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Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Jane reached her boiling point, unable to bear the burden any longer, and courageously exposed Annie’s vile act. As the weight of Jane’s words reached Annie’s ears, an instant wave of panic washed over her countenance, causing her heart to race uncontrollably. How could Jane possibly know that she orchestrated yesterday’s catastrophic incident? She had taken meticulous precautions, ensuring that her tracks were utterly concealed.
“What on earth are you babbling about? I haven’t the foggiest idea,” Annie retorted, feigning innocence with a touch of confusion in her voice. She averted her gaze from Jane and assumed a pitiful demeanor.
She uttered her plea for understanding, all the while subtly inching closer to Drake, hoping to throw herself into his arms for comfort.
Yet, before she could do so, he swiftly intervened, grasping her shoulder firmly, denying her escape. His voice carried a frigid edge as he confronted her. “You must provide me with an answer and a thorough explanation regarding the events that happened yesterday.”
Caught in his piercing, dark eyes, Annie’s face crumbled, replaced with sheer panic.
Drake never aimed at empty air. Those words held weight, suggesting he had stumbled upon something significant.
Annie’s heart swelled with a tidal wave of panic, causing her tears to cascade down her cheeks.
“Drake, my hand hurts so much… Can you rush me to the hospital? Honestly, I’m clueless about what you guys are discussing. It’s difficult for me to conjure unexpected words. I acknowledge my share of responsibility, but can we please allow me some time to handle this? Let’s address it once my wounds have healed.”
Up to now, the best solution that Annie could think of was to delay her time and think about it in the long run.
“Dr. William will be here in a jiffy. No need to fret about heading to the hospital,” he brushed off her plea and whisked her straight into the living room.
True to his word, Dr. William arrived before long. As soon as the door swung open, a chill ran down his spine, sensing the peculiar ambiance suffusing the room. He peered ahead, fixing his gaze on Zac, only to discover that there was absolutely nothing amiss with him.
“His wound seems perfectly fine. Why on earth did you summon me in such a mad dash?” Dr. William grumbled. Despite being a revered physician for the esteemed Warner Family, he had other responsibilities on his plate.
“Show him,” Drake commanded in an icy tone, casting a fleeting glance at Annie.
Reluctantly, Dr. William approached. Though he served under Drake’s authority, he couldn’t help but begrudge the way he was being ordered around. Not to mention that Annie wasn’t even married to the Warner family.
Dr. William cast a lazy glance at Annie’s hand, his voice dripping with casualness as he drawled, “Tsk tsk, would you look at this injury? I reckon I can attend to it a bit later. It ought to heal up on its own, you know.”
Chapter 33
Annie’s hand wasn’t in dire straits by any means. The scalding–hot soup had been left to cool for a while, so its temperature had dropped significantly from when it had first been ladled out of the pot. Her hand was just a tad flushed, a minor inconvenience rather than a major catastrophe.
Dr. William, exhibiting a distinct lack of ambition to exert himself, rummaged in his medical kit and carelessly tossed a bottle of ointment in Annie’s direction.
“You can handle that yourself,” he remarked with casualness.
Annie felt a surge of frustration welling up within her. She had been hoping to find ant excuse to slip away, but now, not only was she thwarted in her attempts to escape, but Dr. William also belittled her injury, effectively extinguishing any possibility of making a fuss
about it.
Angried by the fact that her injury was, indeed, minor, she decided to set aside her grievances. Drake, sensing that Annie’s melodrama was coming to an end, promptly redirected the conversation by thrusting a pile of documents in front of her and uttering the words with an icy tone, “So, what else do you have to explain?”
Annie’s trembling hands reached out to grasp the stack of documents that lay on the table. As her fingers swept across the pages, a surge of despair washed over her, draining the color from her face–the weight of the revelation pressed upon her like a boulder, threatening to crush her spirit.
“Drake, I… I didn’t… it wasn’t me,” Annie stammered, her voice quivering with desperation. “How could you possibly think I would design such words? I’m his mother, for heaven’s sake.”
“I give you one last chance. If you don’t tell the truth, then after that…don’t even think about stepping foot into the Warner house.” Drake said coldly.
Annie’s words didn’t move Drake in the slightest. His cold eyes fixated on her, making
Annie’s heart race.
“Drake…” Annie wanted to argue, but when she met Drake’s deep gaze, she couldn’t even utter a word of defense.
In the years she had spent by Drake’s side, Annie had come to understand him intimately. He was not one to question her without substantial evidence. And yet, despite her utmost caution, he had managed to uncover her secret. How had she failed? The realization weighed heavily upon her, casting a dark shadow over her thoughts.
Annie’s eyes flickered towards Jane, who stood idly by, her indifferent gaze fixated on the unfolding drama. Anguish filled Annie’s heart as she bit her lower lip, her resentment towards Jane simmering just beneath the surface. It was this woman’s appearance that had caused Zac to turn cold towards her, sparking the destructive thoughts that now consumed her. Every ounce of suffering she endured could be traced back to Jane’s intrusion into their lives.
Admitting defeat, she finally spoke, her voice laced with a mixture of remorse and defiance. “Yes, I did it. But Drake, have you ever considered why I resorted to such measures?”
“Everything I’ve done was for you. My love for you knows no bounds, and all I wanted was to have a child that would be ours, truly ours. Tell me, what is so wrong with that?”
Chapter 33
Annie’s hysterical shouts filled the room as she rose from her seat, tears streaming down her face. She looked at Drake, pouring out all her grievances and anguish.
“Drake, you don’t love me anymore, do you?” she pleaded, the question hanging in the air, casting an eerie shadow over the living room.
Observing Drake’s face, Annie chuckled softly, her laughter carrying a hint of bitterness. “Drake, I’ve been faithfully by your side for an entire decade, and how many decades does a woman truly have in her lifetime? But these ten years I’ve spent with you what have I gained? In the past, I could at least claim to possess your love and affection, but now…” Raising her hand slowly, she pointed with deliberate slowness towards Jane. “Since this woman reappeared, reflect upon your demeanor towards me. Yesterday, you insisted that I ride back alone in a car while the two of you sat together. Are you trying to insinuate that I’m the one who doesn’t belong?”
“Ah, forget it! If you truly believe I’m superfluous, then I will leave!” With those words hanging in the air, Annie promptly left the mansion, disregarding the stunned reactions of everyone present.
Meanwhile, Jane sat on the side, marveling at Annie’s impressive acting skills. In the blink of an eye, she shifted the blame onto others and skillfully painted herself as the victim. However, she couldn’t help but question Annie’s underlying intentions. She desired to bear a child with Drake, but wasn’t Zac their child?
Her gaze surreptitiously landed on Zac’s face. Jane’s mind swirled with disbelief. Zac and Annie appeared to be entirely dissimilar. On the other hand, she couldn’t help but notice a faint similarity between Zac and herself. Could it be possible that Zac wasn’t Annie’s biological child?
As this unsettling thought crept into Jane’s consciousness, she was instantly jolted back to reality. She forcefully shook her head, banishing all these bewildering notions from her mind.
“Miss Jane, let’s continue our studies in my room,” Zac whispered, his expression indifferent, as if the recent events didn’t take place in front of him.
Casting a fleeting glance at Drake, she reluctantly agreed to Zac’s request and escorted him back to his room.
“Zac, do you happen to know the exact date of your birthday?” she inquired cautiously. She was not sure if her thoughts were true, but she still wanted to ask.
“Miss Jane, are you planning to celebrate my birthday? But my birthday has already come and gone. The next one is still a long way off.” Zac replied, a touch of irritation in his voice. What was the cause for such sudden joyousness?
“Not long ago? Is your birthday on May 20th, Zac?”
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