Chapter 8

Early the next morning, Gavin drove me to the hospital to visit my mom. When we arrived at her room, we found it empty. The bed was made, and there was no sign of her belongings. Panic surged in my chest as I grabbed a passing nurse. "Excuse me, where's the patient from Room 603?" "The patient from Room 603?" The nurse pointed down the hallway. "She was transferred to a VIP suite earlier this morning." I froze for a moment, then turned to Gavin. "Did you arrange for my mom to be moved to a VIP room?" Gavin hesitated briefly before nodding. "Of course. Who else would it be?" A wave of gratitude filled me. "Thank you, honey." Securing a regular room at Starlight Hospital was already difficult, let alone a VIP suite. Even the regular room had been obtained through Gavin's connections. Elizabeth's late-stage liver cancer had severely disrupted her sleep, and the elderly woman in the next bed often groaned in pain through the night, making it worse. Alex had tried to arrange for a more comfortable room for her, but VIP suites were always fully booked. I hadn't expected Gavin to go out of his way for Elizabeth like this. The frustration I had felt over Mandy's drama yesterday dissipated instantly. "There's no need to thank me," Gavin said with a soft chuckle, taking my hand as we walked toward the VIP suite. Looking up at his handsome profile, I felt a stir of emotion and finally resolved to tell him. "Gavin, there's something I need to tell you." I hadn't shared the news of my pregnancy yesterday because of the tension over Mandy. But now that everything had been cleared up, I didn't want to keep it from him any longer. "What is it?" he asked. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when I heard Alex's voice from inside the VIP suite. "Mr. White, I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for you, my mom wouldn't have been able to move into this VIP suite." "It's no trouble at all," Tom replied casually, his voice carrying clearly into the hallway. I turned to Gavin, surprised. "Did you ask Tom to help with this?" Gavin hesitated again, then nodded with some reluctance. "Yes." I frowned in confusion—why would he hesitate over such a simple question? Before I could think further, Gavin pushed the door open and walked in. "Gavin?" Alex's tone immediately turned icy as he spotted Gavin. "Oh, so you finally decided to show up?" Alex had never gotten along with Gavin, especially after our marriage. He felt Gavin didn't treat me well enough, which only deepened his dislike for him. Gavin ignored Alex and turned to Elizabeth, who was propped up in bed. "Mom, how are you feeling?" "Gavin, you're here? I'm fine now, don't worry about me." Elizabeth smiled weakly at him, her face still pale from the previous day's scare. "Gracie told me what happened yesterday." Gavin's voice was warm and steady as he approached her bedside. "I'm so sorry for making you worry." True to his reputation as a savvy businessman, Gavin skillfully reassured Elizabeth with just a few words, clearing up any lingering concerns about the scandal. Relieved, Elizabeth smiled faintly. "As long as you and Grace are fine, that's all that matters." With his purpose accomplished, Gavin turned to Tom with a grin. "What brings you here?" "I was visiting a friend and happened to run into Mrs. Summers. Thought I'd stop by to check on her," Tom replied, his tone light and casual. He tilted his head slightly in my direction, adding with a lazy smile, "Plus, I heard from Grace about her struggles with the room situation, so I pulled a few strings." I looked at Tom, confused. I hadn't mentioned anything about the room to him yesterday. Wait. Realization dawned on me. It was Tom, not Gavin, who had arranged for Elizabeth to be moved to the VIP suite. Gavin must have noticed the shift in my expression because his face showed a flicker of embarrassment. He raised a hand to rub his nose, clearly trying to play it off. Then he patted Tom on the shoulder. "Thanks, buddy." Tom brushed off Gavin's hand, his smile tinged with amusement. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I only did it for Grace's sake." "You're impossible," Gavin muttered with a wry smile. The two of them left the room shortly after, likely to talk elsewhere. Meanwhile, I busied myself washing the fruit Gavin had brought, cutting it into small pieces for Elizabeth to eat more easily. "Did you and Gavin argue yesterday?" Elizabeth asked worriedly. Afraid she would worry, I quickly shook my head. "No, we didn't." "That's good," she let out a soft sigh, her voice tinged with melancholy. "You and Gavin should stay well together. If I'm no longer here, he's the one you'll have to rely on." "Mom," my nose stung, and my eyes began to blur with unshed tears. "Don't say things like that. You'll live a long life." Elizabeth gave a weak smile, her eyes filled with longing and reluctance for the world. "Yes, you're right. I still need to see your wedding, Gracies. I need to see you have a baby." I held her hand tightly, taking a deep breath before sharing my news, hoping to lift her spirits. "Mom, I'm pregnant." "What?" Elizabeth and Alex said in unison. "Gracie, what did you just say?" Alex, who had been casually scrolling through his phone, suddenly jumped to his feet and walked over to me, his gaze fixed incredulously on my stomach. Under his intense stare, I instinctively placed a hand over my belly and nodded with a smile. "Yes, I just found out yesterday." "That's amazing!" Elizabeth's joy was palpable as her face lit up. "Does Gavin know yet?" "I haven't had the chance to tell him." "How could you keep such big news from him?" Elizabeth said, brimming with excitement. "Don't just stand there—go and tell Gavin right away." Unable to argue with her, I left the room to find Gavin. But after searching the hospital and not finding him or Tom, I was about to call him when a familiar, low voice stopped me in my tracks. "Did Mandy get divorced because of you?" It was Tom, but his tone lacked its usual lazy charm. Instead, it carried a sharp edge, almost interrogative in its intensity. There was a long pause, as though the question had stunned the other party. Then, I heard Gavin's quiet response. "Yes." The smile froze on my face. My body stiffened as if all the blood in my veins had turned to ice. I stood rooted to the spot, feeling as though I had been plunged into a frozen abyss.