Chapter 81

Upon realizing that Lawrence had not departed, a wave of sorrow washed over her, causing her heart to quiver. Winnie felt a glimmer of hope, considering that he might be persistent but still held affection for her.

However, her perspective shifted when she observed him placing a coat over Darcy's shoulders. It became apparent that the gesture was intended for both of them. He hadn't left instead he was looking after Darcy, who was drenched and in need of medical attention.

Meanwhile, she had been beaten up and was now in excruciating pain laying in the hospital room with not a drop of water to drink because he wouldn't allow for a nurse to be called in.

Especially from Winnie's perspective, it seemed as if he was almost embracing Darcy in his arms.

'What kind of sister would deserve such intimate treatment?' Winnie wondered to herself.

Winnie's gaze turned cold instantly. As she got out of bed, pain coursed through her entire body.

She pushed the IV stand and slowly walked toward the water machine just outside the room.

Darcy's sharp eyes saw Winnie and kept a close eye on both Lawrence and her. Meanwhile, she purposefully took two steps back, intentionally creating some distance between herself and the man. This gesture conveyed a sense of detachment, yet it held a glimmer of hope for Winnie in the current situation.

Winnie cast a chilling look in their direction. Suddenly, the cup felt too weighty in her weakened state, and she began to tremble. The glass slipped from her grasp, shattering on her, prompting her to cry out in pain.

Lawrence immediately reached out and caught her from falling. Wearing a cold frown, he scolded her, saying, "Can't you be more careful?"

He picked up the cup and noticed her dry, pale lips as he set her up straight. A hint of pity welled up in his heart. He wasn't aware that she was thirsty and contemplated to get some for her.

However, Winnie heard his irritable tone, completely different from the expression he had when he draped the coat over Darcy. The feeling of discontentment surged within her, and she immediately grabbed the IV stand, coldly freeing herself from his grasp in haste.

Her actions displeased the man. He had already given her a way to save face, yet this woman was being cheeky. He truly desired to give her a spanking but he sensed her sudden action held a deeper meaning.

He grabbed the IV stand firmly and glared at her cold and weak little face. "What do you mean, Winnie?" he asked as though she had said something offensive.

Winnie suppressed a sigh, expressing self-deprecation as she uttered, "It holds no significance. I don't wish to hinder you from assisting another woman in getting dressed."

"What do you mean getting dressed?"

Darcy hurriedly ran over, partially concealing a touch of grievance in her eyes. She held Lawrence's arm and said, "All right, Mr. Rodriguez, Mrs. Rodriguez has finally come out, so please stop. Mrs. Rodriguez"

Then she turned to Winnie, her eyes slightly misty and her voice full of discomfort as she explained, "I was drenched, and Lawrence just draped his coat over me. He told me to leave, nothing else. Mrs. Rodriguez, please don't misunderstand me."

Winnie narrowed her eyes and looked at Darcy. She couldn't like this woman no matter what, and today's feeling was even more intense.

The moment she entered, she gripped Lawrence's wrist, and a seemingly casual comment within the hospital room triggered a surge of anger in him. Winnie could sense that something was amiss.

She sneered. "I haven't misunderstood anything, Darcy. You don't need to emphasize or explain that he put his coat on you. It is not any of my concern and I don't care."

Winnie admitted to herself that she had lost control a bit in that moment. She knew she shouldn't have said that but everything had come to this point. She just doesn't want to care anymore.

This man didn't care about her either, having left her alone in the hospital room while he attended to other women outside. The mere idea of her being confined to the room, unable to move an inch, while he was tending to Darcy bothered her.

She felt resentment and anger in her heart toward him.

Her statement, "It's not any of my concern, and I don't mind," deeply affected Lawrence, causing his face to instantly take on a sinister look. Whenever they argued, she would withdraw like a timid turtle, attempting to create distance with just a single sentence.

The man scoffed and reprimanded Darcy, saying, "Why are you explaining to her so kindly? Did she appreciate your effort to go to the lawyer for her? She clearly doesn't care, so if she wants to accuse me, I might as well give her something to accuse me of."

Darcy wanted to say something but Lawrence's gaze was completely focused on Winnie.

"Winnie, you really don't understand what's good for you." He thought he must be crazy to still wait for her at the hospital instead of leaving.

He had initially thought that if she had softened her expression even just for a little bit, he would take the opportunity to reconcile with her.

This type of woman, mistakenly took him for her savior while she was still living with her ex and now blamed him for not rescuing her. To further add to the insult, she even suspected him and Darcy of having a romantic relationship. He felt that she seemed to be intentionally picking a fight.

"Since you don't care" He turned away from Winnie. "Darcy, I'll take you home then," he said sternly.

"Mr. Rodriguez, you can't leave Mrs. Rodriguez like this." Darcy pleaded desperately.

This time, Winnie had genuinely angered Lawrence. A palpable iciness emanated from him, enveloping the entire corridor. As he walked out, he grabbed Darcy's hand harshly and walked away from Winnie.

Winnie stood frozen in place, feeling abandoned as she held onto the IV stand. Seeing him tightly clutching Darcy's wrist, her heart felt colder than the howling wind outside.

After some time, she attempted to go back to her hospital bed. Her weary eyes began to close gradually, and a sudden wave of sadness washed over her, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

"Nurse..." She choked out, feeling a slight pain in her stomach and wanting to cry even more.

The nurse hurriedly came over to support her. Earlier, the nurse had taken a glance at Lawrence and the woman he was with from behind as they left Winnie's room.

She could roughly guess the situation and asked, "Is he your husband?

"You claimed you don't care but just letting you know that I've observed him waiting out here for quite a while, not engaging with the other woman. It looked like he was waiting for you to come out."

Winnie's mind was still buzzing with anger and she couldn't take in the information anymore. With red eyes, she shuffled back into her hospital room and lay down exhausted on the bed.

Outside the hospital, it was raining and has gradually gotten heavier.

In the car, Darcy secretly rejoiced that Lawrence had held her hand and pulled her along.

Lawrence who was seated beside her in the car was consumed by anger. He came back to his senses due to the cold rain and only then did he realize that he was still holding Darcy's hand. He immediately let go of Darcy's hand, his eyes cold and gloomy.

He was exhausted after the day's events. He did not have the energy to address Darcy's presence and said, "Darcy, go back on your own." His tone was almost heartless.

Darcy's face froze. He had just said he would take her home. Darcy was aware that it was just an angry remark directed at Winnie but Darcy had assumed he would follow through out of a sense of obligation.

He was using her, the realization hit Darcy harder than expected.

Lawrence also recognized the contradiction between his words and actions. Feeling somewhat apologetic, he said, "I'll call a car for you."

Darcy's heart felt like it had been pierced with a dagger. It was a bitter feeling that rose up inside her but it was the path she had chosen. She knew that enduring the humiliation from Winnie would eventually pay off. She would repay her a thousandfold in the end.

She raised her gaze and immediately became submissive and understanding. "It's okay, Mr. Rodriguez. I just have a slight cold. I can go back on my own," she said pitifully.

She assumed the role of a vulnerable and meek damsel in distress, hoping he would take pity on her and change his mind. She attempted to play the pitiful card.

However, Lawrence paid her no attention whatsoever. His eyes were filled with gloom, and his gaze remained fixed on the second floor of the hospital, as if he wasn't present in that moment at all.

Darcy's nails left a shallow scratch on the leather as she slowly got into her own car, a sign of her frustration.

As she departed from the hospital, a slow smile crept across her face. Irrespective of the outcome tonight, she felt content. Lawrence's "kind efforts" remained vivid in her memory, and the relationship between him and Winnie had already shown signs of strain under constant provocation. These small cracks would only intensify and become increasingly unbearable for both of them as time went on.

This time, Darcy felt that reconciliation seemed difficult for Lawrence and Winnie. The only disappointment for Darcy was that Winnie's pregnancy was not terminated. She had managed to protect it somehow. Darcy felt angry at the thought of it, her eyes filled with darkness.

Darcy dialed Ava's number as soon as Ava answered, she raised her voice at her. "You idiot! Who did you hire? You couldn't even get rid of Winnie's child in her belly."

The scent of cigarette smoke permeated a dimly lit car parked in the hospital yard where Lawrence sat in his Bentley. His handsome profile, sharp as a knife, remained in the shadows, his cold gaze fixed on the source of his anger located on the second floor of the hospital building.

He had made a phone call to the hospital management and simply gave an order to the night manager to arrange for someone to take care of Winnie. No matter what Winnie did to him, nothing should happen to the child.

Suddenly reminded of Daniel's mention of reaching out to Winnie's friend, Olivia, Lawrence's gaze remained icy, devoid of emotion as he reached for his phone once more. He dialed Jeremy, who had recently returned from out of town.

"Use your connection to find Olivia." His voice was so steady it left no room for argument.

He issued a series of orders, leaving Jeremy bewildered. Sensing that something was off with Lawrence's mood, Jeremy asked, "Mr. Rodriguez, is something wrong?"

A chilling gust swept through, and the call ended abruptly.

Jeremy was left hanging on the other end of the call, unsure of what to make of his boss's behavior.

Lawrence smoked with a sense of self-deprecation, pondering why he had cared at all about Winnie's life or death. She had been a woman who had consistently infuriated him, time after time.

A cold laugh escaped his lips, but his thoughts grew deeper. He questioned himself on whether he truly knew this woman-her business tactics, her ways with men, and the purity of her character.

Fueled by an indescribable impulse, he had taken her into his home, even wanted a long-term commitment and proposed a trial marriage. But all she gave him in return was mistrust, and the possibility of harming his business.

It may not have been worth being caught in the crossfire for her, and he questioned whether his impulsive decision regarding what had happened at Hot Spring Resort before had clouded his judgment.

He questioned himself, feeling a chilling sense of detachment.

The Bentley car surged through the heavy rain at nearly top speed, almost furiously racing down the road, proclaiming its owner's terrible mood.