The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 163

She pressed her back against the door panel, covering her mouth with her hand, terrified of letting out a single sound.

Footsteps approached from the hallway and stopped nearby.

"Nurse, how is the patient?" It was Rhys's voice.

"Stable for now. mainly shock. The fainting was likely caused by low blood sugar, but we need to observe her. Where is the family?"

"Giving a statement. Sorry for the trouble, we'll coordinate the medical expenses later."

There was a rustle of fabric, as if someone was leaning against the wall right next to her door. Suddenly, the door handle depressed.

Clara flinched, snatching her hand back and clasping both hands behind her, gripping the flimsy slide lock for dear life.

"Eh? Why won't this door open?" came a janitor's voice, grumbling with a heavy accent. She rattled the handle vigorously. "I swear no one went in there just now. Ghosts, I tell ya."

"Someone might be inside," Rhys said. Through the thin composite wood, his voice sounded as if he were whispering directly into her ear.

The janitor banged on the door. "Hey! Anyone in there? I need my mop, open up!"

Clara held her breath, praying silently. If Rhys forced the door open, how would she explain this? Claim she was here for a checkup? Say she was just passing through? Neither lie would survive his scrutiny.

The woman banged again. "You hear me? Emergency room is screaming for a clean-up!"

"Why don't you grab gear from another floor's closet?" Rhys suggested calmly. " The door lock is probably jammed, and they need you urgently over there."

"Oh, alright, alright. What a hassle, having to haul water from upstairs..." The footsteps shuffled away, grumbling into the distance.

The janitor was gone, but Rhys didn't leave. He remained standing right outside the door.

Clara's phone buzzed. She pulled it out to see a text from Noah asking about her results. Clara typed back: [Haven't checked yet. Ran into Rhys. I'm hiding.]

Noah: [Where?]

[First floor cleaning closet.]

"Don't be afraid. He's on official business; he's too distracted to look for you. Come on, I'll take you to the ultrasound room."

-

Inside the ultrasound room, Noah stood outside the privacy curtain, his back to the exam bed. The probe, coated in coupling gel, sent a shiver through Clara as it touched her skin.

"Relax, don't be tense," said Dr. Ward, a retired specialist hired by the hospital who happened to be an old acquaintance of Noah's. She glanced at Clara's pale face. "First baby?"

Clara nodded.

Dr. Ward slid the probe across her abdomen, eyes fixed on the monitor. "There's a bit of fluid in the uterine cavity. You've had signs of threatened miscarriage before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"You need to be careful. The first trimester is the most unstable. Whether this pregnancy sticks depends entirely on how you handle this period."

From beyond the curtain, Noah interjected, "Professor Ward, I'll keep an eye on her."