Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 198: Desmond’s visits the hospital

~At Jessica’s Mansion~

Jessica nodded lightly at Davis’s suggestion, mentally noting to send a message to her the Santiagos’ later in the day.

The buzz and noise surrounding the fashion week had already disrupted their morning, so rather than return to bed, she decided to get up and make productive use of the time.

She headed to the walk-in closet and began sorting their luggage in preparation for Davis’s upcoming business trip. It was expected to last a week, and she preferred having everything ready ahead of time.

Midway through her packing, Jessica paused and picked up her phone again. She scrolled to the contact of one of her trusted subordinates—someone she had placed in charge of watching over Elder Allen at the hospital. She dialed the number, and after a few rings, the young lady picked up the call.

"How is he doing?" Jessica asked in a calm, low voice, mindful not to disturb Davis.

"He’s awake now," the young woman replied quietly, trying to avoid attracting attention from others. "Still weak, but stable. Alfred went home to prepare his meal."

Jessica exhaled softly, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "Good. Keep me updated."

She ended the call and put her phone aside. Then, without wasting time, she returned to organizing the clothes and essentials for the trip.

~At the hospital~

After ending the call, Linda placed her phone back into her pocket and returned to Elder Allen’s ward. She opened the door gently and found the old man wide awake, his eyes slowly following her movements.

"You’re awake?" she asked gently, walking over to his bedside. Her voice carried genuine concern.

She moved closer to check his vitals. After confirming everything was within a normal range, she sighed in relief and adjusted the nutrient drip connected to his arm.

Elder Allen opened his dry mouth to speak, but his voice was hoarse and strained. Seeing this, Linda quickly reached for a glass of water and helped him take a few sips.

"How’s Alfred?" he managed to ask after swallowing, his voice still raspy.

"He went home to get your meal," she replied softly. "He’ll be back shortly."

Elder Allen gave a tired sigh. "Have Davis and Jessica returned?" he asked weakly, his eyes dim with longing.

"Old man, you really shouldn’t be worrying so much," Linda said, pulling the chair beside his bed and sitting down. "Your health matters more. They wouldn’t be happy seeing you like this."

She looked at the frail man with mixed emotions. Though she worked in the Allen household, her loyalty had never truly belonged there.

Jessica had secretly sent her in during the early days of her marriage, instructing her to stay undercover as a maid. Alfred had attempted to look into her background but found nothing suspicious—her profile revealed only that she was an orphan.

Over time, however, Linda had come to respect Elder Allen. Despite his powerful status, he was kind and humble. Unlike many of the arrogant members of the Allen family, he treated even the lowest staff with dignity. Watching him now, so helpless and vulnerable, stirred a sense of guilt and protectiveness in her.

"What about Desmond?" Elder Allen asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Before Linda could respond, the door swung open with a faint creak. Desmond stepped inside holding a stainless-steel food flask. His face bore a faint smile, but there was a coldness in his eyes that didn’t go unnoticed.

"Dad, how are you feeling today?" Desmond asked casually, walking over to set the flask on the table beside the bed.

Elder Allen didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at his son, his gaze unreadable. Something about Desmond felt different—darker. The aura around him was no longer the same as before.

"Dad, won’t you speak to me?" Desmond asked again, smirking. "Still upset about our last conversation?"

Elder Allen clenched his fists beneath the sheets but said nothing. He wasn’t going to give Desmond the satisfaction of knowing how troubled he felt. Still, his instincts screamed a warning. Something wasn’t right.

"Sir, should I serve the food?" Linda asked, turning to Elder Allen but keeping a careful eye on Desmond.

Her voice broke the tension in the room, and Desmond’s attention shifted to her. But Elder Allen felt his pulse quicken. Could he trust Linda? Was she truly on his side or secretly aligned with Desmond?

"Am... not... eat...ing," Elder Allen stammered, forcing the words out with difficulty.

Desmond chuckled. "Dad, you’ve been living off nutrients for days. It’s time to eat something solid." He leaned back, arms crossed, the smirk never leaving his lips.

Linda slowly opened the flask. The smell of the dish was rich and flavorful, quickly filling the room with a tempting aroma. Under different circumstances, Elder Allen might have been eager to eat—but now, he could barely trust his own breath, let alone the food brought in by Desmond.

Desmond gave Linda a mock-polite nod. "Go on. Feed him. He’s too weak to hold the spoon."

Linda took a deep breath, masking her discomfort, and scooped the first few spoonfuls into a small bowl. But instead of feeding Elder Allen, she turned to Desmond and held it out to him.

"It’s been a long time since you’ve shared a meal with your father," she said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m sure it would mean a lot if you have meal with him while I feed him from the one in the flask."

Desmond’s smirk vanished. He waved his hand in refusal, but the motion was sharp and reckless. The plate in Linda’s hand slipped and fell to the ground with a loud clatter. In the confusion, Linda stepped backward, accidentally knocking over the entire flask. The rest of the food spilled across the floor.

The room fell silent.

Desmond’s face darkened with fury. "You stupid girl!" he barked, stepping forward with his hand raised ready to strike her hard.

At that exact moment, the door opened again. Alfred entered, pausing in surprise at the scene before him. Linda quickly rushed to him, hiding slightly behind his shoulder like a frightened child.

"What’s going on here?" Alfred asked, eyeing Desmond with suspicion. "Why are you trying to hit her?"

Desmond pointed at the spilled food on the floor. "She threw away the meal I brought for Dad."

Alfred looked from Desmond to Linda and then to the mess on the ground. "Calm down," he said firmly. "I’m sure it was an accident. Ladies are often clumsy. Don’t take it to heart."

Desmond’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. After a few tense seconds, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the ward without another word.

As the door closed behind him, Linda stepped out from behind Alfred and stood quietly beside Elder Allen. The old man looked at her, his gaze full of questions.

"Was she afraid of Desmond too?" he wondered. "Was she pretending... or truly trying to protect me?"

He wanted answers—needed them. But for now, he was too weak to ask. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

He would wait. Sooner or later, he would uncover the truth.He wouldn’t want to intimate Alfred on the actual situation.

Linda quickly bent down to clean up the food that had spilled all over the floor. She had done it on purpose. It was the only way she could protect Elder Allen at that moment.

She knew Desmond’s behavior was suspicious, and there was something about the food that didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t know for sure if the food was poisoned or not, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Elder Allen was already weak, and one wrong step could be dangerous for him.

After carefully picking up the pieces of the broken plate and wiping the floor clean, she gently placed the empty flask to the side. She made sure to put it somewhere she could easily grab later.

Her plan was to send it to Jessica secretly. Jessica could run tests on the food and check if it had anything harmful in it. Linda also wanted to ask Jessica to make arrangements for better protection around Elder Allen, especially now that Desmond was acting more boldly.

Even though her heart was still beating fast from the tense scene earlier, Linda stayed calm on the outside. She knew she had to be careful—one wrong move could expose her. For now, all she could do was protect Elder Allen in every way she could, and wait for the right moment to report everything to Jessica.

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