Chapter 2

The atmosphere was cold and stifling. Jolene clutched her chest as her heart pounded. Shifting slightly, she tentatively asked, "A-Are you awake?" The man lay with his eyes open for a long time without moving or making a sound. Jolene cautiously reached out and covered his eyes, feeling a slight itch in her palm as Steven slowly closed his eyes. She flipped over and sat on the edge of the bed, breaking into a cold sweat. After coming back to her senses, she grabbed her sleeve and wiped the lipstick mark off Steven's face. Then, she nervously tucked him in with the covers. Steven still hadn't woken up. Jolene reassured herself that it must have been an unconscious reflex of a comatose person. The sound she thought she had heard earlier must have been a hallucination. She sat by the bed, bored. As the night deepened, she covered her mouth and yawned, unknowingly falling asleep at some point. In the middle of the night, she curled up tightly from the cold and dreamed again of that snowy night in the mountains years ago. It had been just as cold when she had been trapped. Jolene turned over in her sleep and instinctively hugged the warm body beside her, missing the moment when Steven opened his eyes once more. When dawn broke, Jolene was awakened by a commotion. She opened her eyes and saw Rita standing by the bed with a basin. "Mrs. Welsh, please wash Mr. Welsh up." "Me?" "That's of course." "Who used to do it?" Steven had been in a coma for a month. "It was the nurse, but how can an outsider compare to his wife?" Rita's tone was firm, leaving no room for rebellion. Dressed in a white wedding dress, Jolene bit her lip and reluctantly took the towel from Rita. She wrung it out and gently wiped Steven's face. He kept his eyes closed, and not even his eyelashes fluttered. Last night's incident really was an illusion. Jolene blushed as she couldn't ignore his good looks. Rita supervised her closely as she wiped over Steven's brows, lips, neck, and chest. She covered every inch of his skin, including his fingers. "Mr. Welsh likes to be clean, so you must be thorough. After wiping, apply body lotion to keep the skin moisturized. Massage his entire body day and night to prevent muscle atrophy." Rita's eyes were sharp, and Jolene had no choice but to comply. She could only remind herself to imagine Steven as one of the patients she used to treat. With this thought in mind, her actions became more meticulous and professional. Rita nodded approvingly when she saw that. Jolene pressed on Steven's wrist, carefully unfolding his fingers and wiping them with the towel. His fingers were fair and flawless with distinct joints. "Hmm?" Jolene murmured. She was puzzled to feel the strong and steady pulse. "What's wrong?" Rita asked. Jolene shook her head. Rita then calmly added, "You're legally married to Mr. Welsh. I've been there, so nothing to worry about." She handed Jolene another towel. "You're left with wiping his private parts." Private parts? Jolene's face flushed so hard as she repeatedly reminded herself that Seven was just a patient. Gabriel Ashton used to say that a great doctor should be calm and focused. She needed to remain detached and treat every patient as if they were mere objects. Jolene took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling the heat from her breath. She hesitantly reached under the covers with the towel, moving it downward along Steven's abdomen and sensing his toned muscles even through the thin fabric. Her mind was dazed as she thought to herself that Steven's looks and physique were truly extraordinary. He was the perfect sample for acupuncture practice. A cool hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. A weak but firm male voice tinged with annoyance sounded. "No need… to wipe down there." The basin in Rita's hands dropped to the floor with a clang. After a brief pause, she screamed and ran out of the room, "Madam Daphne, Mr. Welsh is awake!" Was Steven awake? Jolene's heart raced. She turned to look at the man lying on the bed. His eyes the color of obsidian were filled with coldness and wrath as they stared straight at her. Jolene held the towel. Her voice grew softer as she stammered, "I… I was just following Rita's instructions to wipe you." "Last night." Steven's voice was hoarse, and his gaze was icy as he said slowly in an accusing tone, "You stole kisses from me, many times." Jolene froze, her entire body stiffening. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into and hide from embarrassment. … Footsteps filled the corridor as the entire villa was in chaos. The bedroom was soon filled with doctors in white coats, pushing out anyone who wasn't involved. Jolene exhaled deeply. She stood in the corner and stared at the closed door, feeling a sense of relief. At last, she wouldn't have to face Steven alone anymore. "Madam Daphne is here." "Madam Daphne." The crowd in the corridor made way for a woman in a plain gown with a dignified air to walk over and look at Jolene. She was Steven's biological mother, the wife of the second branch, Daphne Foley. Jolene instinctively straightened her back, feeling a little nervous. "You've done well." Daphne held her hand and repeatedly expressed her gratitude. "It's all thanks to you that Steven woke up." She hadn't expected what she had thought to be a hopeless endeavor to work out. Then, she took off a gold bracelet from her wrist and placed it in Jolene's hand. "Madam Daphne, this is too much!" Daphne patted her hand, saying, "Don't worry about it child, take it. This is a gift to my daughter-in-law." Jolene pursed her dry lips, forcing a smile. "Madam Daphne, I'm not the Patel family's…" "I know. The Patel family sent an adopted daughter, thinking the second branch was losing power. But we're still better off than most families out there. Steven still holds a major project, and there's always a chance for a comeback…" She paused, then continued, "Anyway, you're my only daughter-in-law from today on." Daphne sized up Jolene's appearance and temperament. She felt more satisfied the longer she looked. "We're handing Steven over to your care. You're blessed, and I hope he'll be influenced too. I'm your mom from now on. "He has a sister who went to church to pray for him, and his dad is busy cleaning up the mess. We'll have a proper family meal someday." Jolene saw the sincerity in Daphne's eyes and started tearing up. It turned out that not all mothers in the world were selfish. People in the countryside often said she was a kryptonite. They called her names including a disaster and a jinx. They said she cursed her father to death, and her mother ran away with a rich man. It was the first time someone told her she was blessed. With a creak, the door to the master bedroom opened. The lead doctor took off his stethoscope and mask, saying, "Mr. Welsh's bodily functions are gradually recovering, and his brain nerve functions haven't been damaged. "But his leg bone marrow has multiple hematomas, and he has no sensation in his legs. There's a high risk if we carry out surgery." "So, his legs can't be treated?" Daphne was in disbelief, pressing for answers. "Yes, Mr. Welsh's legs are paralyzed, which affects his fertility," the doctor bluntly stated. "I'm very sorry. Unless…" He adjusted his glasses. "Unless we find Gabriel Ashton, the national medical sage. He had a successful case of treatment, but he retired and went to live in seclusion. No one has known his whereabouts for years. The chances are slim." Daphne's face was filled with despair. Who in the world could find Gabriel now? A trace of doubt flashed in Jolene's eyes. Steven's legs were clearly… She hesitated and wondered if she should say something when the phone in her pocket vibrated.