CHAPTER 389: CHAPTER 389: STOP PRETENDING

Rowan Alder didn’t say anything further, lay down and pulled the quilt over herself.

Shawn Rhodes lowered his gaze, showing signs of fatigue, got up and walked to the smoking area at the end of the corridor outside the room. Half a cigarette later, Simon Rhodes walked in.

The two exchanged a glance, neither spoke, Simon Rhodes silently lit a cigarette, expertly inhaling and exhaling the smoke.

"Has she woken up?" Shawn Rhodes asked, flicking the ash from his cigarette.

Simon Rhodes turned his head to glance at Shawn Rhodes, standing by the window, gazing into the distance: "When I saw her, I thought she might never wake up again."

Shawn Rhodes sighed softly, not knowing what to say.

Rowan Alder’s actions made him very angry too, yet he couldn’t confront Rowan Alder directly to blame her. He could only hope she wouldn’t cause any more trouble for Susan Wilde.

Simon Rhodes: "She was locked in a storage room, a dark, enclosed space, causing suffocation, almost costing her life. You may not be aware of this incident, but it is still connected to you. Were it not for Rowan Alder being pregnant, I would want her to experience such despair as well."

Shawn Rhodes: "I will handle matters on her side and prevent her from doing anything extreme again."

Simon Rhodes turned to look at him: "When will you divorce her? You seem overwhelmed handling both situations now, I’m afraid if she stays with you, there will be real trouble."

Shawn Rhodes lowered his gaze, contemplated for two seconds, took a deep drag from the cigarette in his hand, and replied: "We’ll talk about the divorce when she wakes up."

After speaking, Shawn Rhodes crushed the cigarette butt in his hand, tossed it into the trash can, and turned to leave the smoking area.

Simon Rhodes could sense that Shawn Rhodes’s attitude toward Susan Wilde was different from before.

But regardless of whether Shawn Rhodes had feelings for Susan Wilde now, he would not back down.

Love, inherently, does not involve concessions.

Moreover, Shawn Rhodes couldn’t provide happiness for Susan Wilde, so there was no reason for her to stay by his side any longer.

During the night, Shawn Rhodes came to Susan Wilde’s hospital room several times, but she still hadn’t woken up.

Simon Rhodes also remained in the hospital room; he wasn’t comfortable disturbing her either.

Rowan Alder then complained about feeling unwell, wanting him to be by her side, so he didn’t go out again in the latter part of the night, staying in the hospital room to look after Rowan Alder.

As he settled his restless heart, he decided to settle down with Rowan Alder, playing the role of a good husband and father.

Rowan Alder becoming like this, he must bear some responsibility.

She gave up many things for him, yet this sacrificial love ultimately turned into shackles.

Susan Wilde woke up at dawn, the unfamiliar environment causing her memory to lapse, not remembering how she got there.

Turning her head, she saw a man asleep by her bedside. Although she couldn’t see the man’s face, she knew who it was.

Upon seeing him, her inner unease seemed to dissipate a little.

She made no sound to disturb the sleeping man.

Slowly, she recalled what had happened before being admitted to the hospital.

Remembering being locked in the airtight storage room by Rowan Alder, recalling the long hours endured inside.

She thought she might die, felt fear, but was helpless.

She didn’t know how she was rescued, but knew it was inevitably related to the man before her.

Turning to look at him, his tall frame sleeping by the bedside seemed somewhat awkward, Susan Wilde couldn’t help but raise her hand, gently touching his head.

His short hair was thick and coarse, somewhat prickly.

The touch made Simon Rhodes instinctively sit up, looking at the now awake Susan Wilde, he smiled gently and said, "Awake?"

Susan Wilde: "How long did I sleep?"

Simon Rhodes stood, leaned over to look at her: "A full day."

Susan Wilde pursed her lips, mumbled: "No wonder I’m a bit hungry."

Simon Rhodes couldn’t help but laugh softly: "What would you like to eat?"

Susan Wilde: "Rice noodles."

Simon Rhodes raised his hand and tapped her nose: "Always thinking about rice noodles, I’ll go buy some later, let me call the doctor first."

Susan Wilde nodded obediently, Simon Rhodes smiled and left the hospital room, found the on-duty doctor for Susan Wilde for a simple check-up, relaxed only after confirming nothing was amiss.

Shawn Rhodes had been secretly monitoring Susan Wilde’s condition, noted her waking up, but didn’t dare approach.

After watching the doctor leave the hospital room, and after a while Simon Rhodes also walked out.

Shawn Rhodes finally went to Susan Wilde’s hospital room under the pretense of buying breakfast for Rowan Alder.

Susan Wilde had originally been sitting on the bed combing her hair, hearing the hospital room door open, she thought Simon Rhodes had forgotten something and returned.

She looked up only to see Shawn Rhodes standing at the hospital room door.

Her previously good mood instantly fell, ignoring Shawn Rhodes’s arrival, she continued tying a low ponytail with a rubber band.

"Feeling better?" Shawn Rhodes approached the bed and asked her.

Susan Wilde: "Stop pretending."

Shawn Rhodes: "I have no ill intentions."

Susan Wilde: "No need to act when the fox’s tail is already showing."

Shawn Rhodes: "I know Rowan Alder was wrong this time, I apologize on her behalf, but..."

Susan Wilde cut Shawn Rhodes off with a cold laugh: "Don’t place all the blame on her, you’re not blameless either."

Shawn Rhodes: "You might not believe me, but I’m truly unaware of this incident. I was out the day before, and upon hearing of your incident, I booked a flight back yesterday."

Susan Wilde: "Then I should really thank you."

Shawn Rhodes: "That’s not what I meant, I just don’t want you to misunderstand."

Susan Wilde: "Misunderstand? You asked me to bring you the documents; do you still need them?"

Shawn Rhodes furrowed his brows in confusion: "I asked you to bring documents?"

Susan Wilde: "No need to pretend anymore, you ought to remember sending such a message."

Shawn Rhodes was sure he had never sent such a message because he clearly remembered intending to contact her before boarding the plane but decided not to on the message page. He hadn’t seen any chat record involving "bringing documents."

However, considering these, he understood what was going on. Since the message wasn’t sent by him, someone else must have sent it, and the only person with access to his phone and knowing his password was Rowan Alder.

Shawn Rhodes didn’t further defend himself; regardless of who sent it, the harm to Susan Wilde was already done, and determining who was at fault now wasn’t of much significance.

"Take good care, Mom will be coming over later; she’s been worried about you. I told her you were hospitalized with a cold."

Susan Wilde remained silent, slightly turning her face away from Shawn Rhodes.

Shawn Rhodes sighed softly, turned, and exited the hospital room.

Since the decision to divorce had been made, it was time to stop restraining her.

Ultimately, he felt the person he owed the most to was Susan Wilde.

Since marriage, all he brought to her was harm.