Chapter 9
Zachary stayed by Nicole’s side in the hospital for several days, never leaving her even for a moment until her health improved.
That morning, after feeding Nicole breakfast, Zachary brought up the matter of needing to return to the company.
“Nicole, I need to go to the office to handle some things. I’ll come back to be with you tonight.”
“Zachary, what could be more important than my health?”
Nicole didn’t want Zachary to leave her side. Over the past few days, she had clearly sensed his absent–mindedness, and she didn’t want anything unexpected to happen before th Purchase completed
“I’ll be back soon, okay? I’ll bring you your favorite pastries when I return.” As he spoke, he gently patted her head.
“Alright then, make sure you come back quickly.”
“Okay.” With that, he left without the slightest hesitation.
Watching Zachary’s departing figure, the displeasure in Nicole’s eyes was obvious. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, Ms. Walsh, I’ve taken care of everything you asked me to do.”
“Is the person dead?”
“Yes, she’s dead. Right now, the body is in the morgue of the hospital where you’re staying. I saw with my own eyes that she died after failed resuscitation before I left. She could have been saved, but that day you
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had massive bleeding, and Mr. Hudson, out of love for his wife, had all the blood from the blood bank sent to you. That woman died because she couldn’t wait for blood from another hospital.”
The person on the other end of the line sounded obsequious, afraid that a single wrong word would cost them this money.
“I understand. Don’t contact me again. I’ll transfer another 20,000 dollars to your account. Keep this matter to yourself, lay low for a while, and don’t come back to New York.”
Without waiting for a reply, she hung up directly. After the call, Nicole’s mood visibly improved.
Her careful planning had paid off–getting herself admitted to the hospital ahead of time. Although her stay had been boring, having Zachary with her made it bearable.
Only with Jasmine dead could she feel at ease. Otherwise, she would always worry about something unexpected happening. After all, she knew how much Zachary loved Jasmine. But none of that mattered anymore. The one marrying Zachary now was her, Nicole. Jasmine was completely out of the picture.
If anyone was to blame, it was Jasmine herself for showing up at this time and making Zachary unable to forget her. Wouldn’t it have been better if she had just stayed away?
Nicole let out a soft laugh, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Zachary on WhatsApp.
“Zachary, come back to keep me company as soon as you finish work. I’ll be waiting for you.”
After sending the message, she took a photo of herself lying idly in bed and sent it as well. Without waiting for a reply, she fell asleep. After all,
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she had been forcing herself to stay alert these past few days to keep Zachary from leaving, which had drained her energy.
Meanwhile, at the company, Zachary actually had nothing urgent to deal with. He just wanted to leave the hospital and spend some time alone.
Looking at the bank card Jasmine had given him on his desk, he recalled her state that day. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, especially since the last thing she asked him for was a loan of 10,000 dollars.
Did she really love money that much?
Was there really nothing else she wanted to say to him?
10,000 dollars–if she wanted to deceive him, it could have been much more than that.
He couldn’t understand why people could change so suddenly. Before graduation, they had been so close, even planning their future together, yet she chose to betray him.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but despise himself. Even after all she had done to him, he still couldn’t stop thinking about her.
His phone lit up on the desk with a message from Nicole, but Zachary had no desire to open it.
He knew very well that he didn’t love Nicole. She had stayed by his side for so many years, never asking for anything, only wanting to be with him. Since it was impossible to be with the one he truly loved, did it really matter who he married?
The only thing he could give her was marriage.
If Jasmine hadn’t appeared before him again, he wouldn’t have been reminded of the painful memories from their college graduation.
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He wasn’t unaware of how Nicole had made things difficult for Jasmine recently, but in front of him, Nicole had always been the kind, selfless heiress who never asked for anything in return. At most, he thought she just felt a bit threatened and was playing some harmless little tricks.
She was just venting a little; she wouldn’t do anything truly excessive to Jasmine.
That was what Zachary thought to himself.
Lateefa Khanam is a spirited writer who finds freedom in horse riding. She cherishes her mare and the newborn foal, calling them her little happy family.
