Chapter 2 The first thing she did was apply to have all her domestic identification records removed. The second thing she did was change her name. The clerk told her that all the paperwork would be completed within two weeks. In two weeks, even if Reid searched heaven and earth, he'd never find her again. By the time she got home, it was already dark. Reid was standing in the living room. The moment he saw her, he strode over, worry written all over his face. "Babe, where've you been? I came home and you were gone. I've been waiting for hours, nearly turned the whole city upside down looking for you." His concern didn't seem fake. Maxine stared at him, her heart gripped tight by an invisible hand. She suddenly remembered when they were younger-he'd gone to a business association event, and she was just an hour late replying to his message. He'd rushed back, terrified something had happened to her. A man who loved her this much... And yet, the love he gave wasn't hers alone. It felt like something was lodged in her throat, every breath tinged with pain, but in the end, she just spoke calmly, "I went shopping. Forgot to tell you, sorry." Only then did Reid relax, pulling her into his arms. "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm not mad, just worried." He bent down and kissed the top of her head, his voice gentle. "Alright, babe, you said the other day you were craving BBQ pork ribs and grilled salmon. Let me make them for you, okay?" With that, he let her go and headed into the kitchen. Maxine stood in the doorway, quietly watching Reid. He'd rolled up his shirt sleeves, his long fingers skillfully slicing vegetables, his profile looking espe- 0.0% • 06:31 cially gentle under the warm, golden light. She suddenly remembered, three years ago, when she'd just come back to the States-her irregular eat- ing habits had landed her in the hospital with a severe stomach ulcer. Back then, Reid, a business magnate who'd never set foot in a kitchen, spent a whole month learning to cook from a top chef just for her. Once, he had to choose between a government meeting and cooking dinner for her. He skipped the meeting, cooking while listening to reports from his staff in the kitchen, leaving his executives com- pletely dumbfounded. He had loved her so much. But just then, the phone rang. Maxine watched as he answered, listened for a few seconds, and his expression shifted. He put down the knife and quickly wiped his hands. "Babe, something urgent came up at work. I have to go." He untied his apron, his tone as usual, even leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I've already made three dishes. Go ahead and eat-you don't have to wait for me." Maxine didn't say a word, just nodded. Once he left, she sat at the dining table, staring at the steaming dishes. Suddenly, her chest hurt so much she could barely breathe. She'd heard it-the call was from Kelsey. She didn't do as he wished, didn't sit down to eat. Instead, she went out, hailed a cab, and followed him. Sure enough, Reid didn't go to work-he went to the hospital. In the hospital hallway outside the patient rooms. The entire floor had been cleared. Only a few doctors and nurses in white coats stood outside the room, looking anxious. The hospital director was bent over, apologizing to Reid in a low, nervous voice. "Mr. Merrow, I'm ter- ribly sorry. We weren't attentive enough, and Ms. Sutter slipped in the bathroom. We'll assign more aides to her-this will never happen again!" Reid's face was dark, his voice cold as ice. "If this happens again, this hospital won't need to stay open." 35.3 %. 06:31 Chapter 2 The director nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, we'll be extra careful!" Maxine stood at the corner, her nails digging into her palm. Reid's buddy had said Kelsey just had "a few scrapes." 288 Vouchers But looking at this, for a few scrapes, he'd cleared out an entire floor. Now that something had hap- pened, he was ready to tear the hospital down. The door to the hospital room opened. Kelsey was propped up weakly against the headboard, her face pale and her eyes rimmed red. Reid walked over quickly and took her hand. "How are you feeling? Where else does it hurt?" Kelsey's eyes filled with tears, and her voice choked. "It's all my fault. I can't believe I managed to fall in the shower, and now you can't even be with Ms. Valemont... What if she gets the wrong idea? I'm such a burden..." "Don't talk like that," he scolded softly, though his voice was gentle. "Just focus on getting better. I'll stay here with you these next few days." Kelsey looked up at him with tearful eyes. "But what about Ms. Valemont?" Reid replied calmly, "I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry." After a pause, he added, "We're husband and wife. Isn't it only right that I stay with you?" Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!