Chapter 153

Teresa noticed Donald's gaze and explained, "He's my friend's son. She asked me to take care of him for a few days. Since there's no one at home to look after him, I brought him along."

Hearing that, Donald didn't question her further and replied, "Jennifer hasn't woken up yet. I consulted several doctors—they said she might wake up tomorrow or the day after."

"Thank you for your help. I'll take care of her," Teresa said.

"Jennifer is someone I care about. I want to take care of her, too," Donald insisted.

Teresa was stunned. She had wondered if Donald might like Hannah when she saw his slightly reddened eyes and regretful expression. Now, it turned out to be true. She wondered why both Hannah and Miriam seemed to attract younger admirers.

Michael, who had been observing them, looked up at Teresa, sensing some drama unfolding. He wanted to remove his mask and voice his curiosity, but Teresa didn't let him. He could only suppress his thoughts silently.

Curious, Teresa asked, "Do you like Hannah? Are you two in a relationship?"

Donald gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "She doesn't like me—it's one-sided," he replied.

Teresa sighed deeply. What is it with my family's women and men from the Lynn family? And why are the men always the ones pursuing us? she thought.

"Let's put your feelings aside for now. We'll talk about them when Hannah wakes up. It's late. You should go back. I'll stay here to take care of her," she said.

Reluctantly, Donald agreed, saying he would come back early the next morning to relieve Teresa.

"Thank you, Donald. One more thing—don't tell Jonathan about Hannah for now. Give me a couple of days to process it," Teresa said.

"I understand," Donald said. Before leaving, he glanced down at Michael, who was staring intently at him. Michael gave Donald an inexplicable feeling—something he couldn't quite put into words. Dismissing the thought, he looked at the calm Teresa and decided he was probably overthinking it. Could this kid possibly be Teresa and Jonathan's child? If that were the case, Jonathan would be the first to lose his composure, he thought.

"Goodbye, kid," Donald said.

Michael didn't say anything but waved his hand. Once Donald left, Teresa finally removed his mask.

"Mommy, I looked closely. That Mister just now looks a bit like Mr. Lime," Michael said.

Teresa sighed, "Let's not mention him anymore, okay? Let's go inside and keep your aunt company." Michael nodded.

That night, Teresa and Michael slept on the bed next to Jennifer's. Michael quickly fell asleep in Teresa's arms, but she couldn't sleep at all. Her thoughts were in turmoil.

On one hand, she was worried about Hannah, uncertain when she would wake up. On the other, she was unsure how to break the news to Evelyn, who still believed Hannah had died. Lastly, she hesitated over whether to contact their biological father, Philip, and inform him of the situation. She recalled Jennifer's disdainful and almost resentful tone when talking about her parents during their previous conversation on New Year's Eve.

Teresa spent a sleepless night, while Michael in her arms slept soundly, oblivious to the world's troubles.

Morning came, and Jennifer slowly opened her eyes. She saw Teresa and Michael sleeping beside her. Gradually, the events of the previous day came back to her. Right before being wheeled into the operating room, she had used her last bit of strength to hold Teresa's hand and confess the secret she had kept bottled up. Letting it out gave her a feeling of relief. The day before, she had truly thought she wouldn't live through it, that she'd never get to see Teresa once more.