Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 157: Emergency

The entire morning passed peacefully in the garden. The weather was perfect with the sunlight filtering gently through the trees, and a light breeze carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers swam through the garden.

Birds chirped in the distance, and the gentle rustle of leaves added a soothing background to the cheerful conversations happening around the table.

Laughter echoed between the stone walls of the garden as the family sat together enjoying their breakfast. They talked about everything and nothing, enjoying this rare moment of peace. It had been a long time since any of them had felt this relaxed.

Bella smiled warmly. She looked at Jessica and Elliot, her heart full and grateful. She still couldn’t believe she was able to reconnect with a blood relation.

Looking at Elliot, Jessica and Davis she was happy and promised herself to make the best of the moment.

Davis sat near her, sipping his tea, his leg stretched out carefully as he rested. Everyone had gathered here simply to enjoy each other’s company.

Then suddenly, the soft ringing of Jessica’s phone broke the calm. Everyone looked at her as she reached into her pocket with a slight frown. She glanced at the screen and sighed.

"It’s from the hospital," she said quietly before answering. "Hello, Dean," she greeted calmly. But her calmness didn’t last long.

"What did you just say?" Jessica’s voice suddenly turned sharp. She stood up, her chair screeching slightly against the stone floor. She quickly turned on the speaker and a male voice echoed through the garden.

"Lady Matilda went into shock this morning. She’s has been brought in into the hospital but her son had insisted you come immediately. He says you’re the only one he’ll trust to continue her treatment."

Jessica’s lips tightened. "Send me her full medical report while I head to the hospital to check on her situation and check if you can get your hands on the possible causes," she instructed quickly.

"Okay, I will do it right away," the voice replied before the call ended.

Jessica stood still, her eyes clouded with worry, a frown settling on her face as she analyzed the situation silently.

Lady Matilda had seemed fine yesterday. She had even spoken to her outside the testing center where she mentioned coming to see a friend. Later, she was called by the Dean informing her of their request for her to be the attending physician. Now, less than twenty-four hours later, she was in shock.

"Shock of what? What had happened? What had gone wrong?" She mused silently, her breathe coming in short gasps with nothing to say. She just stared at the garden path ahead of her, deep in thought.

Her heart pounding hard in her chest as an unfamiliar feeling she couldn’t understand rose in her chest. She felt restless and anxious following the news. A rare feeling of hers that can only surface with close ties like Davis, Bella, Richard or any one with a closer bound to herself. She had seen many patients, treated many emergencies—but this felt different, she felt herself deeply connected.

Davis watched her closely. He could see the concern in her eyes, the tightness in her jaw. Slowly, he reached out and took her hand in silence encouragement.

His small gesture brought her back from her trance. She looked down at their hands, then at him. His eyes were calm but serious as though in understanding of the gravity of the problem.

Davis could understand her unspoken word more than anyone seated at the garden with them at that moment. She had mentioned Lady Matilda to him before.

He still remembered her talking about the woman with concern and worry laced in her tone. Her worries evident at the inexplicable familiarity she felt toward her.

Davis had planned to ask Ethan to investigate the old woman following the extreme familiarity she had complained of. And now, hearing this sudden news, he felt a wave of dread settle in his chest.

Jessica is one who puts a clear-cut between friends and enemies and with Lady Matilda not falling into the class of her enemies she will put in her best effort though might not count her as a friend yet.

Jessica squeezed his hand lightly, her fingers cold. "Why does this feel so personal?" she whispered with emotion overwhelming.

"Maybe because it is," Davis answered quietly while Elliot, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. His voice was serious, but not unkind.

"If you’re this worried about her, go. But don’t be careless. You know the kind of enemies we’re dealing with at the moment. Take an unfamiliar car from the garage and keep a low profile."

Jessica nodded slowly. "I will and has always kept a low profile."

Bella’s voice came out almost in a whisper. "Should I come with you?" Jessica shook her head. "No, it’s better you stay here. I don’t know what I’m walking into yet."

"Just... be safe," Bella said, her voice laced with concern.

Jessica gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I will." She turned to leave and Davis followed her into the house asking for a brief moment with her before she storms off.

Recalling, the people behind he paused near the garden gate as looked over her shoulder one last time. "I’ll update you when I get there."

Bella and Elliot nodded in understanding watching as she disappeared into the house to prepare for her trip to the hospital.

The mood in the garden shifted. The lightness that had filled the morning faded, replaced with an uneasy silence. They sat in silence for a while longer, each of them lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Jessica changed into a dark hoodie and jeans. She picked out a black SUV that she rarely used, one that didn’t stand out.

Two guards followed her with one serving as the driver and the other on a motorcycle that could easily blend into the .sea of people.

As the car sped down the highway, she couldn’t shake the worry building inside her.

Her mind replaying yesterday’s meeting with Lady Matilda.

The old woman had looked at her with a strange intensity, her eyes searching. Then she had requested her to be her doctor, which was unusual since the hospital had many senior specialists.

" Why her? And now, she was in shock? Unresponsive?" Jessica’s emotion was unstable as she didn’t want to imagine the worst case scenario. Her phone buzzed with an incoming message.

It was the medical report from the hospital. She quickly opened it and scanned the details. Nothing stood out clearly. Yet her condition had collapsed so suddenly.

Could it be stress? Or... was she triggered by something—or someone?

~At the hospital~

The air was tense and stifling. Donald stood near the window of the private waiting lounge, watching the dean drop the phone on the table. The dean’s hand was slightly shaky, and his expression anxious.

Donald’s deep voice broke the silence, carrying an urgency that made the dean freeze in place. "Is she coming?" he asked, trying to remain calm. "How long will it take her to get here?"

The dean turned slowly, unsure how to answer. "She said she’s on her way," he replied, his voice low. "I’ve informed her of the situation as you requested. She didn’t waste time. She’ll be here soon."

Donald nodded, but his heart wasn’t calm. His fists clenched unconsciously at his sides.

He had asked Jessica to become Lady Matilda’s attending physician with one intention—to draw her closer pending the time to expose her identity.

Not just professionally, but personally. He had hoped that through her care and concern for his mother, they might begin to form a close bond.

And now, with Matilda hospitalized,he feared greatly that the situation might get out hand and then making their motive difficult to achieve.

He turned away from the window and sat down slowly, running a hand through his dark hair. His mind drifting back to just a few hours ago.

That morning had started like any other. Matilda had woken up early, as she always did, and taken her usual morning walk through the garden.

It was one of the few activities she still enjoyed every day. She had seemed happy. Peaceful. Her mood had been steady—no signs of her usual emotional swings. Her steps were firm, and she had even smiled when he greeted her by the rose bushes.

They had eaten breakfast together afterward. She had even complimented the chef and asked for her favorite fruit desert. Everything seemed fine.

But then... things changed. Right after breakfast, she had leaned back in her chair, one hand pressing against her chest.

"I feel... dizzy," she had whispered.

He had rushed to her side, concerned but trying not to panic. At first, he thought it might just be low blood pressure or fatigue. He offered to help her to her room, but the moment she tried to stand, her knees buckled. Her eyes rolled back, and her body tilted sideways.

He had barely caught her in time. If he had been even one second slower, she would have collapsed hard onto the floor. And the result, he wouldn’t dare to imagine because even now he still felt a shiver recalling the scene.