The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

ChapterCopyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

12

In the end, Steven silently led Zachary out of the ward.

Not long after they left, the nurse called to ask if I could take care of the remains of my unborn child. They knew my condition was precarious and didn't want to provoke me, so they initially tried to reach Steven, but he didn't pick up. With no other option, they contacted me to sign the necessary paperwork. After explaining the situation, they asked when I could come

1. in.

Given my current state, I really shouldn't have moved, but this was my first chance to see the child I would never hold. I couldn't bear to think of it being alone and sad if I arrived late, so I told them I'd come right away.

Once I arrived, I signed the forms and waited for a while. Eventually, they handed me a small box.

Cradling the little box, I took a cab to a cemetery to buy a plot for my child and arrange a proper burial.

I should have left after handling everything, but I couldn't bring myself to. I sat beside the grave, feeling the d

I thought had gone numb.

"Don't worry, baby. I won't let you disappear from this world just like that," I swore silently.

my heart that

When I returned to the ward, the first thing I saw was Steven standing by my bed.

Hearing my footsteps, he turned and rushed over, gripping my arms tightly. "Where have you been?"

I was exhausted. Falling down the stairs had caused a miscarriage, resulting in significant damage to my body. On top of that, I had been running around all day dealing with my unborn baby's remains.

I pulled my hand away from him and sat back on the hospital bed. "What do you want?" I coldly asked.

Steven clearly wasn't pleased. "You haven't recovered, Annalise. How can you just leave the hospital without telling anyone? If something had happened to you, we would be devastated."

His poor acting was pathetic and nauseating.

I gave a curt, impatient reply, "Don't worry. I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

"Honey..." Noticing my aloof demeanor, Steven softened his tone. "Please don't be mad anymore."

I had no interest in engaging with him any

further. I lay back on the bed, pulled the covers over me, and prepared to sleep. Steven sighed. "I know you're still mad at Zachary, but he's just a child. He doesn't understand the consequences of his actions." He kept talking, seemingly defending Zachary, but honestly, he Not only did Zachary not directly harm me, but he could also claim he was just a child who didn't understand the consequences, allowing him to evade legal repercussions. But what about Jessica?

She had poured oil on the stairs. Any ordinary person would slip on that. She had even maliciously manipulated a child. To put it bluntly, she was attempting murder.

If I pressed charges, Jessica would likely face serious legal consequences.

Steven was here late at night, trying to convince me for whose sake, exactly?

I scoffed. Not wanting to listen to him ramble on, I firmly interrupted him, "Stop beating around the bush."

After a long pause, Steven finally spoke, "Jessica's ex-husband has become extremely unstable since his bankruptcy, and he often abused her. He was living abroad, but he's suddenly back in the country now."

Oh? Was Jessica's ex-husband planning to go after her and beat her up? That could serve as a form of retribution for my unborn child. What a nice guy.

I sat up and looked at Steven.

He seemed hesitant as he met my gaze. "Her ex-husband hates her deeply, and now that he's back, he's definitely going to want revenge. To keep her safe, I brought her to our home."