CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: JEALOUS? (NEW)

"Brother, I, I wasn’t paying attention and accidentally knocked over the wine glass, I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up now."

Selina Hughes crouched down to clean up the glass shards on the floor.

The low-cut dress exposed the cleavage in front of Adrian Jennings.

Adrian Jennings turned his gaze away with a dark expression on his face, his tone already impatient, "Get up, go back right now."

Selina Hughes reached out to pick up the glass shards, suddenly letting out a scream.

Her finger was cut, bright red blood dripping down.

She stood up weakly, pitifully pursing her lips, "Brother, I’ve been cut by the glass, can you take me to the hospital first?"

Adrian Jennings glanced down at Selina Hughes’s wound, "There’s a band-aid and disinfectant alcohol at home, deal with it yourself."

"Can’t you take me to the hospital? It really hurts."

Adrian Jennings smirked, his tone mocking, "By the time we get to the hospital, the wound will have healed."

"..."

...

The next morning, the elderly Mrs. Jennings couldn’t reach Adrian by phone, so she called his assistant, Mason Lynch.

"Is Adrian busy?"

Mason Lynch replied respectfully, "Madam, the president just finished a meeting."

"Have him take the call."

Adrian Jennings glanced over at him sideways, "Grandma?"

Mason nodded and handed over the phone.

The elderly Mrs. Jennings spoke in a relatively gentle tone, "Adrian, your sister is sick, quite seriously, she’s hospitalized now. I’ll send you the address and ward number, try to find time to visit her."

"Grandma," Adrian Jennings replied coldly, "if she’s sick you should call a doctor, why me? I can’t treat illnesses."

The elderly Mrs. Jennings steadied her emotions, maintaining a positive demeanor, "Just this once, after all, she’s your sister—going to the hospital to see her when she’s sick shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?"

"Adrian, what happened at the family dinner last time was my mistake, and I apologize for that. Yesterday, Selina was really sick, and when I went to the hospital to see her today, she looked so haggard and it truly made me feel sorry for her. Selina misses her brother, could you go to the hospital to see her? Consider it a favor to your grandma, would you?"

With the matter presented this way, even the usually strong-willed elderly Mrs. Jennings had set aside her pride to apologize. After all, she was his grandmother, so Adrian agreed to find time to visit.

...

At the hospital.

Adrian Jennings entered the inpatient department carrying the nourishing soup sent by Mrs. Jennings.

Inside the hospital room, Selina Hughes lay there receiving an IV, her face pale, looking genuinely ill.

Seeing Adrian Jennings enter, a flash of joy appeared in Selina Hughes’s eyes, "Brother, you’re here."

"Mm." Adrian Jennings placed the thermal container on the table, "What’s the sickness? Is it serious?"

"It’s the flu, really bad. I didn’t have an appetite today, and I vomited even after eating a little."

"This is the nourishing soup made by grandma’s order," Adrian pointed at the thermal container.

Selina Hughes glanced at the thermal container and then looked up at Adrian Jennings, "Brother, I have an IV in my left hand, and my right hand got cut by glass last night, it’s inconvenient. Could you feed me the soup?"

Adrian Jennings looked at her coldly, "Where’s the nurse?"

"Went out for something."

Knowing that Adrian was coming, she had intentionally sent the nurse away.

Adrian Jennings nodded, "I’ll call another nurse for you."

Afraid of annoying Adrian, Selina Hughes didn’t bring up the request to be fed again.

After a while, the nurse came back, fed Selina Hughes the soup, and changed the IV bottle. A nurse came to remove the needle.

Adrian Jennings spoke, "I’m leaving now, get some rest."

"Wait—" Selina Hughes spoke in a hurry, "Brother, I want to go outside and get some sunlight, could you take me?"

This request wasn’t excessive, Adrian hesitated for a moment and agreed.

"Let’s go."

The hospital room door opened, with Selina Hughes walking ahead, "Brother, I knew you still care about me. You’re so busy with work yet still make time to see me and even bring soup. I’m really happy."

Adrian Jennings followed behind Selina Hughes, walking out.

Selina Hughes’s words were strange; he had clearly just mentioned that the soup was prepared and sent by grandma, why would she say he made it?

He had just stepped out of the hospital room and had not yet had time to ponder this deeply when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure at the doorway of the next room.

Suddenly, Adrian Jennings froze, his pupils contracted sharply, as if struck by a bolt from the blue.

"Talia?" Adrian Jennings’s voice trembled.

Talia turned her head at his voice and met his eyes.

Seeing Selina Hughes in a hospital gown next to Adrian Jennings, Talia slightly furrowed her brows.

Adrian Jennings took a couple of steps forward, his tone urgent, "Talia, why are you here?"

The girl was wearing a hospital gown, her face pale.

"Are you sick?" Adrian Jennings grasped Talia’s hand, "Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?"

Talia lowered her lashes, speaking very softly, "You’ve been really busy lately, I didn’t want to bother you."

Pain flickered in Adrian Jennings’s eyes, "How could you think it’s a bother? You’re more important than anything."

Talia gently pulled her hand back, "I’m fine, don’t you have other things to attend to? You should go."

She was referring to the matter with Selina Hughes.

Talia knew that Selina Hughes harbored untoward feelings towards Adrian Jennings, and her animosity towards Talia was obvious.

There was no way Adrian Jennings didn’t know.

Talia kept reminding herself internally that no matter what, Selina Hughes was Adrian Jennings’s sister, and it was reasonable for a brother to visit a sick sister in the hospital. She shouldn’t be so petty, shouldn’t get jealous.

But her heart still felt sour.

Whenever she thought about how Adrian Jennings had taken time out of his busy schedule to visit Selina Hughes in the hospital and even personally made soup for her, she couldn’t control the wave of sour emotions flooding her heart.

Adrian Jennings placed his hands on Talia’s shoulders, "Talia, since you’re sick, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here with you."

He turned to Selina Hughes and said, "Since the nurse has come back, let her take you downstairs to get some sunlight."

After speaking, he didn’t care what expression Selina Hughes wore and led Talia by the hand back into the hospital room.

The door of the room closed, leaving just the two of them inside.

"Talia, when did you get sick?"

"Just within the last couple of days."

"What happened?"

"It’s just a minor flu, nothing major."

Holding Talia’s hand, Adrian sat down on the bed, "From now on, promise to tell me immediately if something happens, okay?"

Talia lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, "I didn’t want to interrupt your work."

With Talia, Adrian Jennings always had endless patience, "I told you, it wouldn’t interrupt anything. You’re always my top priority."

After a pause, the man’s eyes filled with a warm smile, "Besides, I work so hard to make money so that you can enjoy it. If I can’t even protect my own wife, what’s the point of earning all that money?"

"Humph." Talia puffed her cheeks, "We’re not married yet, and you’re already calling me your wife?"

Adrian Jennings spoke with a tone full of joy, "No matter what, you’ll still end up being my wife eventually. What’s wrong with calling you that in advance?"

Remembering what Selina Hughes said earlier, Talia felt a sting of blocked emotions in her chest.

"Really? Then why didn’t you make soup for your wife?"

Adrian Jennings realized what she meant and patiently explained, "She’s lying. Grandma specifically called me to visit Selina Hughes at the hospital today. I didn’t want to come initially, but grandma apologized, saying it was her fault for what happened at the family dinner, and asked me to come as a favor to her."

"The soup was brought to the hospital entrance and handed to me—it wasn’t something I personally made."

Talia didn’t respond initially.

"Jealous?" The man spoke with a highly amused tone, "Talia, you’re getting jealous because of me."