CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: HE WENT OUT TO FIND ANOTHER WOMAN!

Facing Ethan Xavier’s mocking, I said irritably, "It’s none of your business, I’m here to find Dr. Payne."

"Dr. Payne is busy right now! There are still several patients inside."

Ethan Xavier continued to support me, pointing inside, indeed, there were still about ten patients.

I handed Dr. Payne’s work badge to the nurse at the clinic door, ready to leave.

At this moment, another person came out from the clinic, gently calling me, "Zoe?"

"Auntie Katherine?"

I didn’t expect that Ethan Xavier’s mother, Katherine Sheldon, had also returned.

Back when Timothy Xavier’s father and my mother-in-law were getting a divorce, The Xavier Family’s patriarch did not agree.

In the end, Timothy Xavier’s father gave up his inheritance rights and promised the patriarch to live abroad permanently, never to return, thus eliminating any suspicion of Ethan Xavier competing with Timothy for the family estate, which finally allowed the divorce with my mother-in-law to go through.

But in reality, Timothy Xavier’s father had already stopped coming home long ago and had been cohabiting with Katherine Sheldon.

Technically, Katherine Sheldon was a third party just like Serena Sawyer, so I should really dislike her.

Yet every time Ethan Xavier bullied me, she was the one to come to school and make him apologize to me, even giving me gifts to comfort me.

Over time, although I didn’t like Ethan Xavier, I didn’t reject this aunt.

At this moment, Katherine Sheldon came to my other side to support me, gently explaining, "Long time no see. Recently I’ve been having severe headaches and heard that Dr. Payne’s medical skills are renowned both domestically and internationally, so I came back to see him."

Saying this, she looked at my foot with concern, "Why are you running around by yourself when you’re injured? Isn’t anyone taking care of you?"

At this point, Ethan Xavier suddenly said, "Right now Zoe Ellison’s face is as white as a ghost, and her foot is like a slope. With Timothy Xavier’s high standards, it’d be strange if he fancied her! He must have gone out to find some wild woman."

"Ethan."

Katherine Sheldon lightly rebuked, "What nonsense are you speaking? Apologize to Zoe."

These words, just like when I was a child, were quite endearing.

But I said, "No need to apologize, he’s right."

This left Katherine Sheldon and Ethan Xavier embarrassed.

I said, "Auntie Katherine, I’m leaving first, we’ll meet again when we have the chance."

Katherine Sheldon said, "Let Ethan take you back. In your condition, how can I rest assured?"

I intended to refuse, but unexpectedly, Ethan Xavier suddenly picked me up and said to Katherine Sheldon, "Don’t worry, Mom! I’ll make sure to get her back safely."

In such a public setting, I was too embarrassed to argue with him as I used to.

He took me back to the ward but showed no intention of leaving.

I said coldly, "Thanks, you can leave now."

Ethan Xavier had a wicked smile on his handsome face, "Still as ungrateful as ever! Afraid Timothy Xavier will come back and get jealous, huh? Now, he’s probably only jealous of Serena Sawyer, no time for you!"

I paused slightly, looking at him in surprise, "You know too?"

Ethan Xavier snorted coldly, "You’re the only fool who doesn’t know! The thing with Timothy Xavier and Serena Sawyer has been circulating in the circle for a while. How about it, regret it now? If you had been with me back then, you have no idea how happy you’d be now!"

"I don’t believe a word you say!"

I rolled my eyes at him, "You’re just as bad as Timothy Xavier! Leave, I have nothing to say to you."

Just then, a nurse came in pushing a wheelchair and said to me, "Miss Ellison, Mr. Xavier asked me to take you for a blood draw."

My heart had long been dead, hearing such words barely stirred any emotion, I numbly replied, "Mm."

But Ethan Xavier stopped me, asking, "Drawing blood for what?"

The nurse replied, "There’s a child who needs a blood transfusion, and only Miss Ellison’s blood type matches."

"Zoe Ellison, I remember you had anemia when you were younger, didn’t you?"

Ethan Xavier said, "He tells you to donate blood and you donate blood? If he tells you to die, would you jump out the window? Zoe Ellison, do you love Timothy Xavier so much that you have no limits? Sacrificing yourself like this?"

I was filled with emotion, life is unpredictable and changes in an instant.

Before, when Ethan Xavier’s pranks made me cry from shock or anger, it was always Timothy Xavier who went out to comfort me.

But now, it was Timothy Xavier who wanted me dead.

And the one speaking up for me was Ethan Xavier.

The nurse urged, "Miss Ellison, if you don’t hurry, Mr. Xavier might get anxious waiting."

Ethan Xavier said sternly, "If he’s anxious, let him wait! You’re not going!"

Then he directly grabbed the wheelchair from the nurse’s hands and threw it out the door.

Along with that, he also shooed the nurse out.

When the room was empty, he said softly, "Is Timothy Xavier out of his mind? Asking his anemic wife to donate blood for someone else?"

"What if that someone is his daughter?"

I said calmly, and Ethan Xavier’s eyes widened.

Immediately, he lowered his voice and said, "Whose daughter is she? Serena’s?"

At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Timothy Xavier walked in, his face clouded over.

The conversation between Ethan Xavier and I abruptly stopped.

Ethan Xavier had his hands in his pockets, looking like a dissolute playboy, and said, "Long time no see, my dear brother."

Timothy Xavier’s gaze was sharp and cold, filled with gloom, "Why aren’t you staying abroad? What are you back for?"

From childhood to adulthood, Ethan Xavier and Timothy Xavier’s relationship has been nothing but rivalry.

Of course, Timothy always had the upper hand. After all, Ethan was labeled as the illegitimate child, and his academic performance was inferior to Timothy’s. The senior members of The Xavier Family, including Timothy’s aunt and uncle, looked down on Ethan, and refused to let him enter the family home.

Moreover, my mother-in-law used to cause trouble at school regularly, claiming that Ethan was the illegitimate son of The Xavier Family, and his mother was a shameless seductress.

Thus, Ethan grew up amidst the shadow of being an illegitimate child and malicious gossip.

Anyone could see the suppressed anger within Ethan.

Now, he wasn’t afraid of Timothy at all, speaking with a playful sarcasm, "Is this vast China exclusively yours? I haven’t been banished; why can’t I return? The old man is dead, and my mom and I haven’t had the chance to pay our respects yet. This time, I’m back to see him."

"You and your mother have no right to pay respects to grandfather."

Timothy coldly reminded, "Remember your place. Even if you’re back, keep a low profile, don’t force me to act."

Listening to Timothy’s condescending threat fills me with inevitable sorrow.

In the past, when Timothy stood up for me, he spoke to Ethan in this manner, which gave me a sense of relief.

However, having experienced Timothy’s threats and lofty disregard, I seemed to understand Ethan’s plight.

I didn’t want Ethan to offend Timothy for my sake, so I said, "Ethan, you should leave. Thank you for bringing me back today."

Ethan looked at me for a long time, his gaze complex.

Then he chuckled lightly and said, "Well, I’ll be going now. Our little secret can wait for another day to be shared."

As he left, he winked at me.

I was speechless, what on earth was this guy up to?

What little secret could I possibly have with him?

Yet Timothy seemed to take his words to heart.

After Ethan left, Timothy came to my bedside, gripping my chin, and asked, "What secret did you just share with him?"

"Does it have anything to do with you?"

I met his gloomy gaze confidently and said, "Why don’t we exchange secrets? You tell me one, and I’ll tell you one."

Timothy’s tone grew a shade darker, and the grip on my chin intensified, "It’s only a matter of time before I deal with Ethan. You are my woman, don’t choose the wrong side. I don’t want to accidentally hurt you."

Unconcerned, I curled my lips slightly.

Accidentally hurt?

He has intentionally hurt me so many times, why would I fear an accidental one?

The matter of donating blood to Doris did not cease with Ethan’s arrival.

Timothy didn’t care about this brother at all.

He still pushed me into the transfusion room and had the doctor draw my blood.

Yet, in recent days, he had Nanny Lowell prepare various tonics.

The doctor also prescribed nutritional fluids, fearing my hemoglobin would drop too low, leaving no one to save his daughter.

Finally, two days later, Doris’s blood count returned to normal; she no longer required transfusions.

But my blood had almost run dry, and after the last draw, I fell into unconsciousness once more.

At that moment, I was burning up with fever and cold all over.

The nurse covered me with blankets and applied cold compresses to my forehead, yet I was still freezing.

I thought this time, I was truly going to die.

In a haze, I felt as though I had fallen into a warm place, and that pair of arms held me tightly, whispering to me, "Zoe, I won’t let anything happen to you."

...

While in a daze, I seemed to have had a very long dream.

I dreamt of a youthful Timothy, his face bright and handsome, adorned with a warm smile as he held my hand on a very long walk, only to let go of my hand at a fork in the road.

He walked away swiftly, and I chased after him, breathlessly.

Finally, I caught up and grasped his hand.

Yet as he turned back to face me, it was a stranger’s face.

Suddenly, I awoke.

I was being held in Timothy Xavier’s embrace.