From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 48

Olga gave a soft little “okay,” then looked at her dad with wide, hopeful eyes. “Daddy, you have to get better soon, promise?”

Peter didn’t hang around. He found a nanny to watch Olga, then told Jessie he needed to head back to the office and asked her to stay with his daughter for a while.

Once he was gone and Olga had drifted off to sleep, Jessie slipped downstairs. A few questions to the staff were all it took to get the whole story about the scene that had just played out. She ended up in the security room, watching the footage of Peter losing his mind. The sight sent a cold shiver through her.

Eleanor, what do you have that makes Peter care about you so much?

The thought left her panicked, but then she reminded herself—the baby was gone. Without a child, would Eleanor still matter to Peter?

***

Eleanor squinted, trying to focus on the blinding white ceiling and the sharp glare from the overhead lights. Everything felt fuzzy. Her throat was like sandpaper. “Water…”

A large, gentle hand helped her sit up, and she found herself leaning against someone’s warm chest.

A low, soothing voice was right beside her ear. “Here, drink this.”

She kept her eyes closed as she took a few careful sips. Gradually her head cleared. When she finally opened her eyes and saw who was holding her, she blinked in surprise. “Mr. Clarkson?”

Max let out a soft sound, almost a chuckle. “Doctor said your blood sugar crashed. You’re still weak. Try to rest.”

Eleanor shifted awkwardly, wanting to pull away. “Mr. Clarkson, can you... let go of me?”

“Sure.” Max eased her back onto the bed, careful and gentle. “Ms. Rolland, you’re lucky I was right there when you fainted. If you’d hit your head, things could’ve gotten bad.”

“Our company gives every employee extra medical and accident insurance, but you still have to take care of yourself.”

Eleanor flushed, embarrassed. “Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say.

“Are we still at the public hospital?”

She remembered being at the city hospital just before she passed out.

“No, I had you transferred.”

Relief washed over her. She really didn’t want to run into Peter. The further away, the better.

“Thank you. How much was everything? I’ll pay you back.”

Max stood and grabbed a fruit knife from the nightstand, then started peeling a pear with practiced hands. “Eat this. You need to get some strength back. I also ordered soup. Doctor said only light food for now.”

He scooped her up, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Not the first time I’ve carried you. If you were going to be shy, it’s a bit late for that now.”

Eleanor was mortified. All she could do was mumble her thanks.

Max checked his watch. “Eat something. I have a meeting. Don’t worry about the bill. My friend owns this hospital. You’re covered.”

She watched him leave, lost in thought. Was he really just being kind, or was this about making Peter jealous again?

***

Sitting in his car, Peter pulled off his mask and looked at the bruise on his jaw in the mirror. He cursed under his breath.

His phone rang. It was his assistant.

“Mr. Clarkson, legal just got a summons.”

Peter’s heart skipped a beat. “From who?”

“It’s… from your wife, sir. She’s suing the company for stealing her patent.”