Chapter 78
902 Words
The commotion swiftly came to an end.
Mark didn't wait for Sophia. He emerged from the hospital, supported by his men. His face was entirely bandaged, and his legs were in casts.
"Damn it! It hurts so much. Is Dorian out of his mind?" Mark complained as he got into the car. He was just about to shut the door when a muddy hand propped it open.
Sophia, disheveled and furious, squeezed into the car and glared at Mark. "Mark, what the hell? You just left me behind like that! Are you dumping me?"
Mark tried to explain, "Sophia, it's not that I don't care about you. With all those people chasing me, what if you got hurt? I had to distract them. You saw they weren't after you."
Sophia's anger subsided. Her filthy hair fell into her eyes. She believed Mark, and her voice softened. "Really? You're the best. I'm sorry, sweetheart. Are you okay?"
Mark groaned, "It hurts so much."
Sophia's face was full of anger. "Is Dorian insane? Why would he attack you without even meeting you?"
Mark mumbled, "This must be a misunderstanding. I'll look into it later. Just take me home first."
Meanwhile, Jonathan was preparing dinner while Ruby played with puzzles on the living room floor.
Olivia came home, visibly exhausted. Her eyes were red, and there was a slap mark on her face. She quickly retreated to the bedroom and locked herself in.
Jonathan quietly approached the bedroom door and knocked softly. "Olivia, dinner's ready." He could hear faint sobbing.
Jonathan gently pushed open the door and closed it behind him. Olivia was sobbing with her head buried in her arms. Jonathan walked over to her and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Olivia immediately sat up, wiped her tears, and forced a smile. She stood up and brushed past Jonathan. "It's nothing. Let's go eat."
At the dinner table, Olivia remained silent and had little appetite.
Jonathan glanced at Ruby, who tilted her head and asked, "Mommy, are you okay? Your eyes are red. Were you crying? Did someone hurt you? Tell Daddy. Daddy's a superhero. He can chase the bad guys away."
Olivia smiled weakly, pulled Ruby into her lap, and touched her nose. "I'm fine. Nobody hurt me. I'm just tired."
Ruby extended her toy to Olivia. "Mommy, this is my toy. I don't want to see you cry. If you're tired, you should rest."
Olivia lovingly patted Ruby's head and hugged her tightly.
Jonathan served Olivia a bowl of soup and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You can tell me."
Olivia looked at Jonathan and spoke in a voice only he could hear, "Jonathan, thank you for everything you've done for me. But I've been thinking, do we really have feelings for each other? You've been back for less than a month. I don't have deep feelings for you. Maybe I married you just for Ruby. I don't want Ruby to grow up without her father. Do you understand?"
Jonathan felt a pang of pain in his heart and forced an awkward smile. "Olivia, is something wrong?"
Olivia wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and said with mixed feelings, "Nothing. I'm sorry, Jonathan. Although you've helped me a lot, I still can't accept you."
The atmosphere grew cold and heavy.
Jonathan felt guilty. He said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry. It's my fault for hurting you five years ago. I'll make it up to you. Olivia, believe me. I'll give you and Ruby a happy future."
Olivia avoided eye contact with him and tried her best to hold back her tears. She got up and said to Ruby, "Ruby, are you full? How about a bath now?"
Ruby shook her head. "No, I want to play with Daddy."
Olivia replied, "Daddy is too tired today. Maybe tomorrow."
Ruby pouted and glanced at them. She ran from Olivia's hug to Jonathan and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Daddy, Mommy misses you a lot. She used to tell me stories about you every night. She said you're a superhero and would come back to protect us. Daddy, promise me you won't leave us again."
Her voice weakened toward the end, and her face was full of hope and nervousness. She might not understand everything, but she could sense a lot.
Jonathan was moved to tears. He pinched Ruby's cheek. "Okay. I promise I won't leave you and Mommy ever again."
Hearing this, Ruby nodded vigorously. She kissed Jonathan's cheek again before turning to Olivia. "Mommy, did you hear that? Daddy said he'll stay with us forever."
Olivia covered her mouth, burst into tears, and rushed to the bedroom.
Ruby looked up at Jonathan and pouted. "Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, honey. It’s time for bed. I'll take care of Mommy."
Jonathan watched the closed bedroom door, puzzled. Since returning from the factory, Olivia seemed preoccupied with something.
Late at night, Jonathan stood in the small yard, smoking. Inside, Olivia fell asleep with Ruby.
He gently opened the bedroom door, saw Olivia and Ruby asleep, and then shut it quietly. He then stepped outside and called Benjamin, "Did anything happen today at the Harrison family's factory?"
Benjamin replied respectfully, "General, Mrs. Parker visited the Harrison family's factory on the outskirts. The factory is managed by Declan's family, but I don't know what exactly happened there."
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