"Uhmm…"
As her eyes slowly opened, an unfamiliar sight greeted her. The ceiling felt foreign, and so did the scent lingering in the air, one she had never smelled before. Turning her head, a full-size window presented a breathtaking view of a city blanketed in snow.
Ah, Estelle finally remembered. She had been on her way out of town to meet Edward Wright. Then, during the trip, her stomach had started to churn painfully.
As she tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her lower body. Her beautiful face twisted into a grimace as she endured the ache. One hand moved to support her lower abdomen, which still throbbed painfully, while her head rested weakly against the headboard.
Before she could fully process what had happened, the phone on the nightstand suddenly rang. Turning her head, Estelle saw Julius's name on the screen. She quickly picked up the call.
"Hello?"
"Esse!" Julius shouted the moment he heard her voice. "Oh my God, I was so worried about you! I tried contacting you yesterday, but you didn't respond to any of my messages or calls!"
Dizzy and still trying to gather her thoughts, Estelle couldn't bring herself to respond. Her mind was still struggling to piece everything together.
"I got even more worried when a man answered your phone," Julius continued.
Instantly, Estelle's eyes widened. "What?"
Could it have been Hector? If that insane man had answered Julius's call, then a disaster was inevitable.
Biting her lower lip, Estelle silently cursed.
"Esse… did you stay at a stranger's place?" Julius asked, his voice trembling.
Estelle let out a breath. "No. It's not like that…"
"Then what is it?"
"I can't tell you exactly," Estelle whispered.
Silence. Julius didn't reply.
"It's really not what you think," she continued. "I was sick yesterday and passed out, so I don't know who answered your call."
"Esse," Julius pressed, "are you involved in something—"
"No," Estelle cut him off. "It's really not what you think. Please don't worry."
Of course, in that silence, Julius's suspicion only grew stronger. The man who had answered Estelle's phone was not someone he recognised. He knew Lucille's voice, the only man in Estelle's family. And she didn't have any friends besides him.
Thinking about all of that made his heart crack. The thought of Estelle being in the same place as an unknown man was unbearable. He knew exactly what kind of things a man might do if he saw a girl as beautiful as Estelle alone in the same room.
"Can you… tell me if you're ever in danger?" Julius whispered. "I'm really worried about you."
On the other end, Estelle fell silent. She bit her lower lip, unable to answer. Sensing the discomfort in the silence, Julius finally gave in.
"Since you're okay, I'll trust you," he said. "Then get some rest."
"Alright," Estelle whispered. "Thank you."
As soon as the call ended, Estelle threw her phone onto the bed in frustration. Just as she was simmering in her irritation, the door to the room opened, revealing a familiar figure.
"Oh… hi?"
A caramel-haired man stepped in, carrying a bag full of bread. His expression and the dark circles under his eyes clearly showed extreme exhaustion. Even so, he still walked upright like a perfectly healthy person.
"You—"
"Sandro. Alessandro Paranini," he replied, placing the bag of bread on the nightstand. "The Nightwood family doctor. Remember? I'm the one who treat Master and who gave you medicine after you were almost being ra—"
"Okay, I get it. Don't continue," Estelle cut him off, her face turning red. Just remembering it made her want to bury herself alive.
Sandro nodded obediently before sitting on the chair beside the bed and eating one of the pastries he had just bought. Meanwhile, Estelle remained silent, trying to make sense of the strange situation.
"Wasn't I with Sandra and that bastard yesterday?" Estelle asked.
The doctor nodded.
"Yeah. After that, you fainted because of the pain," Sandro explained.
"Pain…" Estelle murmured, holding her stomach. "Ah, right… my stomach hurts so much."
"Well, after quite severe bleeding, Master brought you to this hotel and told me to come as quickly as possible," Sandro said.
Her brows furrowed. "My menstruation cramps never felt that bad before."
"Yeah, because that crazy man give you a me—"
Sandro suddenly stopped himself, clearing his throat instead. He decided not to continue what he had been about to say. Naturally, Estelle grew suspicious.
"What did that bastard do this time?"
And Estelle wouldn't be surprised if Hector had done something outrageous again. She had already prepared herself to hear whatever madness he had caused this time.
Meanwhile, the doctor scratched his head awkwardly. Explaining it to Estelle was his responsibility, but he didn't want Hector to get away with it so easily either. Even though Hector was the one who employed and paid him, when it came to health and life, Sandro refused to compromise.
"You'll hear it directly from him," Sandro said. "I've also demanded an apology from him."
"Can someone like him even apologise?" Estelle scoffed.
The doctor shrugged. "If almost making you unable to have children doesn't make him apologise, then you can make him impotent as revenge. I'll make the medicine for you for free."
"Almost what??"
Shocked, Estelle asked again to make sure she had heard correctly. No wonder her stomach felt like it was being twisted.
"He almost made you infertile. But this time, it wasn't intentional. So—"
"Bastard!" Estelle snapped. "Isn't he satisfied with killing my parents and ruining my life?!"
Sandro reached out and gently patted her back. There was no denying that Hector's actions this time were completely unacceptable. However, fuelling Estelle's hatred would only erase any hope of seeing an heir to the Nightwood family.
Sandro quickly tried to ease the situation.
"Miss, I know all of this makes you angry… but on the other hand, Master didn't know about this beforehand. Please listen to the full story first, okay?"
Clenching her jaw, Estelle turned her face away. Even though her reaction seemed cold, Sandro knew she agreed. He then began explaining Hector's idea of giving her fertility potion and how a servant had mistakenly given the wrong dosage.
Hearing all of that, Estelle, who had been silent, let out a tired sigh. As if her emotions were being forcibly held back.
"Now tell me, Doctor. What kind of sane man gives fertility drugs to a girl he just met?"
No. That didn't make sense to Estelle. No normal man would do that, not even to his own wife. And now she wondered whether a man named Hector Nightwood still had any sanity left in his head.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Estelle shot him a sharp look. "He wants to have a child with me?"
The doctor blinked slowly. "What else would it be for?"
Crazy. Estelle might go crazy. She cupped her face in frustration. Just one name was enough to push her to the brink. It seemed like Hector had done so many bad things to her that she couldn't even count them anymore.
No. Estelle was too tired to comment any further. She couldn't run away either. So what now? Was she supposed to just lament and accept her fate?
Before she could think any further, the door opened again. Sandra stood at the entrance, her face lighting up in surprise when she saw Estelle awake. Carrying a bouquet, she quickly approached the bed.
"Miss! Thank goodness you're awake! How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
Seeing Sandra felt like spotting an oasis in the desert. Estelle gave her a weak smile and shook her head, signalling that she was much better than before.
"Thank goodness!" Sandra said again. "Ah, this is for you, Miss."
Estelle accepted a bouquet of white roses and tulips. She frowned slightly before looking at Sandra.
"What's this for?"
"Ah… um… Master sent it."
Hearing that, Estelle's expression darkened. White roses and tulips symbolised an apology. She had no idea what kind of devil had possessed Hector to make him send flowers, but she was unmoved. She handed the bouquet back to Sandra.
"Tell him, if he wants to apologise sincerely, he should come see me and kneel in front of me."
She couldn't pressure Hector the way he had pressured her. But in return, she would wound his pride. Slowly, bit by bit.
***