Chapter 0092
The man lying in the hospital bed was still smiling, seemingly unaffected apart from his pallid complexion.
The thought that he still had the spirit for jokes irked Madison, who was usually of a mild temperament. She suddenly leaned over him.
Her abrupt movement caught Ethan off guard, causing him to blink.
Madison grabbed the collar of his hospital gown, her teeth clenched in anger, a storm of indignation swirling in the depths of her eyes, “I’m talking to you about something serious. Can you stop grinning like it’s a joke?”
“I am serious,” Ethan said, allowing her to grip his collar.
Madison’s brow furrowed, her voice raspy, “You don’t need to do this for me. Even if I believed those things you said are true, unrequited love doesn’t end well. Before you love someone else, you need to learn to protect yourself.”
Whenever she remembered how Ethan seemed to be at death’s door
in her arms, Madison felt a pain so vivid.
It was the kind of pain that didn’t suffocate you instantly but slowly shredded your peace of mind.
For a fleeting moment, she saw her past self in him, recklessly in love. and blinded by it.
It was precisely because Ethan was not like Lucas-a carefree playboy
that she couldn’t stand to see him hurt.
Ethan’s voice, tinged with earnestness, broke through her thoughts, Your giving in the relationship with Lucas was one-sided because he didn’t love you.”
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His words were like a pointed needle, piercing the bubble of reality. However, Madison felt no pain; she had long since stopped caring.
“But as for me,” Ethan smiled again, “it seems you don’t dislike me either, so everything I’ve done is worth it.”
“We’re not even talking about the same thing,” Madison let go of his collar, her expression troubled.
“Madison.”
Suppressing the pain that surged as the anesthesia wore off, Ethan’s voice was as steady as he could manage, “You said before your wouldn’t compare me with Lucas. You’ve broken your word.”
“When have I compared the two of you?” Madison objected.
“If you didn’t compare, why would you say what you did?” Ethan looked directly into her eyes, “Just because Lucas was a scoundrel, don’t project his wrongdoing onto me. It’s unfair to set his offenses as a threshold for me.”
Madison was left speechless.
Ethan went on, speaking slowly, “I lied to you once, I admit it, and I explained my reasons. And it wasn’t to hurt you.
“Besides that, tell me honestly, where have I not been enough for you? Are you using that past experience to negate me?”
Madison replied without hesitation, “No!”
And immediately felt as though she might have fallen into a trap.
Ethan’s smile widened, “Ah, so you haven’t negated me. Does that mean that what you said yesterday about us being together once we get back is true?”
At that time, he had been barely conscious, only dimly recalling.
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perhaps hearing such words, uncertain if it was a dream.
Now, seeing Madison’s reflexive look of worry, he realized…
Effort is bound to yield results.
He had no regrets.
Ethan didn’t dwell on the matter, knowing just when to let go, masterfully easing off the topic.
“Madison,” he said, transitioning smoothly, “can you please ask Michael to come in?”
Madison turned and left the room quickly.
Michael soon entered, his forehead and chin patched up with band- aids, his anxiety evident, “What’s the matter?”
With Ethan alone, it seemed natural for Michael to assume he would
be needed.
“Did you make contact?” Ethan asked first.
“I did,” Michael replied. “William chartered a flight over. We had no way to pay on the spot, so we’re waiting for them to arrive to take care of the hospital fees.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow, “They let us run up a tab?”
“We didn’t owe anything.”
Michael settled onto the bedside, a light laugh escaping him, ” Madison paid. She really didn’t hesitate; your surgery and hospital bill, not even one full day, and she’s already put in over eight hundred thousand. I just checked our balance, and there’s only about three or four hundred thousand left.”
“Over eight hundred thousand in less than a day?” Though wealthy, Ethan was not immune to the concept of money.
– DUS:
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Even the most prestigious global hospitals would charge at most six hundred thousand for a minor surgery and a day’s stay.
Michael eyed him intently, emphasizing each word, “She said she wanted you to have the best medications.”
“Remember when William investigated her? She had just that one. card, a little over a million in assets, and now it’s all been spent on your hospital fees.”
Ethan was silent for a long while.
“Shocked?”
Regaining his composure, Ethan said softly, “Help me change the medicine.”
“Why come to me? I’m not a nurse, I’m not professional. What if I end up hurting you?” Michael’s last words were said with a teasing, manly. bravado.
Ethan glared at him, “It’s near the thigh, it’s inconvenient.”
“Man,” Michael clicked his tongue but disapproved, “you can’t be shy about medical care. Especially not in that important area. If anything goes wrong, it could affect the rest of your life…”
“Can you do it or not?”
“Alright, alright, I’ll do it.”
Michael began unwrapping the blanket and took the medicine from the nearby cooler, muttering, “Big guy like you, and you’re shy?
Ridiculous.”
“It’s not about being shy,” Ethan shifted his left leg slightly. But the slightest movement sent a sharp pain through the wound on his back.
Just lying flat in front of Madison had been a herculean effort.
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Now, with Michael’s help to sit up, Ethan continued, “The nurses are women. I can’t let other women see such a private spot. It’d be disloyal to Madison.”
Michael was left speechless.
“Ethan, you’re acting like a love-struck kid, you know that?” Michael said, then perhaps forgot to be gentle.
Outside the hospital room, Madison, lost in thought with her nearly dead phone in hand, had not mentioned her suspension to either
Ethan or Michael.
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