Forbidden Heat novel Chapter 206

Deep down, I believed that I already knew the answer. Reiner was gone and he wasn’t coming back. It would be a miracle if I ever got to see him again.

“Umm…is my baby…safe?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t sure if they knew that I was pregnant.

“Yes, of course. Congratulations Miss!” the nurse replied cheerfully.

“…Thank you,” I said with relief.

Reiner was gone but our baby is still with me. I guess that was more than I could ever ask for.

“All done. I must leave now. Good luck, Miss!” the nurse said with a bright smile as she opened the door and walked out of the room.

At the same moment, Edward returned to the room. I wonder what the doctors told him about my condition. Hopefully they did not disclose to Edward that I was pregnant. It’s not that I didn’t want him to know but I wanted him to hear it first from me and not some random doctor.

“Oh…Edward, you’re back,’ I said as I smiled at him.

“How are you feeling?” Edward asked as he stood at the side of the bed.

Before I could reply he placed a bouquet of red roses into my arms and bent down to kiss me softly on my forehead.

“I feel ok…these roses just made me feel better too. Thank you,” I said as I looked back and forth between Edward’s tired yet still handsome face and the dark red roses.

“If they make you feel better then it was more than worth it. Should I place them in the vase over there?” Edward suggested as he gestured to the vase placed on the windowsill.

“Sure…how much longer do I need to stay in hospital?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“The doctor says that you’re fine. You were just shocked and tired from accumulated overwork, so your body needed a couple of days to rest. They’ll do some final checkups and that’s it. You should be able to go home in two to three days,” Edward explained slowly.

Reaching out for my hand, he held my hand tenderly as he stroked my wrist softly and comfortingly. His touch was warm and caring. In that moment, I couldn’t imagine what I would do without his man. I bit my lower lip lightly to stop myself from crying.

“Lucien is worried sick by the way. I knew it would turn out like this, so I gave him a lighter version of your condition, but it didn’t work out. He’s still worried sick and making a super big deal out of this. We’re lucky he’s tied up in a business trip abroad otherwise he’ll be causing a scene here for sure,” Edward continued to explain the situation with a sigh.

“I don’t want it to impact my work…” I whispered softly. Above all else, I was scared that Lucien wouldn’t allow me to work anymore.

“I know. So, you should concentrate on your recovery instead of worrying about anything else. Let’s get you out of hospital before Lucien comes back. I also let Zak know. He’s also abroad at the moment but he should be calling you soon,” Edward said encouragingly, and I nodded in agreement.

Silence enveloped the room while I thought of how to approach the next topic. Edward sensing that I needed some time just sat next to the bed and played with a loose strand of my hair as he patiently waited.

“Edward…where is Reiner?” I asked hesitantly.

Edward suddenly looked ten times as tired as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I could tell that whatever news he was about to disclose wasn’t good. Still, I wanted to know.

“I’m sorry, Natalia. Currently, we don’t know where he is. My team has not been able to locate him since that day,” Edward said apologetically.

“I see…” I managed to say in a whisper. This was what I had expected but it still came as a shock.

“I dispatched a team to search right after I made sure that you were in safe hands at the hospital but…” Edward said followed by a loud and disappointed sigh.

“You couldn’t find him…” I finished the sentence for him.

“It’s been more than twenty-four hours now so to be honest, the chances of finding him are very slim. It is highly likely that he has left the country…” Edward admitted honestly.

“I see. It’s ok. Don’t be too hard on yourself, ok?” I said as I gave his hand a squeeze.

“Natalia…” Edward whispered my name.

That was when I realized that I had started crying openly. Warm and wet tears streaking down my face. Reiner was gone and it made me feel so empty and lost inside. In the next instant, I felt warmth envelop my body and realized that Edward had pulled me into a loving hug. He stroked my back, patted my head, and then kissed my wet cheeks softly.

I knew he wanted to comfort me but for some reason I started crying harder than before. My tears flowed out like my eyes were an open dam and through it all, Edward was constantly by my side. His presence gave me more strength than I ever thought possible as he wordlessly comforted me in his embrace.

I didn’t understand it very well at the time but perhaps it was his ability to accept me for all that I am without passing judgement that made me so attracted to him. I cried so hard that I fell asleep in the middle of it all.

When I woke up, I could tell that morning had arrived. I can’t believe I fell asleep for that long. Is this the effect of the medicine they’ve been giving me?

As expected, Edward was by my side the moment I opened my eyes. I didn’t have to ask to know that he cleared his whole schedule to be by my side during my recovery. The laptop that lay on the sofa in the room was evident enough that he had handled his necessary work right here in this room.

“Edward…” I whispered his name, my voice sounding embarrassingly hoarse.

“Water? You sound like you need a drink,” Edward said as he got up to fetch me some water.

When he returned, he softly pressed the rim of the mug to my lips so that I could slowly sip the water. I was fit enough to drink water by myself but having him pamper me like this felt wonderful. More than anything, I knew that Edward needed this too. He needed to feel like he was useful and that he could make me feel better. Reiner’s disappearance also had an immense impact on Edward, although he was not willing to openly show it.

“Thank you…” I whispered after I had finished drinking.

--To be continued…

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