?Chapter 85:


    Belinda had spent the entire night in the emergency room at the hospital.


    By the next morning, she woke up to find Darren at her side, his eyes red and weary.


    “Darren, how are you holding up?”


    As she woke, he swiftly pressed the call button next to the bed and grasped her hand with evident excitement. “Is your stomach still aching? Are you feeling any better now?”


    The man’s voice was nasal. “Do you realize you scared me to deathst night? The doctor mentioned it was fortunate I got you here when I did, or else…”


    Darren trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.


    Belinda understood his implication.


    She managed a weak smile and responded, “Thank God you came just in time. I feel a lot better now,” Belinda said, trying to pull her hand out of Darren’s hold.


    However, his grip was firm, and her strength faltered against it.


    “Belinda.”


    Sensing her feeble attempt to free her hand, Darren pressed his lips together and tightened his hold. “You know what? When I sat outside the emergency roomst night, I made up my mind about something.”


    Belinda frowned.


    His grasp was so firm that it felt like her hand might break.


    Forcing a strained smile, she looked up at him. “Darren…”


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    “Let me finish, Belinda.”


    With a serious look, Darren gazed intently at her and said each word deliberately, “I want to be your boyfriend.”


    His deration made her tense up instantly.


    She frowned, straining harder to free her hand from his.<fnb214> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fnb214>


    Finally managing to pull away, she leaned back against the bed’s headboard, perspiring, and said in a raspy tone, “Darren, please don’t joke about this. You know about my condition…”


    “I know!”


    Darren was visibly upset. “I don’t care about the time you have left. I just want to be with you!”


    He reached for her hand again but paused upon noticing the red mark he had left.


    Pulling his hand back awkwardly, he said with regret, “Belinda, I… didn’t mean to hurt you.”


    “It doesn’t matter.”


    Belinda bowed her head and discreetly covered the mark on her hand with her sleeve. She offered a gentle smile and said, “Let’s pretend you didn’t say that.”


    Darren began to protest, “But…”


    “—Darren.”


    She lifted her head and fixed him with a serious gaze. “You’re the only friend who knows about my condition, which is why I called on youst night. If you keep behaving this way, I won’t know who to turn to in future emergencies.”


    The room fell quiet.


    Darren hung his head, saying nothing.


    He understood what Belinda meant.


    If he pushed for a rtionship, they might not even remain friends.


    Thinking of what had happenedst night…


    Darren took a deep breath and met her gaze with a resigned smile. “Alright. Then… Let’s make me your emergency contact. Don’t reach out to Kristopher anymore.”


    Belinda looked down at her fingers and nodded silently, admitting,


    “About the emergency contact… I simply forgot to update it.” She wouldn’t have contacted Kristopher if she hadn’t nearly passed out from the pain.


    “Last night… I ran into Kristopher.”


    Darren licked his lips and added softly, “He asked me to tell you not to bother him anymore.”


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