Addicted After Marriage: Marrying My Abstinent Boss-Chapter 176: His Eyes Turned Red

Autumn Lowell was awakened by the commotion outside the door, and it was already the latter half of the night.

She lay in the VIP ward, with an IV drip in her hand, a cold feeling on her leg. Her pants were rolled up, revealing a series of sickening burns on her calf.

A piercing, spicy pain still accompanied.

She pursed her lips, trying to move her numb body, but she was too weak to muster any strength.

She looked around.

Beside the bed, Autumn Lowell was asleep, clutching Sophia’s hand, looking as if she hadn’t slept all night but had just dozed off.

She wanted to say something but couldn’t, "Cough, cough..."

Her brain felt dry, her throat parched and smoking.

It was as if her voice was completely gone, wanting to speak but unable to.

The sound attracted Autumn’s attention, and she woke up with a start.

"Sophia..." she called her name cautiously.

Sophia gave a labored hum in response.

Autumn cried tears of joy and quickly pressed the bell.

"You scared me to death..." Autumn frowned, trying to hold back her tears, "Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

"Water..." she managed to say one word.

Autumn hurriedly poured a cup of warm water, added a straw, and tilted it to let her drink.

Soon, the nurse and the on-call doctor arrived, followed by a tall, slender man, Zane Sterling.

Sophia’s eyes were fixed on him.

He hadn’t slept either, with faint blue circles around his eyes, and a few smudges of gray on his white shirt.

Zane walked to the bedside, Autumn naturally moved aside.

"Mom, you rest first, I’ll stay here," he said.

Autumn couldn’t refuse, Zane had been guarding the door all along without coming in, obviously, he hadn’t slept either, though he didn’t enter the ward while Autumn was there.

After seeing Sophia awake, and after the doctor gave a brief check-up confirming no major issues, Autumn left too.

Zane gently held her hand, kissed the back of it where the IV was still attached, and sat by the bedside, covering the IV tube.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"I’m fine, what about Willow?" Sophia couldn’t help but ask.

She was worried about the child in Willow’s belly at that moment.

Zane reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, saying, "Sis is fine, just needs to stay in the hospital for observation."

"She..." Sophia wanted to ask something, but wasn’t sure if she should.

"Thank you!" Zane’s big hand caressed her cheek gently, "Both sister and the child are safe."

Upon hearing this, Sophia felt reassured.

Turns out, Zane knew too.

Everyone knew, but chose to remain silent as if by mutual understanding.

"There was some bleeding, signs of a threatened miscarriage, but the doctor said with rest, it should be fine."

Willow’s ward was next door, and upon hearing Sophia had woken up, Ian Lynch and Zoe Walsh came over.

"My darling! You’re finally awake!" Zoe sat on the other side of the bed, holding her hand, gently stroking it.

"Mom, I’m all right now, see." Sophia’s throat was still a bit uncomfortable, her voice a bit hoarse.

She was fine, but had suffered greatly.

One was her daughter-in-law, and the other her daughter, the two most cherished women in her life. What would happen if something went wrong?

Countless thoughts ran through her mind.

Sophia was indeed their family’s blessing!

"You can’t be so reckless next time..." she said with heartfelt concern.

"My dear Miss Walsh, my dear mom, why are you being so emotional." It made Sophia almost want to cry.

Beside her, Zane slowly stood up, tucking her in with the blanket.

"I’ll heat up some porridge for you, or do you want to eat something else?" he inquired.

"Porridge would be nice." Sophia said.

"Okay." Zane walked out.

Only then did Sophia notice Ian Lynch standing by.

"Brother-in-law," Sophia spoke first.

Ian felt a little embarrassed facing her.

He was investigating whether Shelley Lynch was behind it and felt guilty, especially after these back-to-back incidents, his conscience weighed heavily.

"It’s okay as long as you’re fine."

Before coming in, he had rehearsed many things he wanted to say, but upon arrival, the words got stuck in his throat.

He didn’t know whether to say it. If Shelley had done it, he wouldn’t know how to face Sophia, or the Sterling family.

Sophia was his wife and child’s savior, and his brother’s wife, while Shelley was his own sister.

This matter was really difficult to handle.

But it had been decided that Shelley would be sent abroad, and it couldn’t be delayed; it needed to be done swiftly.

"No need to be so formal, if it were someone else, I’d do the same," Sophia naturally understood his predicament.

This incident happened at such a critical time, obviously targeting Sophia, making it hard not to suspect Shelley.

But everyone remained silent.

Sophia didn’t know what to ask right now, lying in bed unable to do anything; saying something wouldn’t help.

Ian didn’t make it clear, naturally, he had his reasons.

His children, his love, and his family would all be severely affected.

"Rest well, I’ll come see you tomorrow," he couldn’t stay long.

Willow was lying in a hospital bed, having spent too much time in the fire, had a slight lung infection, and some bleeding, but fortunately, the child was still there, a blessing amidst misfortune.

Everyone now knew she was pregnant.

He had to go back to keep watch.

As Ian left, Zane came in with a thermos box.

Zoe shared some heartfelt words with Sophia, then discreetly left too.

Zane opened the thermos, scooping out a bowl of meat porridge, sitting by the bed, feeding her spoonful by spoonful.

"Was it you who saved me?" Sophia asked.

"Yes." Zane replied lightly, wiping the grease from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"Were you hurt?"

"Don’t worry, no." His gaze remained in the bowl, not meeting her eyes.

Sophia looked him over from head to toe, indeed seeing no signs of injury.

She drank two full bowls of porridge and a large glass of water, finally easing the discomfort in her body.

After resting for a while, she went back to sleep.

Zane hadn’t slept all night, quietly keeping watch by her bedside.

After receiving Sophia’s message, he rushed over immediately, and by the time he arrived, Willow had already emerged from the fire, yet Sophia hadn’t come out.

He was in a state of panic.

Without thinking, he charged into the flames.

Everyone was stunned by his actions.

He tucked her blanket in again, his gaze unwavering as he looked at her.

His eyes reddened.

He dared not imagine what would have happened if he had been late.

Calming his emotions, he exited, carefully closing the door.

Upon leaving the ward, he saw Ian Lynch leaning against the corridor, smoking.

Zane walked over, Ian handed him a cigarette, and with slightly blistered fingers, he accepted it, biting it between his lips.

Ian lit his cigarette for him.

"Did you take care of your wounds?" Ian asked.

"It’s nothing serious, just applied some ointment, not a big deal," Zane responded while smoking, his brow unknowingly furrowing.

Today when he carried Sophia out of the fire, a shelf fell on his shoulder, though it didn’t hurt much at the time, it left a red mark, and his knee was scraped heavily from kneeling on the ground.

The two men talked outside for a while before heading back to the ward.