Araceli POV
Raphael went to the bathroom and brought a wet towel over.
He stood by the bed, leaned down, and whispered, "Are you okay? Here. Take this."
His hand came up. The hormonal scent intensified.
My pupils clenched violently.
I curled my body up and kept cowering into the corner of the bed.
I grabbed a pillow and threw it over, saying in terror, "Don't you come over here! Don't you touch me... Get out of here! Don't touch me..."
I wanted to get close to him so badly, yet I was so frightened.
Raphael pursed his lips.
"I'm not going to touch you. I'm just trying to make you feel better."
His voice sobered me up a little.
My voice trembled as I said, "Mr. Lancaster... Can you take me to the hospital..."
Raphael pulled his suit off and said in a deep voice, "Put it on. I'll take you out."
I reached out and took the suit, but I didn't have the strength. Just as the suit fell into my hands, it fell onto the bed.
I trembled, but I couldn't grab the suit.
"I'll do it."
Raphael came over and bent down to pick up the suit, and I shuddered in horror.
The smell of this man always brought back horrible memories of five years ago...
"I'm not going to hurt you. Don't be afraid."
Raphael's voice was low, as if it had a strange magic power.
Gradually, I relaxed.
Suddenly, a voice came from my mind. It was so familiar and gentle...
"Araceli, it's him..."
It was my wolf, Eve.
How could she be talking to me at this moment?
My brain was a mess. I even thought I was hallucinating.
Raphael wrapped his arm around my shoulders and slung his suit jacket over my body before picking me up horizontally.
He carried me in his arms, striding out the door.
Although my face was hidden under the blazer, it still attracted the attention of countless people.
"Who is the woman Mr. Lancaster holding in his arms? Is it Araceli?"
"Where is Mr. Lancaster going to carry Araceli?"
...
Raphael walked quickly, carried me, and got into the car.
I was placed in the back seat, shivering. I was becoming less and less conscious.
"Buzz..."
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
I took the phone out and tried desperately to hold my eyelids up before I saw the name on the caller ID.
I was instantly much more awake, propped myself up, and slowly said, "Mr. Lancaster, can you answer the phone for me? Just tell him I'm going to the bathroom and I can't answer the phone."
My voice was hoarse. If Krish heard it, he would be worried.
Raphael gripped the steering wheel and said, "Your son is so smart. Do you think he'll believe me?"
I gripped the phone tighter.
Yeah...
Krish was so smart...
If I let Raphael answer the phone, it would make Krish even more suspicious.
I took a deep breath, bit my lip, and put the call through.
"Krish, I'm a little busy here..."
"Mommy, why do you sound so strange?"
"I'm fine. I'll call you back later."
"Okay, Mommy."
I hung up the phone and slumped into the back seat.
My lip was bitten with blood. The taste of blood spread through my mouth.
Raphael looked at me in the rearview mirror and frowned slightly.
He drove in silence, not saying anything.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of the hospital. At this moment, I had lost consciousness.
There was a trace of blood running down between my lips.
When Raphael bent down to pick me up, he bent his head and brushed his lips over mine. I didn't know if he was kissing me, but I could feel the soft touch of his lips...
He frowned, uneasy.
I was shocked and lost consciousness the next second.
I didn't know how long it took before I woke up.
Raphael stood at my bedside and asked the nurse, "Do I have to stay in the hospital tonight?"
"This patient has overdosed on medication and will need to stay in the hospital overnight on fluids. She should be discharged in the morning."
"I understand, thank you."
After the nurse went out, the ward was quiet.
Raphael sat on the edge of the hospital bed, tucked me in, and then brought my phone over.
He found Krish's number, dialed it, and turned on the speakerphone.
"Mommy, are you back yet?" Krish's well-behaved voice came from the other end of the phone.
"It's me."
I dared to take a deep breath.
Raphael continued, "Your mommy won't come back tonight. I'm sending Maddox over to look after you and Valeria."
Krish was too smart and must have guessed that something must have happened to me.
Raphael's voice was calm. "Your mommy is in the hospital for fluids. Don't worry. By the way, don't tell Valeria."
"What accident?"
Krish's voice was calm. I knew he was forcing his composure.
"She had a glass of hard liquor and was taken to the hospital to have her stomach pumped," Raphael told Krish, "It's fine. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring your mommy back safe and sound."
Krish said in a low voice, "Thank you, Mr. Lancaster. by the way, you don't have to send Maddox over. I can take care of Valeria."
Krish hung up the phone.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I just felt sleepy, closed my eyes, and soon fell asleep.
...
It was dawn.
I opened my eyes slowly.
There were no lights on in the ward, and the light was hazy. I opened my eyes for a moment, and for a moment I didn't even realize where I was.
"You're awake."
A familiar low voice rang out in my ears.
I instantly became mostly awake.
Memories of last night instantly flooded into my mind. I sat up straight with a jerk.
Other than a little dizziness, I didn't feel any discomfort anywhere else.
Smelling the familiar smell, my tense nerves instantly relaxed a lot.
"Mr. Lancaster..."
As soon as I spoke, I realized that my voice was hoarse and my head hurt.
Raphael poured a glass of water for me and handed it over. "I'll have the doctor come over later to check you out, and you'll be discharged."
I paused, pursed my lips, and said, "Thanks."
"You saved Essel once. This time, I saved you. We're kind of even." Raphael got up and said calmly, "I'll go call the doctor."
I stared at his face with some mixed feelings.
Whenever I met this man, he always looked handsome, fresh and clean, but now, he looked a little tired and had two dark circles under his eyes.
We had nothing to do with each other and were just partners. It was amazing that he would stay with me in the hospital all night.
As I was thinking about it, Raphael had already walked out of the ward.
I withdrew my eyes and took out my phone to call Krish.