Valentin pushed the door to the ward and saw Ashley sitting on the bed, finally awake. At that moment, it felt like his heart had stopped.
Time seemed to freeze, and everything around them came to a standstill.
The sound of the wind, the birds outside the window, and even the dancing leaves were all frozen in mid-air.
All he could see were her clear, watery eyes.
After a brief silence, his heart began to race intensely, as if all the blood in his body was flowing backward. His grip on the door handle tightened, and his knuckles turned white with the effort.
Ashley leaned against the bed, blinking as she watched him enter.
Just a moment ago, she had an inexplicable and intense premonition that Valentin was coming.
After the door was pushed open, the person who entered was indeed him.
The entire room fell into a profound silence. Even Karen, Brian, and others involuntarily quieted down.
Valentin's deep and profound gaze was fixed on Ashley, whom he had longed for, reluctant to share even a fraction of it with others.
Finally, he walked over, his steps carrying a rare sense of panic.
Although only a few seconds had passed, it felt like an eternity before he stood in front of Ashley.
Valentin's eyes were deep and intense, seemingly calm on the surface but roiling underneath with overwhelming love and longing. He couldn't restrain himself any longer and bent down to embrace her as if holding his entire world.
"Ashley." His girl... His life...had finally come back.
Just as Ashley was about to speak, she felt a slight trembling in the arm that held her and a warm, moist sensation near her neck.
Ashley's heart tightened, flooded with a dense and poignant sorrow.
Just as she was about to hug him back tightly, offering him reassurance and comfort, Valentin suddenly let her go.
Ashley was puzzled.
"Did I hurt you?" Valentin looked at her nervously, his voice trembling slightly.
"No," Ashley replied.
She thought, 'I'm not a porcelain doll, and I haven't hugged you back yet.'
Valentin, afraid of hurting her, was cautious in his movements as if even a slight touch might cause her pain. It was the first time in his life that he didn't know where to place his hands.
Ashley was speechless.
Her eye twitched, and despite her lingering weakness, she took a deep breath, mustering newfound strength to forcefully wrap her arms around Valentin as if making a forceful assertion.
"Didn't I tell you, I'm not in pain. Let me hug you for a while."
Karen felt relieved when she saw this scene, thinking her daughter had the spirit Karen had years ago.
Afterward, she subtly signaled to the others in the ward, urging everyone to quietly leave and create space for the young couple to have a private conversation.
They exited the room with light footsteps, gently closing the door behind them.
Lester's expression was strange.
"What's wrong?" George couldn't help asking.
Lester said, "I used to believe Valentin had charmed our adorable little sister, but just now, in the room, when she hugged him so passionately, I suddenly thought, maybe it's our little sister who has won Valentin over for herself."
"You're overthinking," George replied.
Karen didn't care about the conversation between the two brothers. She went to the side and called Joseph to inform him that Ashley had awakened.
"Joseph, Ashley has woken up, just woke up... Yes, she really woke up. I didn't lie to you... Let your grandpa and sister know about Ashley waking up. Hey, calm down, don't shout so loud. You're going to deafen me."
Karen moved the phone away from her ear.
After more than two minutes, the noisy sounds from the other end of the phone finally subsided.
Ashley still held onto Valentin's hand as if asserting dominance, not letting go. Her gaze seemed to be stuck to him. Her eyes were wet, and tenderness reflected in them. She tugged at her lips and said, "Why do you look more exhausted than I do?"
"How could I?" Valentin didn't elaborate on the two months of hardship.
Hearing her somewhat hoarse voice, one of his hands held by her, he had to use the other to pour a glass of water.
Just as Ashley was about to reach for the water, Valentin lifted the glass, avoiding her catch. He looked at her raised hand and said, "Keep holding it."
Ashley blinked, and her two small hands obediently returned, tightly gripping his hand.
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