The air in the room grew thick and stifling, pressing against Noah''s chest until every breath felt like inhaling lead.


    Cynthia woke up around noon. When she opened her eyes, she saw Noah still sitting by her bed.


    "You''re awake?" Noah looked at her and instinctively reached out to touch her forehead. "Good, the fever''s gone."


    "Mm," Cynthia murmured, frowning and turning her head to avoid his touch.


    She sat up in bed and reached for her phone on the nightstand. Seeing this, Noah quickly handed it to her.


    Cynthia checked the time. It was three in the afternoon; she had slept for a long time.


    "Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked, putting her phone down.


    "They went home for now,” Noah said.


    Mr. and Mrs. Scott were both professionals with jobs; they couldn''t stay at the hospital with Cynthia twenty-four hours a day.


    "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?" Noah asked.


    "Yes," Cynthia nodded. She hadn''t eaten all day and was genuinely hungry.


    The soup Noah had brought back was cold by now, but some of the side dishes were still edible. The soup Mrs. Scott had delivered was still warm in a thermos, so Noah poured it into a bowl and handed it to Cynthia.


    Cynthia took a spoon and began to eat her soup.


    Noah sat across from her, watching.


    "Cynthia, I''ve canceled the termination procedure.”


    Hearing this, Cynthia stopped eating and looked up at him. The unnerving cidness in her eyes made his heart race.


    "I already arranged for Nic and her mother to go abroad. If Nic hadn''t been in the ident, they''d be out of the country by now Noah said.


    Cynthia listened in silence.


    He said *if*, but the reality was that Karina and Nic were still in Istra. For them,


    Noah had abandoned her alone at the hospital.


    Cynthia''s silence made Noah instinctively panic.


    "Cynthia, we''ve already lost one


    child. Can you really bear to loset


    another? I won''t divorce you. Just give me one week. I promisedtt make them leave."  fo


    Cynthia looked at him, finally showing a reaction—a slight curve of her lips that held a hint of a cold sneer.


    "Noah, do you really think I can still trust you?" she said, tossing her phone in front of him.


    Puzzled, Noah picked up the phone and saw that it was filled with provocative texts and photos Karina had sent her.


    There were pictures of him gently coaxing Nic, another of them cheek-to-cheek,ughing happily. The worst one was of him asleep in a chair, with Karina''s head resting on his shoulder.


    Noah had no idea when these photos had been secretly taken and then sent to Cynthia.


    The Whites had really gone to great lengths.


    If they''d put this much effort into legitimate business, the White family''s hotels wouldn''t be in such decline.


    "Cynthia, I know you won''t believe any exnation I give right now. Just give me one week. I will handle this," Noah promised.


    Cynthia fell silent again after he spoke.


    And every minute of her silence was torture for Noah.


    After a long moment, Cynthia finally nodded. "I''ll reschedule the procedure for a week from now."


    "Okay,” Noah agreed, picking up the serving utensils to put more food on her te.