Chapter 643
Those unplanned, unwanted little lives–most of them were lost before they ever had a chance. The thought alone felt like a heavy sin.
Jamison knew exactly what his wife was thinking. He pulled her gently into his arms and gave her a reassuring pat, speaking with the calm logic of a doctor. “A fetus isn’t technically a person until it’s born. And when it happens early, it’s not even formed yet–just a cluster of cells. It’s not life in any meaningful sense.”
Ivy turned to look at him, exasperation flickering in her eyes. “You doctors… Sometimes you’re all reason and no heart. It’s like you forget to feel.”
Jamison chuckled softly, leaning in to brush a kiss across her lips. “I’ve told you before–dealing with life and death every day, we have to stay rational. If we let every loss get to us, we’d never make it.”
She remembered, of course. Ivy shot him a look and let the conversation drop.
By the time they made it back to the faculty apartments, it was nearly eleven.
There was only one communal bathroom on that floor. To save time, Jamison insisted on showering together.
Ivy tried to protest, but before she knew it, she was already under the warm spray, pressed to his chest, her hair soaking wet. She wriggled, half–laughing, half–accusing, “So you came all the way here just to force me into the shower with you?”
He grinned, unrepentant. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”
For Dr. Ludwig, getting to bathe his wife himself was a rare and cherished privilege. Ivy had grown used to his affection–so much so that she’d even started to enjoy his playful experiments, their relationship deepening and growing more exciting in these little ways.
Still, she could never quite relax when it came to showering together.
Especially when his hands roamed, unashamed and insistent, exploring every inch of her skin. She couldn’t help but tense, biting back a gasp, her brows knit in helpless embarrassment.
Jamison loved her most in these moments–when she melted against him, her usual composure slipping, letting him take care of everything.
Chapter 643
When things started getting heated, Jamison reached for the box of protection, only for Ivy to stop him.
“It’s almost that time,” she murmured, cheeks flushed, voice shy. “We don’t need it.”
He understood immediately and pressed his forehead to hers, voice gentle. “Then just be careful these next few days. Don’t stay up late, avoid anything too spicy or raw, and call me if you feel even a little off.”
“Okay, okay…” She rolled her eyes at his fussing, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, silencing any further warnings.
A few days later, Ivy got another call from Roberta.
Roberta had moved back into the student dorms and was calling to see if Ivy wanted to move in with her.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m just asking. When I was in the hospital, I overheard the doctors talking about your husband–turns out he’s some hotshot, and his job keeps him way out of town, right? He can’t be here with you every night. I just thought, if we live together, we can look out for each other.”
Ivy was surprised by how thoughtful Roberta was–she’d even guessed that Jamison didn’t have much time to keep Ivy company.
It was a good idea, but Ivy shook her head. “Thanks, but I might have some trouble coming up, and I don’t want you to get caught up in it.”
“Trouble? Is it those two people who came looking for me before?” Roberta sounded shocked.
“Yeah,” Ivy said. “They might try to get back at me. I’d rather stay out of the dorms so you won’t get dragged into it.”
“Oh…” Roberta sounded a little dazed, but after a pause, she added, “But that means you need someone with you even more–hey, are you still studying in the library every day? I could join you when I’m free.”
Ivy wasn’t used to this kind of enthusiasm from people she barely knew, so she replied politely, “That’s sweet, but I don’t want to take up your time.”
Once the call ended, Ivy didn’t think about it again.
But the next day, Roberta turned up at the library.
To be precise, she’d tracked Ivy down to the economics and finance section–a clever move.
Chapter 643
“Can we swap numbers again? I owe you a thousand.” Roberta held out her phone.
She’d changed her number, so their old contact info was useless now.
Ivy blinked. “You got the money already?”
Roberta nodded, “I picked up some freelance gigs online. They just paid me for last month’s work.”
So Ivy took out her phone and accepted Roberta’s friend request. The transfer came through right away, and Ivy tapped to receive it.
At lunchtime, Roberta insisted on buying Ivy a meal.
As they left the reading room, Roberta caught sight of the two men trailing Ivy and stared, wide–eyed. “Who are they…?”
“Bodyguards,” Ivy answered simply.
Roberta’s jaw dropped. After a moment, she managed, “Your situation’s that dangerous? You actually need bodyguards to follow you everywhere?”