The Ex-Wife He Can’t Have novel Chapter 52

They arrived at the rehabilitation center, which housed the children who had already undergone surgery and were receiving physical therapy.

There weren't many left—only nine in total, and volunteers had already taken eight of them home.

Mallory mentioned there was one little girl left who had recently finished her surgery, making her a bit more complicated to handle.

Jillian braced herself, assuming the girl might be physically disabled, unable to care for herself, or perhaps suffering from severe behavioral issues.

But as Mallory explained, she was simply withdrawn and didn't like to speak.

"Stella," Mallory called out as they walked into the completely deserted rehabilitation center.

Mallory called out again softly.

"Where is she?" Jillian whispered.

Mallory pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for her to be quiet.

"Stella is a bit timid. Usually, there are a lot of other kids here, but now that they've all been taken away, she's the only one left. She's probably hiding."

Mallory walked forward, continuously calling out Stella's name.

Jillian followed closely behind. Suddenly, she felt a gaze fixed on her. She turned her head and spotted a little girl tucked away in the narrow space between the playpen and the wall.

It had to be Stella.

Jillian approached quietly. Peering through the gaps in the bars, she asked in a soft voice, "Are you Stella?"

The little girl had a tiny frame and was curled up in the corner. Her face was cast in shadow, leaving only her large, luminous eyes visible. She stared back timidly, looking exactly like a newborn fawn.

For some inexplicable reason, Jillian's heart skipped a beat as the image of holding Connor right after he was born flashed through her mind.

"I'm here to pick you up. Would you like to come home with me?"

Stella remained utterly silent. She didn't budge, only staring blankly at Jillian.

A suffocating wave of despair washed over Jillian's heart.

"Her heart surgery was highly successful, so she just needs proper rehabilitation. The doctors said that with good care, she'll be just like any other healthy kid. But since she doesn't speak, if she doesn't get adopted, she'll eventually have to go back to the orphanage."

As Jillian listened to Mallory, she suddenly noticed Stella's eyes repeatedly darting toward the floor.

She spotted Barnaby the Bear lying just inside the playpen.

Her stuffed animal must have fallen in. Unable to reach it and unwilling to ask for help, she was simply standing guard over it.

Her parents had abandoned her, but she still refused to abandon her bear.

Jillian stretched her arm as far as she could, snagging the bear through the gaps in the bars and gently holding it out to her.

"Is this what you were looking for?"