Chapter 17
Sally gulped instinctively. Every time she faced Jaxon, the sheer pressure he gave off could make anyone tense up without
reason.
And yet, he was simply sitting there. He hadn’t done a thing.
“My friends told me… Apparently, it was you, Mr. Zale, who saved me at the scene. Otherwise…” Sally paused before continuing, “I probably wouldn’t have made it.”
A flicker of emotion darkened Jaxon’s otherwise serene eyes. ‘So, she already knew?‘ He thought to himself.
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“You should consider yourself lucky it was me you ran into,” Jaxon replied flatly. “I’ve received professional emergency training -I know CPR and mouth–to–mouth resuscitation very well.”
The moment those words entered her ears, Sally’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
Almost unconsciously, her hand moved to touch her lips.
Even though mouth–to–mouth and kissing were fundamentally different, they still involved lips touching–still that kind of
close contact.
Noticing her subtle reaction, Jaxon added softly, “Don’t overthink it. I just wanted to save you.”
“I wasn’t overthinking.” Sally quickly lowered her hand. “Thank you.”
Although the family banquet had been her first formal encounter with Jaxon, she had already heard bits and pieces about him.
For example, he was a germaphobe. And apparently, he stayed away from women.
Just then, the door was pushed open from outside.
“Sally, I’m back!” Abigail’s voice rang out, walking in with a bag of takeout.
But then, her cheery expression faded the moment she spotted Jaxon. Her smile stiffened noticeably.
She greeted Jaxon obediently, “Hello, Mr. Zale.”
“Hi.” Jaxon nodded. Sensing her uncase, he didn’t linger and quietly left the ward.
Once the door closed, Abigail rushed over with an excited look. “I didn’t expect Brad’s uncle to actually come see you himself!”
“He came on behalf of the orphanage,” Sally answered calmly. “The Crownstone Group donates to them regularly. He said the director couldn’t make it, so he came in the director’s place.”
“Rich, powerful, handsome, and kind–hearted? He’s way better than your so–called husband.” Abigail gave her a thumbs–up, grinning.
Sally’s expression dimmed. “Brad’s not really my husband anymore.”
“Oops. My bad.” Abigail patted her own mouth, then laughed. “Still, you two looked way better together than you ever did with Brad.”
Hearing that, Sally’s eyes flicked upward. Her eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly.
“Stop it. Brad hasn’t signed the papers yet,” she said. “Technically, we’re still married…”
“Not for much longer,” Abigail said with a wink. “I heard Jaxon’s still single. If you snatch him up, Brad would have to call you ‘auntie‘. Now that would be satisfying.”
Sally reached out and lightly patted her back. “I’m hungry.”
“Changing the subject again,” Abigail muttered as she opened the takeout box. “You’re good at that.”
In the days that followed, Sally stayed in the hospital to recover.
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Chapter 17
Howard somehow got wind of her hospitalization and insisted on visiting. Word was, the incident at the banquet had gotten him worked up–his heart wasn’t in the best condition.
After much persuasion from Sally’s mother–in–law, Lauren, the old man finally agreed not to go to the hospital.
To reassure him, Sally called and promised to visit him at the family house once she was discharged. Only then did he finally settle down.
During those three days, Abigail juggled work and her own investigation into Lillian’s whereabouts. She came by every night to keep Sally company.
As for Brad and Nick, they hadn’t shown up once. The night before Sally’s discharge, Abigail tore into them.
“One’s heartless, the other’s brainless,” complained Abigail. “All it took was a little scolding, and they just never came back…
Sally only chuckled quietly, never saying a word.
She knew Abigail was simply looking out for her, venting on her behalf. Only Abigail–her best friend–was truly on her side.
On the day of her discharge, Abigail received an urgent notice in the early morning. She had to leave by 6 a.m. to handle something important and promised to come help Sally with the paperwork later.
But Sally waited and waited–no Abigail.
Without someone to help with the discharge procedures, she couldn’t leave the hospital. She didn’t want to call Brad.
After some hesitation, she opened her contacts list and stared at a number she had saved just a few days ago.
To her surprise, Jaxon’s number was actually coming in handy.
She dialed the number, and a deep voice came through. “Who is this?”
“Mr. Zale, this is Sally…” She hesitated briefly but then said, “I know this might be a little inappropriate, but I don’t want to trouble Brad. Would you mind helping me with the discharge process?”
The other end of the line went quiet for a few seconds.
Sally assumed he was either trying to find a way to decline or just too busy.
She spoke up again, “If you’re unavailable, I totally underst―”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” Jaxon quickly responded.
Before she could reply, the call abruptly ended.
Sally blinked. Five minutes? That was exactly how long it took to walk from the parking lot to the ward.
Had he already been on his way? She pondered to herself.
It would make sense. Jaxon was a responsible man, after all. She was injured while saving a child from the orphanage he supported. He was probably just fulfilling that obligation.
Sally quickly got dressed and waited for his arrival. She even left the door open and kept glancing toward the hallway.
Someone approached the entrance. She looked up but froze.
It was not Jaxon. It was Brad.
“Well, don’t even recognize your own husband after a few days apart?” Brad strode in, a trace of confusion in his eyes. “Why
you looking at me like that?”
Sally frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“If Grandpa hadn’t called me first thing this morning and told me to come get you, I wouldn’t have bothered.” Brad’s tone held clear displeasure.
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Just then, Sally heard footsteps behind them and suddenly remembered–Jaxon was on his way too.
The two of them were going to run into each other. And with Brad’s personality, he would definitely dig for answers—whether he cared about her or not.
As the footsteps approached, both Brad and Sally instinctively turned their heads. When Jaxon appeared at the door, shock flashed across Brad’s face
“Jaxon?” Brad frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter 17
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