The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 95: Similar Side Profiles

Chapter 95: A Striking Resemblance

Tristan Sterling looked at the nanny and asked, "What is Melissa doing?"

The nanny answered, "Miss Evelynn is with the young miss for her afternoon nap."

Tristan Sterling walked forward, his hand on the doorknob. He instinctively softened his movements as he pushed the door open and went inside.

He saw the two of them asleep on the hospital bed, holding each other.

Rachel Royce was lying on her side, gently holding Melissa in her arms. Melissa was nestled against her, her little hands balled into fists in front of her chest. Her rosy little face looked exceptionally sweet as she slept.

From this angle, their two profiles—one large, one small—were strikingly similar.

Tristan Sterling stood frozen, silently watching the two on the bed, his dark eyes deep and inscrutable.

Rachel Royce woke up in a daze. She shifted, but her body suddenly tensed instinctively. Looking down at the still-sleeping Melissa, she stopped moving.

Gazing at her daughter’s sweet, beautiful little face, she couldn’t resist leaning down to give her a kiss.

She carefully pulled her arm back, sat up, and lifted the covers, intending to go to the bathroom. However, just as she sat up, she turned her head and saw the man sitting silently on the sofa.

Rachel Royce’s eyes flew wide open, and she jumped in fright.

"You..."

The word was on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself.

She frowned. ’When did this man get here?’

Tristan Sterling lifted his gaze from his phone screen, his dark, somber eyes fixing on her.

’He obviously already knows that I slapped Claire Ainsworth.’

By tacit understanding, neither of them spoke.

Rachel Royce lowered her legs, slipped on her slippers, and turned to pull the blanket properly over Melissa before finally heading to the bathroom.

When she came out again, she was completely awake.

Tristan Sterling glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Come outside."

Rachel Royce watched his retreating back. ’When I slapped Claire Ainsworth, I knew he would come to settle the score. I have nothing to be afraid of.’

She followed him out of the hospital room.

Tristan Sterling told the nanny to go inside and watch Melissa.

They went to a quiet public lounge.

Rachel Royce stopped, keeping a distance of about two steps from him.

Tristan Sterling turned around, his hands in his pockets. His handsome face was cold and grim as he looked down at Rachel Royce condescendingly. "Give me a reason for hitting her."

Rachel Royce let out a soft laugh. "So, President Sterling really did come to call me to account. I hit her. So what? What reason do you need? If she wants money, I’ll just pay her. It’s no big deal."

Tristan Sterling stared at her. "You think you’re so capable, don’t you?"

"I wouldn’t dare boast about my capabilities in front of you, President Sterling."

"Even though Rowan and Procare have signed the contract, there’s no guarantee things will proceed smoothly."

At his words, Rachel Royce’s expression darkened. "So, is that a threat, President Sterling?"

"If you think it’s a threat, then it’s a threat."

Rachel Royce locked eyes with him in defiance.

A brief silence fell.

The air around them seemed to grow heavy with oppression.

"President Sterling, you really are deeply infatuated with Miss Ainsworth. But to fall for a woman of her character... your taste really isn’t all that great."

Tristan Sterling retorted mockingly, "What, would it be good taste only if I’d fallen for you?"

Rachel Royce’s face turned cold. "Then I’d just consider myself cursed with a lifetime of bad luck." With that, she turned to walk away. "Do whatever you want. But you’d better keep Claire Ainsworth away from me. Otherwise, it won’t be as simple as a single slap."

Having said her piece, she strode back toward the hospital room.

By the time she reached her room, Rachel Royce had calmed down. She pushed the door open and saw that Melissa had just woken up. The little girl was sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

The nanny poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Melissa.

Melissa took the cup, had a sip, and then saw Rachel Royce. "Aunt Evelynn," she called out in her soft, sweet voice.

Hearing Melissa’s voice, Rachel Royce felt her heart melt, and a smile involuntarily blossomed on her face.

"Melissa’s awake."

She walked over, and Melissa reached out her arms, asking for a hug.

Rachel Royce bent down and lifted Melissa into her arms.

Melissa rested lazily on Rachel Royce’s shoulder.

The nanny watched them and couldn’t help but remark, "The young miss is usually very particular about who she’s with when she wakes up. I’ve never seen her cling to a stranger like this."

Hearing the nanny’s words, Rachel Royce merely gave a faint smile and didn’t respond.

Just then, Tristan Sterling walked in through the doorway and saw Rachel Royce holding Melissa.

When Melissa saw her father, she wanted him to hold her too.

Rachel Royce glanced at the man. In front of Melissa, they both tacitly pretended that nothing had just happened. Tristan Sterling took Melissa from Rachel’s arms and held her, gently patting her back.

Having just woken up, Melissa was feeling clingy and wanted to be held.

Tristan Sterling held her for a while, his usual cold, imposing aura replaced by the gentle, doting tenderness of a loving father.

"Let’s go wash your face first, okay?" the man asked softly.

Melissa nodded lightly, and Tristan Sterling took her to the bathroom to wash her face.

The nanny prepared a cup of milk for her.

Melissa stood in front of her father, holding the cup with both hands and sipping through a straw, while Tristan Sterling skillfully combed her hair and tied it into braids.

Rachel Royce sat on a nearby stool, quietly watching the scene unfold before her.

Once Melissa was all tidied up, she was back to being a cheerful little angel.

But Tristan Sterling was preparing to leave with Melissa.

"This is a hospital. Melissa can’t stay here for too long."

Rachel Royce looked at Tristan Sterling. He sensed her gaze and glanced sideways at her.

’What was there not to understand?’

’Tristan Sterling was deliberately taking Melissa away.’

Melissa didn’t want to go. "No, no, I want to stay with Aunt Evelynn."

Tristan Sterling said, "Be good, Melissa. If you get sick, you’ll have to get shots and take medicine, and you’ll be stuck at home and won’t be able to go anywhere."

Melissa pouted, clearly scared by Tristan Sterling’s words. "Melissa doesn’t want to take medicine."

"If you don’t want to take medicine, then let’s go home."

Melissa turned to look at Rachel Royce.

Rachel Royce forced herself to speak. "Melissa, you should go home for now. When Auntie is better, you can come visit me again."

’If Tristan Sterling wanted to take Melissa, she couldn’t stop him, even if she wanted to.’

’Melissa was still too young to spend so much time in a hospital anyway.’

Once the nanny finished packing, Tristan Sterling left, carrying Melissa.

Rachel Royce sat stunned on the sofa, watching the door close. She felt an empty, hollow ache, as if her heart had been scooped out.

’She knew it wouldn’t be so easy to see Melissa again after this.’

A sudden ache gripped her heart. The tip of her nose tingled, and her eyes reddened uncontrollably.

Sometime later, Thomas Sterling called.

Rachel Royce was lying in bed.

"What’s wrong?"

Thomas Sterling heard the strange note in her voice.

Rachel Royce sat up. "It’s nothing. I was just resting."

"I’m off the high-speed train. What’s the address?"

Rachel Royce gave Thomas Sterling the address.

She had just hung up the phone when Julian Jennings pushed the door open and walked in. He immediately saw Rachel Royce’s eyes, which were clearly puffy from crying. "What happened? Did they take Melissa?"

Rachel Royce nodded. "Tristan Sterling took her away."

Julian Jennings, of course, guessed what had happened. "What did he say to you when he came?"

Rachel Royce reached for a tissue and sniffled. After calming herself, she said, "We need to keep a close eye on the follow-up work for Procare."

Julian Jennings frowned. "He threatened you."

Rachel Royce gave a sarcastic smile. "It’s only normal for him to threaten me. After all, the woman he cherishes so much got slapped."

Julian Jennings said, "This is Athera. It’s not so easy for him to think he can control everything."

Rachel Royce just hummed in agreement.

The atmosphere grew silent.

Julian Jennings looked at her. ’Of course, he understood that she wasn’t so upset because of the threat. It was because Tristan Sterling probably wouldn’t let Melissa see her again.’