Chapter 220 Do Not Flatter Yourself

In the middle of the night, a piercing pain started in the pit of her stomach, gradually spreading throughout her body, reaching every single nerve ending.

Madelyn was jolted awake by a sharp pain, a fine layer of cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Immediately, she clutched her stomach, curling up on the bed.

It hurts. It hurts like hell.

Madelyn found it rather odd. In the past, when she experienced such events, it was never this intense.

Why is the pain so intense this time? Could there be something wrong with my body?

Madelyn’s face was deathly pale. She had planned to get up from the bed and go downstairs to have some hot water, but as soon as she made a move, she collapsed back onto the bed, her body devoid of any strength.

“What’s wrong?” At this moment, Sebastian was also startled awake.

With worry, he touched Madelyn’s forehead, finding her temperature to be perfectly normal. However, she had broken out in a cold sweat across her forehead.

Madelyn said weakly, “My stomach… hurts…”

Sebastian felt a pang in his heart as he watched. After some thought, he got up from bed, put on his coat, and went downstairs.

Lydia happened to be up for a restroom break when she saw Sebastian hastily descending the stairs. She immediately asked, “Mr. Lockhart, what happened?”

“Do we have ginger tea?” Sebastian asked with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Upon pondering, Lydia immediately understood that it must be Madelyn’s menstrual discomfort causing the pain. Without hesitation, she said, “I’ll make it for you.”

Following that, a cup of ginger tea was prepared and handed to Sebastian.

“Thank you.” Sebastian took the ginger tea and briskly ascended the stairs.

“Here, have some of this.” Once he was upstairs, he fed Madelyn some ginger tea.

Madelyn was already in unbearable pain, barely managing to steady her trembling hand as she finished the cup of ginger tea.

“How are you feeling now? Any better?” Sebastian asked.

However, it was of no use.

Madelyn shook her head, feeling as if something was churning and stirring within her lower abdomen, causing waves of pain.

Sebastian immediately prepared to assist Madelyn to her feet.

“I’m all right. This is a normal reaction. Even if I go to the hospital, they won’t find anything. I just need to rest,” Madelyn said weakly.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened slightly.

Left with no other choice, he stood up once again. He reached into the cabinet and took out a hand warmer, then proceeded to charge it.

Originally, such a thing was only used in winter. However, considering her current pain, Sebastian thought she might need some warmth for her abdomen.

Once it was fully charged, Sebastian quickly placed it on Madelyn’s stomach.

Madelyn clutched the hand warmer tightly, finding only partial relief as the pain continued to gnaw at her heart.

Sebastian reached out to her abdomen, gently massaging it.

Madelyn gradually began to feel a bit more comfortable.

And so, they carried on like this for about an hour.

By the time it was three in the morning, Madelyn had finally started to feel much better. Clutching the hand warmer, she fell into a deep sleep.

Sebastian relaxed as he sat on the edge of the bed, but he simply couldn’t fall asleep anymore.

In the past, Madelyn had always been known for her brashness and stubbornness, never one to show weakness voluntarily. Sebastian had grown accustomed to seeing this strong side of her.

For the first time, Sebastian had seen Madelyn in such a vulnerable, seemingly fragile state.

It felt as if she was clutching at straws, which could easily break with the slightest pressure.

Sebastian gazed deeply at Madelyn’s sleeping face and let out a sigh.

She’s really changed.

The following day, when Madelyn woke up, it was already nearing ten o’clock.

She touched her stomach and felt much better.

Recollections of the previous night resurfaced, warming her heart as she remembered all that Sebastian had done for her. At that moment, Lydia came in, carrying breakfast.

Upon seeing Madelyn awake, she let out a sigh of relief, “Mrs. Lockhart, you’re finally awake!”

Madelyn gave a nonchalant nod. “Where’s Sebastian?”

“Mr. Lockhart left for work early this morning. But before he left, he instructed that you should take a good rest at home today and take a leave of absence from the university.”

Madelyn gave a slight nod.

“Come, have something to eat.” Lydia brought the breakfast forward.

Madelyn patiently had her breakfast.

Halfway through the meal, her phone suddenly rang.

Madelyn glanced at her phone and saw that it was Josiah who was calling. Without a second thought, she swiped to answer.

“Hey, what’s up with you? Why didn’t you show up today? Don’t you know we still have rehearsals? We’ve all been waiting for you.” As soon as the call connected, Josiah started complaining, clearly dissatisfied.

Madelyn simply chuckled. “Perfect, could you do me a favor and let our assistant director know that I’m not feeling well today, so I won’t be attending class this morning? If I feel better in the afternoon, I’ll come join you guys for rehearsal.”

“You’re not feeling well? What’s wrong with you?” Josiah sounded worried.

“It’s nothing serious, just bouts of stomachache. A bit of rest will sort it out,” Madelyn said with a casual smile.

With a playful change of thought, she suddenly teased, "Wait a minute, Josiah. From the sound of your voice, it seems you’re worried about me. What, did your conscience finally kick in? Have you finally realized my worth?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Josiah felt somewhat guilty, having been exposed. He quickly resumed his aloof demeanor and said, “I only showed you concern out of pity, understand? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Tch, how stubborn,” Madelyn scoffed.

“All right, enough with the banter. If you’re not feeling well, just get some rest at home. Don’t rush over here.” With that, he hung up the phone.

He hung up the phone so quickly, huh?

Madelyn was somewhat vexed, but she quickly let it go.

Feeling utterly bored, she picked up her phone and started playing games.

At noon, Madelyn had her lunch and then returned to her room for a nap.

When she woke up, Sebastian had already returned. He was sitting at a nearby table, attending to his official duties.

“Why are you back so early?” Madelyn glanced at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon. She wondered why Sebastian had come home so soon.

In truth, Sebastian had been feeling uneasy. The thought of how fragile she looked last night unsettled him. So, he simply decided to bring his work home.

However, this was something Sebastian naturally wouldn’t mention.

He simply asked in a cold tone, “Are you feeling better now?”

“Much better,” Madelyn nodded seriously.

Glancing at the laptop on the table, Madelyn knew immediately that his return was surely out of concern for her. A warm feeling instantly filled her heart.

While Sebastian worked on the side, Madelyn, out of boredom, picked up a book to read.

The atmosphere between the two was serene and wonderful.

Just then, Lydia suddenly came up and reported, “Mr. Lockhart, Mrs. Lockhart, Ms. Moore has arrived.”