Chapter 78: Sharing the Same Bed and Pillow

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Sharing the Same Bed and Pillow

Sienna Everett’s eyes widened in astonishment, her face a picture of disbelief.

’Why is he calling me... babe?!’

’And so brazenly, too!’

Maxwell Sawyer, on the other end of the line, heard those words loud and clear. He froze for a couple of seconds before his brow immediately furrowed.

’Was that a man’s voice calling Sienna "babe"? Such an intimate name...’

’And what was that about his hand going numb? Such a suggestive thing to say...’

’Sienna Everett... has a boyfriend?’

’She’s sick and in the hospital, and her boyfriend has been by her side this whole time?’

Maxwell Sawyer’s heart sank. He couldn’t help but ask, "Sienna, is someone with you?"

Sienna Everett cleared her throat, trying to sound as natural as possible. "Yeah. By the way, what did you call for?"

Maxwell Sawyer replied, "It’s nothing important. Since you’re sick, I won’t bother you right now."

"Okay," Sienna said. "I have things to do here, so I’m hanging up."

Maxwell Sawyer stared at his phone after the call ended, his brow deeply furrowed. That unusually suggestive phrase, "Babe, my hand’s gone numb under you," echoed in his ears, and he fell into deep thought.

Back in the hospital room.

Sienna Everett hung up the phone and stared, dumbfounded, at the culprit before her. "What was that all about?"

Julian Forrester glanced at his own hand, looking completely unruffled, even a little innocent. "My hand really was trapped under you."

...Fine.

Sienna Everett took a deep breath, her clear, bright eyes fixed on him. "Then why did you suddenly call me... call me babe?"

The man’s brow twitched. "What, should I call you ’Wife’ instead?"

"..." Sienna retorted. "How about you just shut up!"

After a moment of silence, Julian Forrester leaned a little closer to her.

The man’s gaze was dark as he looked straight into her luminous eyes. His voice was low and deliberate. "Are you that desperate for Maxwell Sawyer not to know about our relationship?"

Sienna Everett’s thick lashes fluttered. "Our marriage is supposed to be a secret."

Julian Forrester’s expression remained impassive, but a chilling, sinister light seeped from the depths of his eyes.

’So she really does have feelings for Maxwell Sawyer...’

But in the next second, Sienna changed her tune. "Although, telling Maxwell Sawyer that we’re married is fine too. It wouldn’t make a difference."

Julian Forrester froze, and the icy gloom that had settled on his features instantly vanished.

He stared at Sienna Everett without blinking, unwilling to miss the slightest change in her expression. "You... don’t like Maxwell Sawyer anymore?"

Sienna Everett: "???"

’What in the world?’

’Me, like Maxwell Sawyer?’

’Who started that rumor?!’

’Oh, right. I started that rumor myself.’

When they were kids, to get out of her childhood engagement to Julian Forrester, she’d made up an excuse that she liked a boy in her class.

Sienna Everett rubbed her aching forehead, her lips twitching. She said drily, "Of course I don’t like him. Let’s not talk about the past."

"Besides, I can promise you, I have morals. I will absolutely not cross any lines with another man while I’m married to you!"

Hearing her say she didn’t like Maxwell Sawyer anymore, Julian Forrester felt an indescribable, overwhelming joy surge through his heart.

But when he heard the second half of her sentence, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "So you can after we get divorced?"

"Of course. I’ll be a free woman again after the divorce." Sienna quickly calculated in her head. ’We can get divorced in about six more months.’

The joyful palpitations in Julian Forrester’s heart instantly froze, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.

She was that eager to divorce him.

That desperate to cut all ties with him.

Julian Forrester stared at her without saying a word.

After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, his tone laden with meaning. "According to our contract, we are supposed to fulfill our spousal duties during the marriage."

Sienna was completely baffled. "Spousal duties?"

Julian Forrester leisurely raised an eyebrow and slowly uttered a few teasing words: "For example... sleeping together."

The moment the words left his lips,

Sienna Everett completely froze.

Julian Forrester reached out to pat her on the head, his lips curling into a slight smile. "Be good."

Sienna Everett: "..."

Before long, the IV drip was finished, and a nurse came to remove the needle.

Sienna Everett belatedly realized that the red, swollen skin from her allergic reaction no longer itched. While it wasn’t completely gone, the swelling had subsided a bit.

The hospital director arrived, leading several specialists.

The specialist at the head of the group was holding an allergen test report. "Miss Everett, our tests show that you’re allergic to mangoes, as well as to products containing propylene glycol."

Sienna Everett was baffled. "Propylene glycol?"

The specialist explained earnestly, "Some air fresheners contain this ingredient. Contact with it can cause an allergic reaction, so you’ll just need to be careful to avoid it in the future."

It suddenly dawned on Sienna Everett.

Earlier that night, she had gone out to dinner at a restaurant with Orion Hawthorne and Stella Shaw.

After dinner, she’d gone to the restroom, which had a very strong air freshener scent. It must have contained an excessive amount of propylene glycol, triggering her allergic reaction.

Sienna Everett nodded. "Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind."

The specialists examined Sienna Everett one more time.

After a thorough discussion among themselves, the lead specialist announced, "Miss Everett, your condition has improved significantly. With some anti-allergy medication, you should be fully recovered in about three days."

Sienna Everett’s eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

The specialist quickly waved it off. "Don’t mention it. Curing the sick is our duty."

Only then did the specialists finally breathe a sigh of relief. They had successfully treated the patient Mr. Forrester brought in, and without any mishaps. They could finally report that their task was complete.

Samuel Sutton stepped forward, following the specialists to get the prescription filled and take note of the dosage instructions.

Sienna Everett didn’t need to be admitted to the hospital, and Julian Forrester helped her into the car.

「Back at Veridian Gardens.」

When Howard Forrester heard that Sienna Everett was sick, he had rushed over from the old family estate, unable to rest easy, even though it was the middle of the night.

Seeing Sienna Everett return from the hospital, he rushed to her side and asked worriedly, "Sienna, how are you feeling now? Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?"

A warm feeling spread through Sienna Everett’s heart. Her eyes curved into a smile. "Grandpa, I’m much better. You didn’t have to go to all the trouble of coming over so late."

"Grandpa couldn’t rest easy. I had to come see you with my own eyes." Howard Forrester looked Sienna Everett up and down. Seeing the lingering redness and swelling on her exposed skin, his heart ached for her. "Oh, Sienna, you poor thing. You’ve really been through it."

Sienna Everett didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Grandpa, it’s not that bad. I’m almost completely better now."

The old man’s tone then shifted as he turned to Julian Forrester. "I told you to take good care of Sienna. Is this what you call taking care of her?"

Julian Forrester accepted the criticism readily. "It was my negligence."

Sienna Everett: "..."

’It had nothing to do with him, though.’

’I was the one who was eating out and accidentally triggered my allergy.’

Sienna Everett quickly changed the subject. "Grandpa, it’s so late. Don’t rush back tonight. Why don’t you stay here for the night?"

Howard Forrester beamed. "Excellent, excellent! Our Sienna is so considerate! Sienna, dear, it’s getting late, and you’re still sick. You should go upstairs and rest."

As he spoke, Howard Forrester told Julian Forrester to accompany Sienna Everett upstairs to rest.

But after they went upstairs, Howard Forrester discovered that the two weren’t staying in the same room; they were sleeping separately.

Howard Forrester frowned, thoroughly displeased. "Julian, why are you and Sienna sleeping in separate rooms?"

He didn’t visit Veridian Gardens often, so he had no idea his grandson and granddaughter-in-law were living apart.

At this rate, when would he ever get to hold a great-grandchild?

Howard Forrester looked between the two of them and asked tentatively, "Did you two have a fight?"

Sienna Everett shook her head instinctively. "No."

The old man relaxed, but this only made him more puzzled. "If you didn’t fight, then why would a young couple sleep in separate rooms? This can’t continue, you hear?"

Sienna Everett: "..."

She glanced at Julian Forrester, only to find the damn man looking completely calm and collected, as if this had nothing to do with him.

At the old man’s insistence, Sienna Everett had no choice but to enter the master bedroom with Julian Forrester.

As the bedroom door clicked shut, Sienna Everett’s heart skipped a beat.

’He was just talking about fulfilling spousal duties at the hospital, and now tonight... we have to share a bed?’