Anabel stepped back into the hospital room. Her thoughts were still clouded with frustration over Desmond’s abrupt departure. When she got inside the room, she couldn't see Jethro and her mother. Only Sylvester and the nurse were there.
She frowned slightly and turned toward Sylvester. “Where are Jethro and my mom?” she asked.
“They left with the doctor,” he casually replied. “Maybe they went to his office to talk more about your father's health.
"Alright." She went and took a seat beside her father. The machine had been disconnected. Her father was now breathing freely without any support, which showed that Desmond did a very nice job.
Sylvester studied her for a moment before speaking up again. “So, did you catch up to Desmond?”
"No,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “He didn’t wait to talk to me. I was calling him, and he drove out with his car.”
Sylvester chuckled lightly. “Of course I expected that from him. I know he won't do better." He said, shrugging. “Now that he’s saved your father, he thinks he’s too important. He's now proud and full of himself.”
The nurse, standing in the room, stiffened slightly but said nothing.
“I don’t really care about that." Anabel said. “It’s not about him. It’s about what he did for my father. I need to thank him.”
“Why do you want to bother yourself? Your brother and mother had already thanked him. Isn’t that enough?” He asked, and Anabel shook her head. “No,” she replied. “It’s not enough.”
Sylvester raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She continued to speak, “Without Desmond, I would have lost my dad today. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past—he saved him. And for that, I need to thank him personally.”
Sylvester frowned at the statement. This was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted them to be far from each other. But since she was insisting on thanking him, he wanted to ask her something—something that gnawed at him. What if Desmond wanted more than just thanks?
What if he used this opportunity to reconcile? What if he wanted Anabel back? But he couldn't open his mouth.
Sylvester knew that if he asked her outright, 'What if he wants you back?' he would risk pushing her away. He wasn’t sure how she would react. He couldn’t take the risk.
So instead, he forced a small smile and leaned forward slightly, "Now that your father is recovering, you should focus on taking some rest. You need to take care of yourself now for your baby.” He said, and Anabel sighed without saying anything.
Just then, his phone rang. He checked, and it was Vanessa. “Give me a second,” he muttered and stood up, then took some steps away to answer the call.
Anabel didn’t pay attention to him at first, but then his voice dropped slightly, as if he were trying to keep the conversation discreet.
“What is it?” he asked, and Vanessa’s irritated voice came through. “What are you still doing there?” she demanded.
Sylvester sighed and glanced toward Anabel quickly before turning away slightly. “I’m done. I’m leaving soon.” He replied, and Vanessa scoffed. “Then get back here.”
“It's okay, I'm coming.” He hung up before she could press further.
He turned back to Anabel and cleared his throat. “I need to get home. Vanessa needs me.”
Anabel nodded absently, not really paying attention to his reasoning. “Alright,” she replied. “Send her my regards.”
Sylvester barely acknowledged it. He gave her a small nod before stepping toward the door. As he walked out, his mind was still racing. This wasn’t over. He had to stop whatever was about to happen between Anabel and Desmond before it spoiled his plans.
If she starts reconsidering him, Sylvester would lose everything. And he would not let that happen.