Chapter 8
My gaze locked onto Chloe, but she still wouldn’t speak.
Maverick stopped looking at her too.
Instead, he turned his attention back to that stack of chat records.
Just as he was about to set Bella down, he saw white foam continuously flowing from the corners of her mouth.
Both Maverick and I went pale. “Bella!”
I was terrified–Bella must not have gotten all of Derek’s poison out of her system!
Maverick ran outside carrying Bella and got into a police car.
Officers rushed to drive them to the hospital.
I was so scared I felt like my soul might scatter, overwhelmed with fear.
“Bella just got rescued–she can’t have something else happen to her.”
But Bella in Maverick’s arms had her eyes tightly closed, her chest barely rising and falling.
Maverick lowered his head and gently nuzzled
Belling
a soft promise.
“Bella, I swear I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His eyes were already red and swollen from tears.
I stayed quietly by Bella’s side the whole way, afraid I’d miss even one of her breaths.
I followed all the way until the emergency room door closed in front of me and the red light came on.
Only then did I realize where I was.
“So before, it wasn’t that I couldn’t leave the villa–I couldn’t get far from Bella.”
I stared straight at that closed emergency room door.
I didn’t go in, but instead turned to sit beside the quiet Maverick.
He sat there motionless with his head hanging low, like he was frozen in place.
I rarely saw him look so fragile and powerless.
“Bella will be fine. This isn’t your fault.”
I spoke as if talking to myself, trying to comfort him.
Maverick seemed to sense something and looked up, his eyes full of bloodshot veins.
He reached toward his left sleeve.
“Paisley, you have to protect Bella and keep her safe.”
Hours later, the emergency light went out and the doors opened.
Chapter 8
I quickly looked over as a doctor walked briskly toward us.
“The child is out of danger and has been moved to a regular room. She needs to stay for observation for two days.”
“If she’s fine after two days, she can be discharged.”
My anxious heart finally settled, and Maverick let out a long breath too.
I followed Maverick to Bella’s room.
I checked that Bella was sleeping peacefully, and my heart calmed down with her.
“Bella, it’s okay now. Everything will be better from now on.”
As I spoke, I habitually went to tuck her blanket.
But then Maverick’s hand came through mine and landed on the corner of the blanket I’d tried to touch.
He gently tucked Bella’s blanket properly while I silently pulled my hand back.
I comforted myself. “Maverick will take good care of Bella for me.”
Maverick took off his jacket and sat on the nearby bed.
He pulled out his phone to send messages, but my attention fell on his left wrist.
A red safety cord that had been hidden under his jacket sleeve was now visible.
“You’re still wearing the safety charm I got for you.”
I looked at the familiar red cord, speaking with some bewilderment.
“I thought when I got married, you threw away everything connected to me.”
Maverick acted like he could hear me and put down his phone.
He raised his hand to gently touch the red cord, but he didn’t respond to my words.
Instead, he looked at the safety pendant hanging from the cord, his voice steady and firm.
“Paisley, I promise you I’ll adopt Bella and take good care of her.”
His expression was serious, as if looking at the cord meant looking at me.
“Paisley, I swear I’ll bring Derek to justice.”
I rubbed my tearless eyes and nodded seriously back at him.
“I believe you. I’ve always believed in you.”
Just then, Maverick’s phone lit up with an incoming message.
I leaned over to look–it was from his assistant.
[Mr. Rhodes, the adoption paperwork has been assigned to someone to handle.]
[The latest case developments have been synced to your email for you to check anytime.]
Maverick took a deep breath and opened his email.
Chapter 9
