Love Says She Once Returned

Chapter 2 She'd Risk Her Life for Him

　　Brandon left the villa and headed straight to the hospital.

　　Back when his life was hanging by a thread, that woman hadn't hesitated for a second—she betrayed him just like that. If it hadn't been for Chloe Harris, he probably would've died overseas just like that woman wanted.

　　Too bad for them—he didn't die. He came back alive.

　　He stopped in front of the hospital room for a moment before pushing the door open and walking in.

　　Chloe had never been in great health, and the shock of her brother dying on the operating table was too much for her. She couldn't handle it and collapsed—ended up in the hospital herself.

　　“No, you're lying. He's not dead, right?”

　　The woman in the bed looked pale as a sheet. “He was still just a kid. He never even got to see how beautiful the world really is… He didn't even get to try the sweet and sour ribs I made for him. Just a few days ago, he seemed perfectly fine. And now… just a stupid fish bone took his life. I shouldn't have brought him here at all...”

　　Tears streamed down Chloe's cheeks as she glanced sideways at the man next to her. Her voice broke and she couldn't finish.

　　Brandon pulled her into his arms, wanting to find the right words to comfort her—but nothing came out. He ended up holding her a little tighter instead.

　　Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing harder. “Brandon, my brother… he didn't deserve this!”

　　Her tears soaked into his shirt like heavy raindrops.

　　Brandon swallowed hard. “Don't cry too much. I'll take care of you from now on,” he said quietly.

　　Hearing that, Chloe bawled even louder, but deep inside, she felt oddly satisfied. Coming back to him—giving up everything she'd built abroad to stay by his side day and night—was worth it after all.

　　“Bad news, Mr. Sterling! Something's wrong! Miss Cooper fell down the stairs—she's losing a lot of blood! The doctors are working on her now!” Ethan Reed burst in looking panicked.

　　“What did you just say?” Brandon's expression tensed slightly. He glanced at the woman beside him, then said coldly, “I need to see if that woman's dead yet.”

　　Then he turned and ran toward the OR, completely ignoring Chloe's shouts behind him.

　　Chloe's slender hands clutched the blanket tightly. Her lips pressed together like she was grinding her teeth. Her fingers turned white from how hard she was gripping.

　　Normally calm and deliberate, Brandon now rushed through the hall, bumping into more than one stretcher on the way.

　　When he finally reached the OR and heard that Elena's life wasn't in danger, the deep furrow in his brow finally eased... just a bit.

　　The doctor explained that she'd miscarried—thankfully her uterus wasn't damaged.

　　So the baby she was carrying... was already more than three months along.

　　“Oh? Three months?” Brandon let out a cold laugh. Funny—that timing lines up perfectly with when she threw herself into that guy's arms, doesn't it?

　　Mrs. Tate noticed the shift in Brandon's vibe. Her palms started sweating.

　　She hesitated, but eventually confessed anyway. “Sir, we... we were only trying to get her to take some birth control pills. She kept refusing and tried to run. A few of us chased her and... we didn't mean for her to fall.”

　　Brandon's face turned even darker. All that just because she didn't want to take a pill? Ha. So she's really that into the guy, huh? Loved him so much she'd risk her life to protect that bastard child?

　　For a second, it felt like he and Elena were worlds apart—like they'd never even existed in the same place.

　　A wave of rage surged in Brandon's chest. His fists clenched tight, and his eyes turned ice-cold.

　　The people around him instinctively took a few steps back.