After cursing him, Patti clutched her face. It was swollen again from the beating


    she''d taken from Mrs. Mercer and her friends. Her clothes were torn, and she could see the hotel staff trying to suppress their smirks as they watched her from a distance.


    Hawthorne had stayed by Gwh Langford''s side all night. It wasn''t until the early hours of the morning that he remembered he''d pawned Patti off on James. He had no idea what had happened and could only hope his cover wasn''t blown. He picked up his phone and scrolled through the news, where a headline caught his eye: ''Wife and Friends Assault Suspected Mistress at Hotel Entrance.''


    Hawthorne recognized them immediately. From their clothes and the location, it was clearly Patti and James. So, James''s wife had caught themst night and caused a huge scene at the hotel.


    After a moment''s thought, Hawthorne called Patti. She answered almost instantly, and the moment she heard his voice, tears began to stream down her face. "I called you all night, but your phone was off! Do you have any idea how badly Mrs. Mercer beat me? I was waiting for you toe and save me!"


    But he had vanished for the entire night, leaving Patti fuming with rage. Yet, no matter how heartbroken she sounded, Hawthorne remainedpletely unmoved, as if her tears were nothing more than ripples in a pond.


    "Which hotel are you at? I''ll have Hanse pick you up." Hawthorne''s voice was so t it betrayed no emotion. Patti was disappointed but clung to a sliver of hope.


    "Can''t youe get me yourself? Mrs. Mercer beat my face swollen again. I think I need to go to the hospital. How am I supposed to go out in public like this?"


    Hawthorne hesitated for a moment. "Fine. Send me the address. I''lle get you now."


    When Gwh woke up, she was alone. Hawthorne was gone. Seeing her eyes open, Butler Parham hurried over. "Mrs. Everhart, you''re awake. Mr. Everhart was worried sick all night. He stayed up to take care of you and just left for the office. I''ve had the kitchen prepare some food for you."


    Whenever Hawthorne wasn''t there, Gwh''s mind immediately went to Patti. She paid little attention to the butler''s words. All she cared about how was the baby in her belly Weren''t fast night''s events, and everything before, enough to break


    her heart? She couldn''t control who he was with anymore.


    Gwh tried to sit up and noticed the IV tube still in her arm. “What happened to


    mest night? Was I sick? Did the doctor give me medicine? What was it?”


    She knew she couldn''t take just any medication while pregnant. A terrible thought surfaced: could it be that Hawthorne didn''t want their child and had the doctor give her something?


    Gwh was on the verge of aplete breakdown. Noticing her distress, Butler Parham quickly reassured her. “Mrs. Everhart, please don''t worry. The doctor only prescribed some nutritional supplements. They won''t harm the baby at all."


    He even showed her the IV bag. When Gwh saw thebel read ''Glucose, she let out a small sigh of relief. But her tone turned sharp as she spoke to Butler Parham with an intensity he of never heard before. "From now on, I am only to be given medication when I am fully conscious, and only with my personal consent. That applies even to a glucose drip. Do you understand me?"


    Patti and Hawthorne were having a child together. Who knew if Hawthorne even wanted this one with her? Gwh had lost her sense of security. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of his affair, her judgment clouded by panic and confusion.


    Butler Parham was startled, unable toprehend why she was acting this way. Yes, of course, Mrs. Everhart. We won''t let the doctor give you any medication without your permission." He had no choice but to repeat her words back to her, which seemed to calm her slightly.


    Gwh insisted on going downstairs to the dining room instead of having food brought to her. When she arrived and saw thevish spread on the table, she turned


    to Butler Parham and said suddenly, “You eat first.”


    The butler paused, then exined with a gentle smile, "Mrs. Everhart, we are servants. We cannot eat with the family."