Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 132: Can’t Hold On Anymore

「Half a month later.」

There was still no news of Miles Hawthorne. Raina Reddington insisted on searching for him every night, but there were no leads whatsoever.

The Reddington Family wished they could sever all ties with her. As for Ethan Lancaster, he had given up on stopping her. Since he couldn’t, he figured he might as well let her search.

Annabelle Spencer would keep her company whenever she was free. And although Hugo Hayes was trying to help by making inquiries, with Ethan Lancaster and Cameron Fairchild’s circle suppressing any information, all his efforts were in vain.

Ethan Lancaster’s new purchase in Northbay was a fully-furnished apartment, ready for immediate move-in. It bordered a bustling commercial street to the east and the newly developed Lake Cyrill to the west. With every inch of land worth its weight in gold, it was a rare piece of prime real estate.

Rumor had it that Mr. Lancaster had truly fallen for a woman this time. Not only was he showering her with luxury, but he had even moved in with her.

That woman was Gwen Sharp.

By now, the wounds on her face had healed, and a pampered life had her skin glowing. Adorned with all the designer clothes and jewelry Ethan Lancaster had lavished upon her, Gwen Sharp could hardly believe she could look so beautiful until she saw her own reflection.

In the hospital room, May Sullivan was on an IV drip, delirious with fever.

Raina Reddington was by her side, caring for her diligently. May Sullivan stared at the ceiling, muttering to herself, "I want to go home. It’s so uncomfortable here."

"Auntie?" Raina Reddington tried to speak with her. "Are you feeling any better?"

"The house is built... My Miles’s grades are so good, he’s going to get into a great school... Samuel, you shouldn’t work so hard. We can earn the money slowly..."

Raina Reddington called out anxiously, "Auntie? Auntie?"

"Miles, stop studying. It’s so late, it’s not good for your eyes."

Raina Reddington gripped May Sullivan’s hand tightly. "Don’t scare me."

Her eyes were unfocused, and it took a moment for her to come to her senses. Her gaze followed the voice to the bedside, searching until she finally found Raina Reddington. "Raina?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Auntie, it’s me."

"Why am I so hungry? I’m craving the sweet potatoes and corn we used to grow at home."

Raina Reddington quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. "I’ll go buy some for you."

"I’m sorry to trouble you."

She glanced at the IV bag. It was still more than half full, giving her plenty of time to run downstairs and buy some food. Raina Reddington hurried out, brushing past a strange man as she entered the elevator.

The man was carrying a fruit basket. He walked to the nurses’ station to ask for directions, and then pushed open the door to May Sullivan’s room.

Downstairs, Raina Reddington bought sweet potatoes and corn, and also got a bowl of small wontons to go. When she returned to the room, she saw an exquisite fruit basket on the bedside table.

’May Sullivan doesn’t have a single relative here, let alone any friends. Besides, who would even know she was here?’

Raina was about to ask when she saw May Sullivan lying motionless in bed, her face streaked with tears. She quickly set the food aside.

"Auntie?"

May Sullivan stared blankly into space, tears streaming from her cloudy eyes. Raina grew even more frantic. "Auntie, what’s wrong?"

She shook her head slightly and reached to pull out her IV line. Seeing this, Raina quickly grabbed her hand. "Who came to see you? Who was it?"

"Raina, I want to see Miles. Why is his phone always turned off when I call?"

A wave of panic washed over Raina. "He must be busy."

"I want to see him... I can’t hold on anymore..."

"Don’t say that."

Tears streamed down May Sullivan’s face. "My son... Is he...? If it’s possible, just let me take him with me. Samuel is waiting for us below. Let our family be reunited."

Raina gripped her hand tightly. "He’s fine! He just hasn’t contacted us, that’s all."

May Sullivan closed her eyes, no longer hearing what Raina was saying. "I want to see Miles... Raina, thank you. I... I’m afraid it’s my time to go."

When Raina called out to her again, May Sullivan was unresponsive. Terrified, Raina rushed out of the room, screaming for help. In that instant, she forgot that she, too, was a doctor.

May Sullivan was rushed into the emergency room. A doctor saw Raina slumped on a nearby seat and patted her shoulder. "You need to prepare yourself. Where is her family?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I’m afraid this might be their last chance to see her."

Raina tilted her head back, tears flowing into her temples. She knew full well what those words meant; after all, she had been the one managing May Sullivan’s case all along.

"Doctor Reddington, why don’t you go in?"

"No," Raina shook her head. "You being here is enough. I’m going to find her son."

"Then you’d better hurry and get him here. Don’t let there be any regrets."

Raina pushed herself up and steadied herself against the wall as she walked out. She had only one thought in her mind: she had to let Miles Hawthorne see May Sullivan one last time.

She drove away from the hospital, only to realize she had no idea where to go. Raina paused at an intersection, completely lost, and called Ethan Lancaster.

The call went unanswered. Raina quickly tried Annabelle Spencer next.

"Hello, Raina."

"Annabelle, do you know Ethan Lancaster’s new address?"

"You..." Annabelle sounded hesitant. "What for?"

"It’s an emergency. Your company still has people keeping an eye on him, right? Tell me his exact address."

"All right, I’ll ask around for you."

Soon, Ethan Lancaster’s new address was sent to Raina’s phone. She put it into her GPS and drove over.

When signing in at the entrance, Raina personally wrote "Visitor" in the logbook. ’She’s the mistress he’s hiding away in this gilded cage, she’s the real lady of the house,’ Raina thought. ’And I’m just a "guest" he’s desperately trying to avoid.’

Raina followed another resident into the building and went up to the tenth floor. Each unit on this floor had its own private elevator access. As soon as she stepped out, she rang the doorbell without hesitation.

"Who is it?" a faint voice called from inside. Raina heard the door open, and the person who answered saw her and took a shocked step back. "Young... Young Madam?"

Raina swallowed. "Auntie."

She never expected to see the housekeeper from The Verdant Garden here. The woman was so embarrassed she didn’t know what to say. Raina’s gaze swept past her into the apartment. "Is Ethan Lancaster here?"

"He is."

Raina took a few steps inside. The spacious living room was empty, with the latest news playing on the television. The aroma of cooking wafted out from the kitchen. This place felt like a real home, unlike The Verdant Garden, which had always been as cold and sterile as a model home.

"Auntie, who is it?" A woman’s voice drifted out from a bedroom. Gwen Sharp emerged in her pajamas, lazily brushing back her hair. She froze the moment she saw Raina.

"Who is it?" Ethan Lancaster’s voice followed.

Raina strode forward. Gwen scurried back into the bedroom as if fleeing. Ethan had just reached the doorway, and Raina nearly collided with him.

"What are you doing here?"

Raina took a step back. Ethan walked out of the room. "How did you find this place?"

Gwen Sharp avoided Raina’s gaze, hiding in the bedroom and shutting the door. The housekeeper, looking pained by the situation, retreated to the kitchen.

"Miles Hawthorne’s mother is dying. I want to take him to see her one last time."