CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 108: SUDDEN HIVES

Leah Sutton wore a polite smile on her face, but inside she felt uncomfortable due to Justin Holden’s business-like way of serving food and his subsequent complete disregard.

Absentmindedly, she listened to Zoe Holden and Mrs. Holden chatting, but her gaze kept drifting towards the silent man beside her.

To cover up the awkwardness, or perhaps subconsciously wanting to attract his attention, she picked up another braised shrimp.

After a moment’s hesitation, she lowered her head and started eating.

The shrimp was delicious, seasoned perfectly.

But after swallowing a few bites, within minutes, she felt an itch starting on her neck and arms.

Initially, she didn’t pay much attention, just subconsciously scratched lightly.

However, not only did the itch not subside, it intensified rapidly, and began to spread.

She felt her cheeks start to warm and flush.

Sitting across from her, Mrs. Holden first noticed something was wrong, her smile froze, and she leaned forward with concern.

"Leah, your face... and neck, why are they so red? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

With Mrs. Holden’s comment, everyone’s eyes at the table immediately focused on Leah Sutton.

They saw Leah’s skin exposed outside her clothes, especially her neck and arms, rapidly breaking out in abnormal red rashes.

Some areas were even swelling up, looking quite alarming.

Mr. Holden also put down his chopsticks, frowning deeply: "What’s going on, why did you suddenly get hives?"

Leah herself realized something was wrong, the itching was unbearable, and her breathing seemed a bit strained.

She hurriedly put down her chopsticks, her voice tinged with embarrassment and discomfort.

"I, I think I might be having an allergic reaction."

"Allergic?" Zoe Holden suddenly remembered, slapping the table, exclaiming, "Oh, I recall now, Leah, aren’t you allergic to seafood? I think I heard you mention it once before. Did you... did you eat that shrimp just now?"

She pointed at the half-eaten shrimp in front of Leah, regretful, "Blame me, blame me, I was so focused on talking that I forgot about this."

At this moment, Leah was itching to the point of being restless, her face flushed, both from the allergy and from the embarrassment of losing composure in front of Mr. and Mrs. Holden and Justin.

She tried to maintain her poise, waving her hand.

"No... it’s nothing, Mr. and Mrs. Holden, please don’t worry. It might just be slight... I’ll take some anti-allergy medication when I get back, it’s no big deal..."

"How can you say it’s nothing?" Mrs. Holden was startled by her appearance, immediately stood up, with a determined tone, "You’re so red, what if your throat swells up and you can’t breathe, we must go to the hospital immediately, no delay."

Mr. Holden also nodded seriously: "Yes, safety first, hurry to the hospital."

Mrs. Holden quickly turned, looking at her son, who hadn’t spoken since the incident, her tone slightly commanding: "Justin, stop eating, quickly, drive Leah to the nearest hospital, fast."

Suddenly called out, Justin Holden lifted his eyes.

His gaze calmly swept across Leah’s rash-covered, uncomfortable, and expectant face, without any change in expression.

No worry, no impatience, just as if dealing with a task that needed to be managed.

He put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, still unhurried in his movements.

Leah’s heart tightened, she both hoped he would take her and feared seeing his even colder reaction.

Justin stood up, picked up the car keys placed aside, his voice flat, emotionless: "Let’s go."

No extra concern, no questions, just two words, so succinct they were almost cold.

A clear disappointment crossed Leah’s eyes, but having him drive was better than being taken by the Holden family’s driver.

She quickly stood up as well, due to rising too abruptly and her discomfort, she stumbled slightly, instinctively trying to reach out and grab Justin’s arm for support.

However, Justin, as if expecting this, naturally sidestepped to avoid her touch, and took the lead towards the vestibule, leaving behind a cool and upright back.

His voice came from ahead, still devoid of warmth: "Can you walk yourself?"

Leah’s hand hung awkwardly in the air, pulling back, her face burning, unsure if it was from the allergy or embarrassment.

She whispered: "... I can."

Zoe quickly stepped forward to support her, trying to smooth things over: "Oh, Justin is just like that, Leah, don’t mind him. Let’s go, quickly go to the hospital and have a look."

As she spoke, she urged Justin, "Justin, drive safely."

Mrs. Holden accompanied them to the vestibule, cautiously reminding: "Remember to call us when you get to the hospital, and have a thorough check."

Justin, changing shoes at the vestibule, didn’t even look back, just gave a faint "Hmm."

From getting the car out of the garage to driving out of the villa area, the car was shrouded in an oppressive silence.

Justin focused on driving, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his jawline tense, except for occasionally turning the steering wheel due to road conditions, he barely made any extra movements or said anything.

He didn’t even turn on the music to ease the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Leah sat in the passenger seat, itching all over and feeling a complex mix of emotions inside.

She secretly glanced at his cold profile, his perfect outline appeared even more attractive in the fleeting light and shadow outside, yet even more distant and unapproachable.

She tried to find a topic to break the ice.

"Justin... thank you for the trouble today."

Her voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with apology and awkwardness.

"No problem."

Justin’s response was extremely brief, not even sparing her a glance.

"I don’t know why I suddenly became allergic, I didn’t have such a severe reaction eating a little bit in the past..."

She continued talking, as if explaining, also trying to elicit a bit of his concern.

"Hmm."

Again, a monosyllable blocked all her subsequent words.

Leah fell silent completely, leaning against the seatback, watching the rapidly passing night view outside, her heart cold as ice.

She even felt that Justin might prefer to go back to dealing with tedious files than waste this time taking her to the hospital.

The reason he came was merely because it was his mother’s order, and she was Zoe’s friend, nothing more, unrelated to her as Leah Sutton.

This realization made her feel immensely defeated and saddened.

The car finally stopped at the hospital entrance.

Justin got out first, but did not immediately come to assist her. He took out his phone, seemingly checking information.

Leah opened the car door herself, enduring the discomfort to get out.

Only then did Justin put away his phone, lock the car, and walk to her side, still in a businesslike manner: "Can you walk yourself? Need a wheelchair?"

"No need..." Leah shook her head, all hopes dashed.

Justin said nothing more, striding toward the emergency room, his pace quick, forcing Leah to quicken her steps to keep up.

He registered her, found the appropriate clinic, the entire process efficient and swift, yet without the slightest excess of care.

Only after watching Leah being led into the treatment room by a nurse did Justin stand in the corridor outside the clinic, taking out his phone to make a call home.

"Mom, she’s at the hospital, seeing the doctor now."

"Mm, got it."

It seemed someone on the other end was still giving instructions, he listened, face expressionless, only responding with another "Mm" before hanging up.

He put away his phone, leaned against the cold wall of the corridor, closing his eyes slightly, a trace of faint fatigue crossing his brow, but soon restoring his usual cold calmness.

He didn’t glance towards the treatment room, as if the woman inside receiving treatment had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps approached from afar.

Two doctors in white coats almost ran past him in the corridor, their expressions grave, conversing briefly at a rapid pace.

"Confirmed postoperative acute rejection with severe arrhythmia? Only four years old?"

The younger doctor, quickly flipping through the recently received examination report, incredulously confirmed, his brows tightly knitted.