“I know what happened.” Zachary saved Charlotte from wondering. His brows furrowed in a knit as he questioned, “Are you out of your mind? What makes you think that it's okay to not only hide such a serious problem from me but also seek treatment by yourself?”
Charlotte was momentarily disconcerted by the man's fury.
“Why didn't you tell me?” Still cupping her face, Zachary grunted the words through his gritted teeth, “Did you think I can't be of any help?”
“No—” Charlotte shook her head fervently.
“Then tell me why?” The man was seething with frustration. “Were you worried you'll be a burden to me?”
Still not saying a word, Charlotte continued to keep her head down.
“You're a silly woman!” Zachary held her in his arms tightly and bit into Charlotte's shoulder while doing so.
“It hurts!” Charlotte cried in pain.
“I meant it to! That's how you'll learn your lesson!”
Zachary was feeling a mix of emotions—he was feeling angry, worried, and guilty all at the same time.
“There I was, thinking your nosebleed was due to libido indulgence. And every time you woke up in the middle of the night, it was because of the pain, not nightmares. Each time you had to suffer in silence in the washroom all by yourself...” With each word he uttered, it was as though a dagger had pierced through his heart.
How could I not see that she was in so much pain? I'll not forgive myself if anything happens to her!
“But I'm better now. You see, Dr. Felch has found an effective treatment for me.” It pained Charlotte to see Zachary blaming himself for the condition she was in. “I've felt a lot better after only a few days of treatment. I'm sure I'll recover in no time if we continue the routine—”
“Dr. Felch is still in critical condition right now.” Zachary cut her off mid-sentence. His voice turned solemn. “He is badly injured. No one can guarantee when he will come to.”
“Huh?” Charlotte's eyes widened in astonishment.
We've finally made some progress, and now this happened. Worst of all, Dr. Felch was dragged into this mess because of me!
“Why didn't you let me know sooner?” Zachary's voice was full of self-reproach. “If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have let things like this happen to any of you.”
“I'm so sorry...” Charlotte, too, was guilt-ridden. “Will Dr. Felch be okay? This is all my fault. And Sam... Is he—”
“Sam is alright, apart from some minor scratches,” Raina explained carefully. “Mrs. Berry and Hayley are doing fine also. Dr. Felch, on the other hand, is still being monitored in the ICU.
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