Chapter 578:

“Fiona, what’s on your mind? Are you even listening?” Irving, engrossed in his phone and typing furiously, glanced up at Fiona periodically, his eyes filled with curiosity and suspicion.

“You’ve been acting strange since you got back from the hospital,” he said finally, his voice laced with concern. “Did something happen?”

Lost in thought, Fiona jolted at his words, recoiling instinctively like a startled cat.

Irving, noting her jumpy reaction, raised an eyebrow. “Why are you dodging? I won’t bite.”

Fiona avoided his gaze. “I’m not dodging anything,” she said, her voice shaky and unconvincing. “You’re imagining things.”

Just then, Gavin descended from the second floor, violin in hand. Noticing Fiona on the couch, he asked casually, “Back from the hospital already? How did Elyse’s checkup go?”

Fiddling nervously with her hair, Fiona replied guiltily, “I… I don’t know. You should ask her yourself.”

Puzzled, Gavin moved closer to the couch. “Didn’t you take time off to accompany Elyse for her checkup? Didn’t you go with her?”

Fiona had gone, but explaining what happened afterward was a different matter entirely.

Sensing her evasiveness, Gavin raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t go? What were you doing then?”

Fiona turned her head, refusing to answer.

Irving felt something was wrong with Fiona. Since her return from the hospital a few hours earlier, she’d seemed a million miles away, lost in her own world, preoccupied and distracted.

Deciding to get to the bottom of it, Irving called Elyse. He tried several times, but without success.

Gavin checked his watch. It was too early for Elyse to be asleep. He then called Jayden, but his phone was off.

Alarm bells ringing, Gavin stared at Fiona. “What’s going on? Why can’t I reach either of them? Did something happen at the hospital?”

Fiona clammed up, shutting her eyes and feigning sleep to avoid their questions.

Irving’s patience snapped. He frowned and demanded, “Why are you acting like this? We’re talking to you! Where is Elyse? Has something happened to her?”

Irked by their relentless questioning, Fiona snapped, “Why are you asking me? If you want to know about Elyse, ask her directly! I’m not her spokesperson.”

“Unbelievable,” Irving snapped, grabbing his coat and storming out. Gavin, equally perplexed and worried about Elyse, followed suit.

With the house quiet, Fiona sighed in relief, but the weight of dread quickly returned. The stark truth hit her: Elyse’s baby was gone; her pregnancy had ended. The baby had meant the world to Elyse and Jayden, but, strangely, Fiona felt a twisted sense of relief.

She deeply regretted staying at the hospital; her presence felt like a dark shadow on their tragedy. The most agonizing part was her inaction: she hadn’t helped Elyse. Fiona braced herself for the inevitable confrontation when Elyse awoke.

While Elyse’s loss felt strangely advantageous to Fiona, she dreaded the accusation of heartlessness. The weight of guilt was unbearable as she wrestled with her conflicted emotions. Sitting on the couch, she racked her brain for ways to avoid blame.

Outside, Irving and Gavin sat in the car, debating their next move. Should they go to Elyse’s home or the hospital? They decided on the hospital—it turned out to be the right call.

In the hospital room, Elyse sat on the bed, looking hollow and broken. Physically, she was fine, but her spirit was crushed.

Unaware of the severity, Irving assumed it was just another pregnancy scare. “Need some bed rest again? Don’t worry, just focus on your health. The competition can wait,” he reassured her.

Gavin added, “Once the baby is stable, you can get back to your practice. Right now, your priority is the baby.”

Elyse looked at them, her lips parting slightly. “Didn’t Fiona tell you what happened?”

Puzzled, Irving exchanged a glance with Gavin. “She said she didn’t know. Did she really come to the hospital?”

“My baby is gone,” Elyse choked out, tears streaming down her face.

Irving stood frozen, his mouth agape, bewildered. Elyse’s words had thrown him off balance.

Elyse, her voice cracking with grief, repeated, “My baby is gone. I don’t have a baby anymore!” …