She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 212

Just before New Year's Eve.

The streets of Havenworth City were bustling with holiday life.

Hilda sat in the back of the Judson family's luxury SUV, utterly silent.

The driver, an old retainer of the family, still respectfully called her 'Madam.' He asked how she had been lately.

"I'm surviving," she replied with a tight nod.

The driver didn't press further, focusing intently on the road.

He wanted to get her to his young master's side as quickly as possible. In his heart, he clung to the desperate fantasy that perhaps her presence would be the miracle Harrell needed to wake up.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up to the hospital entrance.

Hilda hurried out and practically ran upstairs. Her husband was lying in one of those sterile rooms.

...

The VIP ward on the second floor was deathly quiet.

The man lay there exactly as he had for months.

His features were still as striking as ever, but he had wasted away to a painfully thin silhouette, resting motionless beneath the sheets.

Hilda gripped the door handle and shut it with a soft click. The private nurse on duty immediately made herself scarce—clearly, she had been briefed beforehand.

The room belonged to just the two of them now.

She walked over slowly, sinking into the chair beside his bed. She lifted his lifeless hand, pressing his palm flush against her cheek.

Staring at his face, she fought a desperate battle against her own tears.

"The holidays are almost here... I wanted to see you."

"How are you holding up?"

"Does it still hurt anywhere?"

She leaned over, resting her body gently against his side.

"Harrell, I miss you so much."

"Especially when it snows... I can't stop thinking about you. I keep pretending the accident never happened. That you're perfectly fine, and we're taking Annie and Landon on a ski trip. Landon would laugh so hard in your arms. Did you know? His baby teeth are coming in. He has the sweetest smile. He's starting to say 'Mama' and 'Dada,' and he knows exactly how to act cute to get his way. Your mother is doing an incredible job raising him."

"Harrell, Landon is your son."

"He will always be your son."

"I want nothing more than to stay by your side."

"I just want to be your wife for the rest of my life."

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her voice trembled violently.

Because of her tears, she completely missed the moment the man in the bed slowly opened his eyes.

His hand was being clutched against her cheek.

Her dark hair brushed against his jaw.

He could feel her warmth, hear the agonizing break in her voice, and feel the softness of her skin. Yet, he couldn't wrap his arms around her. Not yet. Since waking up, he had only allowed one person to see him: Sebastian.

Sebastian had briefed him on the grim reality of the Judson Corporation.

Half of the company was currently in Luther's clutches.

And Harrell was still trapped in a ruined, broken body.

If he let Hilda know he was awake—if word reached Luther—it would only put a target on her back and accelerate her suffering. All he could do was lie there in agonizing silence, listening to her pour out her heart. God, he wanted to touch her face. He wanted to pull her into his chest. But he couldn't. He had to conserve his strength, orchestrate everything from the shadows, and prepare to whisk Hilda and the children far away from this nightmare.

They would go abroad. Somewhere beautiful and quiet.

Somewhere Luther couldn't touch them.

He knew Hilda was tormented by the choices she'd had to make.

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