Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Silence stretched for a few seconds on Tamara's side.

"Is she hurt?" she asked. "Your grandma just saw the news. Your dad and I are on our way home now, and we'll drop by later."

Xavier thought about Terence and Maryanne. It didn't matter that Maryanne was in Lily's ward, but that wasn't the case for Terence. After all, his intentions were as clear as day.

Contemplating for a while, he replied, "Grandma isn't exactly fit, so don't let her—"

"I can't stop her," Tamara intervened, knowing what he was going to say. "Besides, no matter what, Lily is still the daughter-in-law of the Fulton family. Now that she's involved in such an accident, we must visit her."

Xavier didn't argue further. After hanging up, he exited the stairwell, only to realize that Terence was already gone.

The door to the examination room was ajar, but only Marvin and the nurse were in there. It seemed Lily's examination was over, and Terence had taken her back.

Xavier glanced at the empty corridor before entering the examination room.

...

After examining Lily, Marvin didn't look exactly pleased.

A twinge of anxiety prickled at Lily. She couldn't be bothered about Xavier's presence after she came out and merely followed Terence back to her ward.

Maryanne hurried toward them the moment they turned up at the door.

"How was the examination?"

Terence shook his head subtly. He hadn't been in the examination room, so he was clueless about Marvin's expression.

The nurse had told them to wait and that they would be notified once the results were available.

Sitting down on the hospital bed, Lily exhaled deeply before forcing a lighthearted smile. "No matter what happens, at worst, I just won't be able to design anymore, right?"

"Stop pretending to be fine!"

Maryanne shot her a glare before turning to Terence. "Does it take long to get the results? Shouldn't they be available immediately after the scan?"

He glanced at Lily. She might have appeared composed, but the anxiety and unease on her face said otherwise.

"I'll go check with Dr. Barker," he said. "Don't worry too much-he's very skilled."

It was easy to offer words of

comfort. But whether sincere or not,

such words rarely reached the

hearts of those in distress. Apart from nodding numbly, Lily had no idea how to respond.

After Terence left, Maryanne sat beside her and began in a soothing tone, "Even if you end up with lasting effects, doesn't mean you can't work in this field at all. You'll just be a little slower, that's all. In the worst-case scenario, you still have your left hand..." noveldrama

"That makes a lot of sense," Lily replied stiffly.

"Forget it. I'm terrible at comforting people." Maryanne's face fell as she helped her lie down. "You didn't sleep well last night, did you? Get some rest now."

Lily's hand had been throbbing in pain last night. The swelling had left half her body numb, making it impossible to sleep.

Even now, she wasn't tired-her mind kept relaying Marvin's sullen expression from earlier. But to put Maryanne at ease, she closed her eyes and lay on her side.

The room fell into silence, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

Outside, a series of disoriented footsteps approached. They came to a halt outside the door. After a brief pause, the door cracked open slightly.

"Mrs. Fulton Senior," Maryanne greeted, glancing over at her. She immediately got up.

Lily's eyes also snapped open as she turned toward the door.

Edith was wearing a tight-lipped smile. Behind her stood Tamara, Shane, and several housemaids carrying fruit and nutritional supplements.

In an instant, the once-quiet ward was brimming with people.

"Oh, you're here too, Maryanne," Edith remarked. "Thanks for taking care of Lily. Let Xavier look after her tonight."

She didn't mean to kick Maryanne out; she was merely observing Lily's condition while acknowledging Maryanne's presence.