Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 12: Chapter 12
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Ryder stared at Stella for a long moment, then suddenly released her hand and laughed coldly: "Don't even know you're running a fever?"
His thumb brushed her forehead, finding it burning hot.
Only then did Stella feel the dizziness, Ryder's face blurring into double vision.
She instinctively grabbed his sleeve, but he caught her wrist instead.
"Don't move." His voice was still hard but gentler in pressure.
The car started again, heading for the nearest private hospital.
Stella slumped in her seat, consciousness fading.
She dimly heard Ryder on the phone: "...prep fever reducers and IV fluids... yeah, now."
Neon lights outside became streaming colors as she suddenly remembered that rainy night from her past life—she'd been this cold, lying in blood, while Ryder held her, voice shaking as he called her name.
"...Stella?"
The real voice pulled her back. Ryder had already parked and was frowning at her.
"Can you walk?"
Stella tried to say she was fine, but moving made her vision go black and legs turn to jelly.
The next second, she was swept up in his arms, his scent overwhelming her.
"Pain in the ass," he muttered, but held her tighter.
In the VIP room, the doctor had just finished examining her.
"Her temperature hit 102.5—she needs to stay for observation." The doctor pushed up his glasses. "Also..."
He looked meaningfully at Ryder.
Ryder followed him into the hallway.
"Miss Whitmore has fresh needle marks on her arms that look like forced blood draws from the positioning and condition," the doctor lowered his voice. "Plus she's got multiple bruises and soft tissue injuries that seem recent and... abnormal."
Ryder's eyes instantly went cold.
Back in the room, Stella had slipped into semi-consciousness, her pale face flushed with fever.
The nurse was setting up her IV, and Stella flinched unconsciously when the needle entered her vein.
Ryder stood by the bed, staring at her exposed arm—besides the new puncture, there were several scabbed scratches like she'd been roughly dragged across concrete.
His knuckles cracked audibly.
"Chase..." Stella suddenly mumbled in her delirium. "Why..."
Ryder's expression turned ice-cold again. He started to leave but a burning hand caught his.
"Ryder..." Her voice was soft as a sigh. "Don't go..."
He stopped in his tracks.
Moonlight leaked through the curtain gaps, falling across Stella's sweat-dampened forehead. Ryder watched silently for a long time, finally sitting back down in the bedside chair.
Stella dreamed she was back in her past life.
Chase walked by with Sophia in his arms, not even sparing her a glance.
Marcus, Preston, and Damien fake-comforted her while secretly mocking her foolish devotion.
Finally came the car accident, blood spreading beneath her while those four stood across the street, coldly watching...
"No..." she struggled in the dream. "Don't..."
A cool hand suddenly touched her cheek.
"Stella." Someone called her name, voice low and clear. "Wake up."
She snapped her eyes open to find Ryder's face inches away.
In the morning light, his features were sharp and clear, dark circles under his eyes showing he'd stayed up all night.
"You..." her throat was raw.
Ryder pulled his hand back, expression returning to usual coldness: "Fever broke."
Only then did Stella notice the IV tape on her hand, empty bottles hanging from the stand, and a glass of warm water on the nightstand.
Suddenly her eyes felt hot.
In her past life when she was sickest, Chase only cared about comforting Sophia—couldn't even send a text checking on her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Ryder was buttoning his cuffs, pausing at her words: "Don't mention it." He didn't look up. "During our engagement, I'm responsible for your health."
Stella smiled, not calling out his stubbornness.
She noticed his suit jacket draped carelessly on the sofa, wrinkled from where she'd grabbed it.
"I had a good dream," she suddenly said. "Dreamed everyone abandoned me."
Ryder glanced at her: "Your brain really did get fried if you think that's…"
She said quietly: "Only you came."
Sudden silence.
Ryder's expression softened for a moment before returning to neutral. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, but stopped with his hand on the handle.
"Stella." He didn't turn around. "How'd you get those injuries?"
Stella looked down, fingertips unconsciously tracing the needle marks on her arm.
"If I told you..." She looked up with a pale smile. "That Chase drained my blood for Sophia, would you believe me?"
Ryder's back went rigid.
His thumb brushed her forehead, finding it burning hot.
Only then did Stella feel the dizziness, Ryder's face blurring into double vision.
She instinctively grabbed his sleeve, but he caught her wrist instead.
"Don't move." His voice was still hard but gentler in pressure.
The car started again, heading for the nearest private hospital.
Stella slumped in her seat, consciousness fading.
She dimly heard Ryder on the phone: "...prep fever reducers and IV fluids... yeah, now."
Neon lights outside became streaming colors as she suddenly remembered that rainy night from her past life—she'd been this cold, lying in blood, while Ryder held her, voice shaking as he called her name.
"...Stella?"
The real voice pulled her back. Ryder had already parked and was frowning at her.
"Can you walk?"
Stella tried to say she was fine, but moving made her vision go black and legs turn to jelly.
The next second, she was swept up in his arms, his scent overwhelming her.
"Pain in the ass," he muttered, but held her tighter.
In the VIP room, the doctor had just finished examining her.
"Her temperature hit 102.5—she needs to stay for observation." The doctor pushed up his glasses. "Also..."
He looked meaningfully at Ryder.
Ryder followed him into the hallway.
"Miss Whitmore has fresh needle marks on her arms that look like forced blood draws from the positioning and condition," the doctor lowered his voice. "Plus she's got multiple bruises and soft tissue injuries that seem recent and... abnormal."
Ryder's eyes instantly went cold.
Back in the room, Stella had slipped into semi-consciousness, her pale face flushed with fever.
The nurse was setting up her IV, and Stella flinched unconsciously when the needle entered her vein.
Ryder stood by the bed, staring at her exposed arm—besides the new puncture, there were several scabbed scratches like she'd been roughly dragged across concrete.
His knuckles cracked audibly.
"Chase..." Stella suddenly mumbled in her delirium. "Why..."
Ryder's expression turned ice-cold again. He started to leave but a burning hand caught his.
"Ryder..." Her voice was soft as a sigh. "Don't go..."
He stopped in his tracks.
Moonlight leaked through the curtain gaps, falling across Stella's sweat-dampened forehead. Ryder watched silently for a long time, finally sitting back down in the bedside chair.
Stella dreamed she was back in her past life.
Chase walked by with Sophia in his arms, not even sparing her a glance.
Marcus, Preston, and Damien fake-comforted her while secretly mocking her foolish devotion.
Finally came the car accident, blood spreading beneath her while those four stood across the street, coldly watching...
"No..." she struggled in the dream. "Don't..."
A cool hand suddenly touched her cheek.
"Stella." Someone called her name, voice low and clear. "Wake up."
She snapped her eyes open to find Ryder's face inches away.
In the morning light, his features were sharp and clear, dark circles under his eyes showing he'd stayed up all night.
"You..." her throat was raw.
Ryder pulled his hand back, expression returning to usual coldness: "Fever broke."
Only then did Stella notice the IV tape on her hand, empty bottles hanging from the stand, and a glass of warm water on the nightstand.
Suddenly her eyes felt hot.
In her past life when she was sickest, Chase only cared about comforting Sophia—couldn't even send a text checking on her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Ryder was buttoning his cuffs, pausing at her words: "Don't mention it." He didn't look up. "During our engagement, I'm responsible for your health."
Stella smiled, not calling out his stubbornness.
She noticed his suit jacket draped carelessly on the sofa, wrinkled from where she'd grabbed it.
"I had a good dream," she suddenly said. "Dreamed everyone abandoned me."
Ryder glanced at her: "Your brain really did get fried if you think that's…"
She said quietly: "Only you came."
Sudden silence.
Ryder's expression softened for a moment before returning to neutral. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, but stopped with his hand on the handle.
"Stella." He didn't turn around. "How'd you get those injuries?"
Stella looked down, fingertips unconsciously tracing the needle marks on her arm.
"If I told you..." She looked up with a pale smile. "That Chase drained my blood for Sophia, would you believe me?"
Ryder's back went rigid.
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 12. Continue reading Chapter 13 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.