Shredded Vows: The Billionaire’s Secret Heir novel Chapter 53

Four-year-old Gigi was delirious with fever in her mother's arms. Her little face was flushed crimson, her eyes barely open, and her tiny body was terrifyingly limp.

Even her breaths felt like gusts of hot air, a sight that broke Lydia's heart.

"Mommy... I don't feel good..." The little girl's sweet voice cracked with a sob.

"Don't be scared, Sweetie. Mommy's right here. The doctor will make it all better." Lydia clenched her jaw, forcing her tone to remain soft and soothing.

Bursting into the examination room, she couldn't hide her panic. "Doctor, please look at my daughter! She's burning up!"

"Alright, lay her flat on the bed," the doctor instructed, quickly gathering his equipment. "Did she eat anything unusual? Did she catch a chill?"

Zoe instantly provided the details. "She said she was hot while playing and took her jacket off. That was only about half an hour ago."

"That explains the chill," the experienced pediatrician nodded, taking Gigi's temperature. "In this weather, you can't take off layers, even if the sun is out."

Zoe's expression twisted with immense guilt.

"Mommy, it hurts..." Gigi's voice was raspy, fragile as a leaf in the wind. "I'm hot... I want water."

"Just a moment," the doctor said gently, examining the little girl. He checked her throat and pressed gently on her fingertips.

Lydia and Zoe stood glued to her side, their hearts in their throats.

That same night, just outside in the hallway.

Serena Sterling was struggling to support her friend, Lily West. Lily was leaning most of her weight onto Serena. "Just hold on a little longer! We're almost there!"

The two women hobbled toward the adult emergency room.

"How did you even manage this? You're so careless. Just bear with it, we're almost at the door," Serena muttered, though her tone held genuine concern.

"There was a banana peel on the steps. I didn't see it..." Lily gritted her teeth, cold sweat dripping down her forehead from the agony. "My luck is terrible. I think it's broken. God, I hope I don't need surgery... I just passed my job interview."

"You're injured like this, and you're thinking about work?" Serena scoffed. "Worry about not having permanent damage. We'll see what the doctor says."

"Mommy... I don't want the needle... Take it out, take it out..." Gigi laid in Lydia's arms, her bottom lip trembling as tears welled in her eyes.

Lydia held her daughter close against the headboard while Zoe tucked the blankets around them.

An IV drip was already hooked up to the back of the little girl's hand. The thin, icy needle was securely taped into her delicate vein.

Lydia's heart ached at the sight. She was consumed by a suffocating dread, wishing more than anything that she could take her daughter's place and endure the sickness herself.

Patting Gigi's small shoulder, she whispered, "Be a good girl, Sweetie. Once the medicine goes in, your fever will go away, and Mommy can take you home. The doctors and nurses are just trying to help you feel better."

The little girl whimpered softly, trying her best to be brave.

"Mommy will blow on it. Don't cry, baby." Lydia took her daughter's hand and blew on it gently.

A tidal wave of guilt washed over her as she stroked Gigi's burning cheek. Every tear her daughter shed felt like a knife twisting in her own heart.