Chapter 9
Startled, and because of the soap on the floor, Stella slipped, unable to react in time.
Her already sore body hit the ground, and the pain was intense, leaving her barely able to move.
Nathan pressed his lips together and stepped inside. He bent down as if to pick her up, but Stella pushed him away.
“What? You don’t want me to carry you? What choice do you have? Or would you rather stay on the floor?” Nathan’s eyes were cold.
“I definitely don’t have a choice,” Stella replied through gritted teeth “I may not have one now, but when I finally do, you can be sure I won’t choose to stay with you!”
Nathan lowered his head to look at her. Without another word, he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom, setting her down on the bed.
“Alright, then. Since we don’t have a choice, we need to complete this mission as quickly as possible.”
Nathan left the room, and Stella realized she was still naked. Hastily, she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself. Lowering her head, she inspected the injury on her ankle.
Pressing the swollen area, the pain made her wince. She thought bitterly about how unlucky her leg was–first injured while rescuing Liam days ago, and now twisted.
The swelling was severe. How was she supposed to walk tomorrow?
As she was lost in thought, the door opened again. Nathan entered, carrying a first aid kit in his hands.
Stella froze in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to help her after everything that had happened.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Nathan took her ankle and massaged it gently. The pain made her bite her lip as she reached for the
first aid kit.
“Let me do it myself,” she said.
“Why? To prove you can handle everything on your own?” Nathan asked, exhaling deeply. “Stella, I know we don’t like each other. I never even wanted one child, let alone two,” he added with a bitter laugh. “But since the fertilization issue came to light, I could’ve left. Yet here I am, for the boy’s sake–and for yours.” He looked at her intently.
“Nathan, I carried Liam for eight and a half months. Of course, I want the best for my son,” Stella replied firmly.
After treating her ankle, Nathan closed the first aid kit.
“Then we’re on the same page. We both want to save Liam, so we’ll stay together until it’s done. Once you’re pregnant and the child is born, Liam will recover, and there will be no further ties between us.”
This time, he made it clear she needed to understand why they had to stay together. He worried that when it was all over, she might refuse to let him go.
Nathan, I’ve been serious from the start–I have no desire to be a Collins. All I want is to give Liam a healthy life. After that, I’ll leave with my son, and you can give the title of Mrs. Collins to whoever you want. I don’t care.”
In truth, Stella harbored one concern. when the time came, would Anna Collins let Liam go with her? But that was a worry for the future. Right now, all that mattered was giving Liam a chance to survive, making every sacrifice worth it.
1/3
Chapter 9
“Good. At least you have your future planned, Nathan said, observing her for a moment before curling his lip in a faint smirk.
He picked up the first aid kit and left.
Stella hadn’t eaten all day and felt dizzy, but she still had no appetite. The maid had offered to bring her food, but Nathan had instructed it to be left on the dining table, and by now, it was surely cold.
Massaging her temple with one hand, Stella decided not to think about anything else. She simply lay back on the bed.
Nathan was likely on a phone call outside for a long time before he turned to the bedroom.
When Stella realized he was lying on the bed, she shifted toward the edge, putting as much distance between them as possible.
Nathan seemed to glance at her briefly but didn’t care. Turning his back to her, he went to sleep.
The next morning, as Stella was about to leave the room, Anna called her over.
“Grandma, how’s your health?” Stella asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“I’m much better now,” Anna said with a warm smile. She suddenly patted Stella’s shoulder. “Ella, I know you’ve endured a lot over the years, much of it Nathan’s fault. But now, for Liam’s recovery, you must…”
Anna trailed off, but Stella understood what she meant.
“Anna, don’t worry about me,” Stella said, taking her hand. “For Liam I’m willing to do anything in this world.”
It didn’t matter if she was mistreated or if Nathan hated her. As long as Liam could recover, she would bear it all.
After breakfast, Stella took Liam to the hospital to pick up his medication. Later, her best friend Caroline called and invited her for
coffee.
At the café, Caroline had already placed their order and sat across from Stella.
“So, how’s the progress with the insemination? Are you continuing with it?” Caroline asked.
The two had been best friends since childhood, sharing no secrets. Caroline knew everything about Stella’s situation.
Yesterday’s events had happened so suddenly that Stella hadn’t had a chance to share them.
“It’s actually a mess. Anna Collins found out about the insemination, and as always, Nathan thought I was the one who told her,” Stella said with a bitter laugh.
“And what happened? Did he do something to you?” Caroline asked, concerned, especially after noticing Stella limping.
Stella pressed her lips together but said nothing. She didn’t want to recall the pain of the previous night. The most frustrating part was that they would have to go through it all over again until she was pregnant.
