, “I thought Patrick didn’t notice I was late. Now I don’t even need to ask the doctor.”
“Poor Patrick had a rough night, but he’ll see you when he wakes up this time. I’ve got to go. I didn’t sleep well last night.” And with that, Beau left.
He had been waiting for Juliette. With everything settled, she just needed to go back and wait for Patrick to wake up.
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08:43 Thu, 13 Feb
Chapter 128
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As she turned around, Madeline blocked her path. “Juliette, I need to talk to you. Patrick is still sleeping, so let’s talk outside.”
Just then, Louis’s voice came from the ward. “Mommy, Daddy is awake.”
Juliette raised an eyebrow. “Hey, he’s awake. Whatever you need to say, just say it to his face. No need to worry about waking him up now.”
Madeline’s eyes lit up with joy. She was thrilled that Patrick was awake and eager for Juliette to see how close she was to him. Otherwise, Juliette wouldn’t realize she had come in second.
*****
Patrick was awake sitting up in bed. Louis handed him a glass of warm water.
His gaze drifted past Louis and toward the door. The moment he saw Juliette, he looked away, took the glass of water from Louis, and began drinking.
“Patrick, you’re awake? I came by last night, but you were still out cold and didn’t notice I was here,” Madeline said, stepping ahead of Juliette to keep her at bay.
She continued, “When I saw the news about you last night, I was scared out of my mind. Thankfully, you’re okay, Patrick. I cried all night.”
Madeline wiped her slightly red eyes. Then she turned her gaze back to Patrick, her beautiful eyes brimming with admiration.
“Patrick, I was thinking about us last night. When I was a kid, I used to chase after you. You always felt like a big brother to me, making me feel safe.
“You were always looking out for me. I remember saying I wanted those oranges from the tree, and you climbed up to get them for me.
“We accidentally stirred up a hornet’s nest, and it was chaos. You wrapped your arms around me to protect me. Even now, I get emotional thinking about it,” Madeline said.
Patrick frowned slightly. “No one else in your life treats you well? You’re still hung up on that tiny incident after all these years? Emotional, really?” His cold tone had a hint of disdain.
She was clearly trying to upset Juliette, but Juliette just burst into laughter. Juliette crossed her arms and leaned lazily against the wall beside her.
Noticing Madeline’s glare, she said, “Go on. Keep talking about the good old days.”
Madelinean’s face flushed red with anger. “Of course! It’s something you did for me. Anything you do for me, I’ll never forget.”
She wore her heart on her sleeve, her emotions raw and intense. “And every birthday, you’d pick out toy dogs for me. I’ve kept every single one.
“You said dogs are loyal and would protect me through any weather. I even got a glass cabinet to display them, like building
them a little home.”
Patrick frowned and subconsciously looked at Juliette.
“All these things Patrick did for me? They mean everything. I hold them close to my heart and think about them all the time. They’re like special treasures in my life,” Madelinean said, locking eyes with Patrick.
After shooting a dirty look at Juliette, she asked, “Patrick, is it because you think I’m too young to be a stepmom that you didn’t choose me?”
Juliette suddenly stepped forward, tension thick in the air. She grabbed a pear with one hand and a sharp knife with the
other, the blade glinting.
