Chapter 249

Lisette and the others snapped their heads around at the sound of heavy footsteps.

A towering, broad-shouldered man, easily six and a half feet tall, bald, and covered in tattoos, limped into the room, leaning on a cane. One of his legs was wrapped in a thick cast.

He hobbled over to Lisette’s bedside and eyed her with a smirk. “So, you don’t want to leave?” His voice was deep, almost amused. “That works for me. I could use a bedside companion.”

Then, without warning, he glanced at Lisette’s injured arm, turned around, and dropped his full weight onto it.

“Ah!” Lisette’s scream pierced the air.

Everyone in the room winced, their expressions tightening in shared discomfort.

“You’re sitting on my arm!” she shrieked.

Valerian lunged forward, trying to shove the man off, but the giant barely budged. Instead, he pushed Valerian away with a single hand, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

“Seriously? That weak?” The man snorted, looking unimpressed. “What, do you skip meals or something?”

His gaze returned to Lisette, whose face had turned a sickly shade of white from the pain. “You like this bed so much?” He gave her a grin that was anything but friendly. “Well, it’s mine. You’ll have to be my mattress if you want to stay.”

With that, he leaned back as if he was about to lie down on her.

Lisette panicked. “I’ll go! I’ll leave! I’ll check out, transfer hospitals, and whatever it takes. Just don’t lie down!”

The man chuckled, finally shifting off her arm. He looked her up and down. “You know, I like you. You could stick around and keep me company. I get bored, you know.”

Lisette scrambled off the bed like she had woken up in a nest of vipers. Her arm throbbed agonizingly, but all she cared about was getting the hell out of the nightmare of a hospital.

Realizing they were no match for this guy, Valerian quickly gathered Lisette’s things.

The hospital clearly wasn’t going to intervene–Upton’s influence was likely too strong. And if they stayed, Upton would surely come for them.

Without another word, they left.

Calliope didn’t hear about the incident until the next day. She came to the hospital to give Baber his acupuncture treatment when Baber proudly told her the story.

“Mommy, I revenged for you!” he said, eyes filled with excitement. His small chest puffed up with pride.

Calliope chuckled, ruffling his soft curls. “Oh, Baber, you’re amazing. The best.”

She thought it was probably the first time Lisette had ever been humiliated like that, and with no way to fight back. After all, Baber was the only young heir of the Thorne family and their most beloved. She wouldn’t dare cross the Thorne family. Still, she must be absolutely fuming. Her arm had even fractured again. With an injury like that, her full range of motion might never fully recover.

Baber’s face turned serious. “She messed with you, so I taught her a lesson,” he declared matter-of-factly. “Even though my mommy isn’t here anymore, you’ve always been like my real mommy. So, I’ll protect you.”

Calliope’s heart softened. She smiled warmly. “Alright. I’ll count on you, then.”

She truly adored Baber. She still remembered the words Baber’s mother had said before she passed away.

After finishing his treatment, Calliope stayed with Baber until he fell asleep for his afternoon nap. Only then did she leave the hospital.

But as soon as she entered the parking lot, she spotted Valerian and Zelda standing by her car.

When Zelda saw her, she stormed forward and swung her hand toward Calliope’s face.

But the slap never landed.

Calliope’s reflexes were sharp. She caught Zelda’s wrist effortlessly, her expression unreadable as she stared Zelda down.