Chapter 584: A Daughter’s Blessing

Melody Summers didn’t know how to describe her feelings. She was worried about Roman Rhodes’s injuries, but at the same time, she didn’t want to see this cliché play out and wished he would just shut up.

After a moment, she suppressed her complex emotions, raised her hand, and knocked lightly on the open door.

Hearing the knock, the two people inside the hospital room looked up in unison. The moment they saw Melody Summers standing in the doorway, a flash of surprise crossed Winnie Summers’s eyes, and she hastily pulled her hand from Roman Rhodes’s grasp.

Winnie Summers hurriedly wiped the tears from her face, got up, and walked over to Melody Summers. Seeing that Melody’s clothes and hair were disheveled and marked with soot, she asked with a worried expression, "What happened to you? How did you get so dirty?"

"And it’s so late, why are you here? It’s so chaotic outside today, why are you running all over the place? Didn’t I tell you on the phone to lock the doors and windows and get to bed early?!"

Melody Summers didn’t tell Winnie Summers what had happened at their house that night, not wanting to worry her. She met her mother’s gaze for a moment and said softly, "...I heard there was trouble over here, and I was worried, so I came to check on you. And to take you and Uncle home."

Melody Summers had originally just wanted to see if Roman Rhodes needed any Far Sea Secret Medicine, but she never expected to walk in on such a scene of twilight romance...

Seeing the awkward look on Melody Summers’s face, Winnie Summers wrung her hands in embarrassment. She braced herself and explained, "Sweetie, don’t get the wrong idea... I-It’s just that Officer Rhodes saved me, so I stayed behind to take care of him..."

"...Since you’re here, I’ll go find a caregiver to look after Officer Rhodes, and we can go home..."

Before Winnie Summers could finish, Roman Rhodes suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit from the hospital bed. "COUGH... COUGH COUGH, COUGH COUGH... COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH!"

Melody Summers: "..."

Hearing Roman Rhodes’s coughing, Winnie Summers instinctively turned around. Seeing him clutch his chest, coughing uncontrollably, she asked with a worried look, "What’s wrong? Are you in pain? I’ll go get the doctor right now!"

Hearing this, Roman Rhodes quickly waved his hand and said in a clearly weakened voice, "...N-No, you don’t have to... Don’t call the doctor..."

"...Winnie, I don’t know if I’m going to make it through the night... Can you stay with me a little longer, just talk to me for a bit...?"

Melody Summers: "..."

Hearing Roman Rhodes say this, Winnie Summers’s eyes reddened, and tears began to stream uncontrollably down her face again.

She lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes, and wiped her tears as she said softly, "...Don’t say things like that. You’re going to be all right..."

"...That’s enough." Melody Summers couldn’t stand it any longer and cut in, "What’s Officer Rhodes’s condition right now?"

The thought of Roman Rhodes’s injuries brought an unconcealable sorrow to Winnie Summers’s face. He had pushed her aside, taking a fatal bullet for her. The bullet had struck just centimeters from his heart; he’d almost died...

Under Melody Summers’s questioning gaze, she forced a smile and answered softly, "...The doctor saw him a little while ago. He said Roman is out of critical danger for the time being, but they’re still worried the wound could get worse, so he needs to be kept under observation."

Hearing this from Winnie Summers, Melody Summers felt somewhat relieved.

The room fell silent.

’Looking at the undisguised worry on my mother’s face, and the mix of reluctance and longing in Roman Rhodes’s eyes as he gazed at Winnie, I suddenly feel like some wicked mother-in-law trying to break them up.’

She took a deep breath and said to Winnie Summers, "Well... Mom, why don’t you stay here and take care of Officer Rhodes. Uncle and I will head home, and I’ll bring you two breakfast in the morning."

Winnie Summers looked at Melody Summers, surprised. It wasn’t just her; even Roman Rhodes looked astonished from his bed.

"Alright, alright." Seeing their expressions, Melody Summers waved her hand in resignation. "Just do whatever you want. If you want to date, then date. If you want to be together, then be together... I’m staying out of it!"

Winnie Summers immediately blushed and chided Melody, "...You! What are you saying..."

Melody Summers had no desire to continue the topic. She pulled Winnie Summers into the hallway, took a "Far Sea Secret Medicine" from her pocket, and pressed it into her mother’s hand, saying:

"Mom, this is a special medicine specifically for gunshot wounds. I had a friend go through a lot of trouble to get it for me. When Officer Rhodes isn’t paying attention, give it to him secretly. It will help his wound heal much faster!"

After saying that, Melody Summers paused to think, then lowered her voice to add a warning, "Mom, this medicine is incredibly rare; you can’t get it even with money... You have to give it to him secretly. Don’t let anyone else find out, or it could bring our family a lot of unnecessary trouble!"

Although Winnie Summers didn’t know what the medicine did, she trusted that her daughter was right. She carefully put the small, pearl-like pill away and said to Melody, "Okay, I understand."

Then she looked at Melody again and asked hesitantly, "...Sweetie... could you... could you really accept Mr. Rhodes as your new father...?"

Winnie Summers was still anxious. Although she and Roman Rhodes had feelings for each other, and he had just saved her life, she would never agree to be with him if Melody truly couldn’t accept him.

After all, in her mind, nothing in the world was more important than Melody Summers. She just wasn’t sure: could Melody really accept Roman Rhodes as her father?

’Of course I can’t accept it.’

’Who would want a new dad out of the blue?’ Melody thought. ’Especially one like Roman Rhodes, who doesn’t seem like the easiest person to get along with...’

But Roman Rhodes had risked his life to protect Winnie Summers today, and that did move Melody, at least a little.

’Roman Rhodes might not be marriage material, but when danger strikes, he really steps up to the plate!’

Besides, Melody could tell that after Roman’s "damsel in distress" rescue tonight, her mother was starting to fall for him.

She had seen her mother’s expression clearly just a moment ago and suddenly realized this wasn’t a one-sided pursuit. Winnie Summers must have feelings for Roman Rhodes, too.

’In that case, I shouldn’t stand in their way.’

’Life is only a few short decades, after all. Since they like each other and seem to be on the same page, I should just let them be.’

’Besides, after three years of natural disasters where hundreds of millions have died, the survivors should cherish the time they have and seize any chance to do what makes them happy.’

At this thought, Melody Summers gave a small nod and said, "...As long as you like him, and as long as he treats you well... I don’t mind..."

Having said that, Melody Summers took a deep breath, threw herself into her mother’s arms, and added in a muffled voice, "Mom... you suffered so much raising me all these years. I want you to be with someone you like. I want you to be happy..."

Hearing her daughter’s words, Winnie Summers felt a sting in her nose. She hugged Melody tightly, and tears began to fall once again...