The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 59

"If you don't mind, could you tell me exactly what's going on?"

Hunter offered a gentle smile, looking incredibly relieved.

"To be honest, Maddy, I was terrified you were going to shoot me down again."

"Thank god you didn't."

"Only strangers keep a perfect ledger of favors. I'm just glad I'm not a stranger to you."

Madeline froze, lowering her gaze to stare at the back of her hands.

"Hunter, I just don't want to rely on anyone else. It has nothing to do with you."

Pinning your hopes on others was the fastest way to get your heart broken.

And once that disappointment set in, resentment and confusion would inevitably poison the relationship.

Hunter's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He couldn't fully read Madeline's expression, but he could feel the crushing weight of her sorrow.

Behind his glasses, his eyes darkened with unspoken intensity.

A moment later, Madeline looked up, her usual stoic mask perfectly reassembled.

"My friend has a one-year-old daughter. She was born prematurely with a congenital ventricular septal defect—a moderate-sized hole in her heart. The surgery itself isn't horribly complex, but she's so tiny. If there are any complications, it will ruin the rest of her life."

"So, we desperately need the absolute best pediatric expert available."

As she spoke, Madeline unconsciously dug her nails into her palms.

Even just mentioning Evie's condition sent a suffocating wave of despair crashing over her.

But the cruelest irony was that this was her own flesh and blood, yet she couldn't even care for her daughter out in the open.

Finishing her explanation, Madeline turned away and stared out the window, hiding the hot tears welling in her eyes.

Ever since Evie got sick, she felt like she was constantly on the verge of shattering.

Hunter caught the raw grief in her eyes through the rearview mirror and quietly pulled the car to the curb.

"Maddy, that little girl is going to be perfectly fine."

Madeline snapped out of her daze and collected herself. Just as she was about to speak, someone tapped sharply on the passenger window.

The door was forcefully yanked open, and York leaned in, glaring down at her.

Hearing that, Madeline stopped fighting him.

She cast a suspicious glance at York's deadly serious expression, a knot of confusion forming in her stomach.

During his two years in San Francisco, York had never cared about social obligations. He hadn't even bothered to come home, for god's sake.

Yet now, he was suddenly playing the devoted family man.

After a few steps, York threw a glance back at the Porsche. The man inside met his gaze, flashed a ghost of a smirk, and slowly drove off.

A vicious surge of jealousy clawed at York's chest.

There was no way this was a coincidence. How did Madeline manage to bump into Hunter everywhere she went?

The Capital wasn't that small, was it?

Half an hour later, York and Madeline walked into the downtown hospital.

Stepping into the elevator, York forcefully laced his fingers through hers. When she shot him a furious glare, he leaned in.

"Ms. Monroe, it's time to put on our show for the public. You said it yourself this morning—faking intimacy in front of others is perfectly acceptable."