Chapter 863

At the hospital, Michael leaned over beside Teresa and gently touched her belly. “Mom, the baby wasn’t scared today, right?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

Teresa shook her head slightly, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay,” she comforted him softly.

The doctor had already examined her, and the results would be out soon.

“If you’re tired, you can go to sleep,” Teresa said, noticing how heavy Michael’s eyelids were getting. She gently stroked his head.

“No, I can’t sleep,” Michael insisted, forcing his eyes wide open to stay awake. “Mr. Lime hasn’t come yet. I need to protect you and the baby.”

Teresa’s heart warmed at his words, and she gently patted his head again.

Time seemed to crawl by, each second feeling longer than the last.

By the time Jonathan rushed to the hospital, the doctor who had examined Teresa stepped out of the exam room. He recognized Jonathan and assumed he was Teresa’s husband.

“Mr. Lynn, we’ve finished checking on your wife,” the doctor said.

Jonathan stepped forward quickly and asked, “Really? How is she? She was out in the rain today. Did anything happen to her?”

The doctor said with a sigh, “Your wife caught a chill and has a bit of a cold. It’s nothing serious. But as for the baby…”

Jonathan’s heart clenched tightly. “What’s wrong with the baby?” he asked.

The doctor handed him the test results and said, “Your wife’s condition is serious. Be prepared. The baby could be born prematurely, or we might not be able to save it.”

Jonathan’s tall frame staggered for a moment, as if the news had knocked the wind out of him.

“Mr. Lynn,” the doctor called out.

“I’m fine,” Jonathan replied, lifting a hand slightly. With his other hand, he gripped the edge of the table so hard that his long fingers creaked from the strain.

“Money isn’t an issue. Please, I’m begging you. Do whatever it takes to save the baby,” Jonathan said.

“We’ll do everything we can. You don’t need to worry too much. The baby is already seven months along, so even if it’s born early, it doesn’t mean it can’t survive,” the doctor reassured him.

But Jonathan knew all too well that the chances for a premature baby to survive were still slim.

He also knew that some preemies stopped breathing the moment they were taken out of the incubator.

He frowned, regret and self-blame twisting his heart. He thought bitterly, ‘If the baby doesn’t make it, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. Not in this lifetime. It was all my fault. I brought so much pain and suffering to Teresa, and now even the baby…’

Guilt wrapped around Jonathan like a suffocating shroud. He left the exam room and headed to the ward, where he found Michael dozing off beside Teresa.

The moment Michael spotted Jonathan, he jumped up and ran over excitedly. “Mr. Daddy Lime, you’re here. I’ve been watching over Mom and the baby,” Michael said.

“Good boy,” Jonathan said, scooping him up. “From now on, I’ll protect you, Mom, and the baby.”

Michael felt at ease after hearing that. “Dad, can I ask you something?” Michael asked softly, looking up at him.

“What is it?” Jonathan replied.

“Did you sell me to Grandma?” Michael asked, his eyes filled with worry.

Jonathan looked puzzled and asked, “Why would you even think that? What makes you think that?”

Michael answered honestly, “Grandma told me today that I have to go with you, and I can’t see Mom anymore.”