Chapter 4

The nurse called Elise for her examination at 9:00 am. Elise and Henry stepped out of the ward and came face-to-face with Samuel and Zara. Zara looked frail as she sat in a wheelchair with Samuel pushing her from behind. Dressed in a bespoke black suit, he looked tall and handsome but also cold and distant. The only time his expression softened was when he looked at Zara. Elise didn't see Lucas. He'd probably gone to preschool after breakfast. She looked away and headed toward the examination room quietly. Henry couldn't be bothered to look at the shameless pair and followed her. "El," Zara called out, but Elise ignored her. The very next second, Elise's right hand was grabbed so hard that it made her flinch. "Be careful, Sam!" Zara chided. "El's hand is injured." Samuel let go of Elise. His gaze lingered briefly on Henry, who was standing protectively beside Elise, before settling back on Zara. Zara wheeled herself forward, took Elise's right hand, and asked, "Are you alright?" Elise pushed her hand away and turned to leave. Zara stopped her with a small smile. "Are you still upset about what happened yesterday? It's my fault for causing a misunderstanding between you and Sam. "But you two are married—you should sit down and talk things through instead of bringing up divorce every time you argue. It's bad for your relationship. Also, even if you're upset, you shouldn't be getting that close to another man. It'll only make things worse." Elise didn't want to waste her breath on Zara. She was more concerned about her right hand. Samuel had gripped it so hard that it was still throbbing with sharp, needle-like pain. Her mood soured as well. "Who I talk to or what I do is none of your damn business!" Zara was still all smiles, as if she were humoring a friend who was throwing a tantrum. "You still have the wrong idea about my relationship with Sam, El. I've told you countless times that we're just siblings. We merely care for each other like family." Elise had heard the word "siblings" more times than she could count. Elise and Zara had known each other since middle school. Back then, they'd been close friends. However, everything had changed when Zara's aunt showed up with Elise's father's illegitimate son. After Elise and her terminally ill mother had been kicked out of the house, her friendship with Zara had come to an end. Before all that, though, she'd met Samuel through Zara. They'd grown up in the same neighborhood and were practically childhood sweethearts. Zara had always told her that she and Samuel were like siblings and that they cared for each other like family. Elise had believed her. That was the reason she'd taken a chance with Evelyn's heart and married Samuel. However, after she'd gotten pregnant, he'd spent two years abroad with Zara and rarely returned to Hilltop Manor. When she'd gone into a difficult labor, he hadn't even been there to sign the consent forms. Then there was the snowstorm. Even if he didn't love her, she was still his lawful wife. Yet, no matter what happened, he'd always choose Zara, the woman who wasn't even related to him by blood. That had to be love. "Whatever's going on between you two is none of my business. You don't have to explain yourselves to me. From now on, you two can be whatever you want." Elise had already signed the divorce papers. It wouldn't be long before it was finalized. At that moment, she was more concerned about her hand, which had started trembling due to the pain. Samuel must've grabbed it without an ounce of restraint. With no time to lose, she left with Henry. Zara sighed exasperatedly. "It looks like El is still mad at me. You should buy her a gift to cheer her up, Sam. If I remember correctly, she likes to collect flowers and plants. Isn't there a flower field at Matthew's place? Why don't you go pick something for El?" "That won't be necessary." Samuel tore his gaze away from Elise's grip on Henry's wrist. His tone was unreadable as he said, "Also, you don't have to waste your breath on her. She refuses to see reason. It's like talking to a wall." Zara didn't notice anything amiss. When she realized he was still siding with her, there was a triumphant gleam in her eyes. Yet, she said sweetly, "Oh, that won't do. Misunderstandings are the root of most marital problems. You should clear things up with her right away. "I have no say in what El does with other men or whether she'll explain herself to you, but I have to make myself clear. If you two end up getting divorced because of me, everyone will think I'm a homewrecker." "That won't happen," he said flatly. "I'll make sure of it." … After the examination, Elise went to Ben's office, only to see Samuel and Zara inside. "This is just great," Henry muttered under his breath. Zara smiled at Elise. "What a coincidence, El!" Elise ignored her and handed her report to Ben. Unaware of what was going on between them, Ben simply did his job. "The results are similar to the ones from Brookfield Hospital. I have a clear picture now. I'll arrange the surgery immediately." Elise thanked him and was about to leave when she heard a familiar, cold voice. "I'm afraid you won't have time to perform her surgery, Dr. Quinton." Ben was caught off guard. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Holt?" Elise stopped in her tracks. She spun on her heel and looked at the tall, impassive man's back. "What's that supposed to mean, Mr. Holt?" Elise couldn't care less about how much he doted on Zara. Yet, her right hand was imperative to her; she couldn't just stay silent. Ignoring her, Samuel looked Ben in the eye and said, "I'm buying your time, Dr. Quinton." Realization dawned on Ben—there was bad blood between Samuel and Elise. While he didn't know Elise, he was on good terms with Henry. Torn between friendship and power, he found himself in a dilemma. "Mr. Holt, her surgery won't take long." Ben tried to ease the tension. "Your wife's back injury isn't serious. The rehabilitation department can take care of it." Samuel's tone softened slightly. "I can't trust anyone else with her." Elise's left hand curled into a fist. He hadn't denied it when Ben referred to Zara as his wife, which meant he'd accepted it and acknowledged Zara as such. He'd never once given her that acknowledgment in the six years she'd been his legal wife. Initially, she'd agreed to keep their marriage secret because she knew she'd pressured him into it. Later, she'd thought that with enough time, he'd fall in love with her and eventually admit they were married. In the end, it was all just her wishful thinking. However, her anger stemmed not from the title, but from his refusal to allow Ben to perform her surgery. "Samuel Holt." Since they were already getting divorced, she no longer had to follow his rules. "My right hand is important to me. Even if she needs treatment, can't it wait a few hours?" Samuel still had his back to her, yet his voice grew colder, indicating his clear annoyance at the way she'd addressed him. "It's only your right hand. Every inch of her is worth more than that." Elise felt as if there were a gaping hole in her chest, and cold air was pouring in with every breath. It hurt to even breathe. She was well aware that she could never mean as much to him as Zara did, and she wasn't here to make a scene. Ben had already said Zara would be fine, so Elise simply wanted to stand up for herself. "I only need a few hours. Once Dr. Quinton finishes my surgery, I won't bother him again. He'll be free to take care of your wife." At last, Samuel turned to look at her. His eyes were cold and razor-sharp. "You're in no position to bargain with me."