"Only a day apart, and you're already missing each other so much. It seems your old flame has been rekindled?"
Faced with his sarcastic remark, Luana didn't bother to explain. She simply lowered her long eyelashes, hiding the discomfort in her eyes.
Seeing her silence, Cline's face turned even colder. His grip on her chin tightened uncontrollably.
"Didn't you say you didn't love him anymore? Why are you rekindling your old relationship?"
Luana endured the pain in her chin and forced a smile at Cline.
"If I can be your lover for years without loving you, why can't I rekindle my relationship with him?"
It wasn't clear whether it was the first part of her sentence that choked Cline or the latter that left him speechless, but it made him so angry that he couldn't find words.
Luana glanced up at him and saw his usually frosty, charming eyes gradually turn bloodshot. Her heart jolted, but she quickly suppressed the involuntary feelings that surfaced for him.
At that moment, Cline suddenly leaned down and pinned her firmly to the bed.
His lips hovered just above hers, not touching her at all.
But such close proximity made the emotions she had just barely suppressed flare up again.
"Haven't I warned you that Calvert is the future member of the Moriarty family, and yet you dare to be with him!"
"Do you think that just because he broke off the engagement, you have a chance to climb higher, so you can't wait to rekindle your old flame?"
Had she not heard him admit that his feelings for her were purely physical, Luana would have thought he was jealous.
Fortunately, she no longer harbored any expectations for Cline, so his words didn't affect her.
"Mr. Moriarty, you know I've always wanted to marry into wealth. When my old lover comes knocking, of course I'd be tempted."
"As for your warning, you did say 'future' member. But with the future being so uncertain... who can really say for sure?"
Her nonchalant retort made Cline feel that she was utterly shameless.
No wonder she had moved into his home after Calvert's breakup and was seen with him in hotels—she had clearly harbored such intentions.
Did she think that by latching onto Calvert, she could disregard the Moriarty family, and even him?
Was she openly defying him? And what about him? He had let it happen, time and time again...
He gazed at her pale, paper-like face, wanting to strangle her with his own hands, but... he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Luana, you're really ungrateful..." After a long silence, he left these words and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Watching Cline's proud figure disappear from sight, Luana let out a long breath.
She had thought that after such a falling out, he would send her back.
But instead of sending her away, he instructed Ulrich to take good care of her and then vanished, as if he had completely forgotten about her.
Eva continued to administer the special medication for heart failure for several days, and her condition improved rapidly. She was already able to walk.
But her body was far from what it used to be. Even the simple act of getting up to use the bathroom left her exhausted.
Eva said that while the special medication could alleviate pain, it couldn't delay the countdown of her life. She was destined to reach the end of her life as expected, and no one could save her.
When Luana came out of the bathroom, leaning on the wall, Eva was packing up the instruments.
Seeing Luana drenched in cold sweat, Eva quickly went over to support her. "Miss Hammond, you should go to the hospital for your final treatment. Don't push yourself. You won't be able to endure it..."
"No," Luana shook her head.
Eva sighed, "If you keep this up, Mr. Moriarty will surely find out."
Luana pursed her lips and forced a smile at Eva. "So... could you take me away from here?"
Eva replied with a helpless smile, "Without Mr. Moriarty's permission, no one dares to take you away."
Luana didn't press Eva further and, with her support, sat back down on the bed.
Eva picked up the water cup beside her and handed it to Luana. "You probably can't eat much now. Drink more water."
Late-stage heart failure patients are prone to gastric bleeding if they eat too much, so they can only sustain their vital signs with water.
But it probably wouldn't be long before she couldn't even drink water, and then her life would truly come to an end.
Luana took the water and looked up. She wanted to thank Eva but noticed the scratches on her face.
"What happened to you?" She hadn't paid close attention to Eva when she was conducting the examination and giving her the IV earlier.
Now, seeing the deep nail marks on her face, she realized Eva was injured.
Eva touched her face and said, "Scratched by a patient."
Cline had asked her to deal with Runa, and the easiest way was to admit that she was the woman Cline had carried into the car.
As soon as she stood up and admitted it, Runa stormed into the hospital with a group of people, hitting, smashing, and scratching her a few times.
But since this was what Cline had instructed her to do, she naturally wouldn't tell Luana who had scratched her, just giving a vague response.
When Eva said she was scratched by a patient, Luana assumed there had been a dispute with a patient and didn't ask further.