Chapter 182

Bruce was terrified. He asked anxiously, "Are you alright? Let me take a look"

Joanna's arms and knees were badly injured and bleeding.

"I'll take you to the hospital!"

"No need! I'm fine!"

"There's so much blood. We have to hurry to the hospital to get it bandaged!"

Joanna struggled to stand. "I already said I'm fine!" She preferred to go to the hospital herself.

Bruce said nothing. He bent down and lifted her.

Joanna couldn't struggle. Her suspicion grew. The driver had clearly hit her on purpose. Who could it be? Ingrid? It seemed likely; no one else wanted her dead.

Bruce, unconcerned, left a bodyguard to find the driver and personally drove Joanna to the hospital. They arrived quickly, and Joanna was immediately sent to the emergency room. Bruce waited anxiously outside for half an hour.

The doctor emerged.

"Mr. Everett!"

"How is she? Is she alright?"

"Miss Haynes's wounds have been bandaged. They're superficial; no bones are broken. She'll be fine with some rest." Bruce was relieved. "That's good!" He rushed into the ward.

Joanna was in the ward, her wounds bandaged, receiving an IV drip. Even though the wounds were superficial, she needed anti-inflammatory medication to prevent infection.

"Joanna, can you calm down? That was incredibly dangerous!" Bruce scolded, sitting at the bedside.

Joanna leaned against the bed, silent, still thinking about the accident.

"I'm talking to you. Do you hear me?"

Joanna glared coldly. "What did you say?"

Seeing her distraction, Bruce sighed. "Forget it. I can't be bothered."

Joanna said nothing. An awkward silence fell.

Meanwhile, the hit-and-run driver was far away, having left the suburbs and changed license plates. The car he'd used had a stolen plate; even surveillance wouldn't easily identify him. "Damn it. I failed!"

The killer, a fifty-something taxi driver, had followed Joanna for two days. He'd almost succeeded in killing her. Wallace and Oscar, too afraid to do it themselves, had paid him $200,000. He'd waited two days below her office, planning the accident. He had cancer and wanted the money for his children.

Joanna remained in the hospital, having finished her IV. They sulked for over an hour.

"Go back."

"How can I go back when you're so badly injured?"

"Joanna, can't you be as gentle as before?" Bruce asked, a hint of gentleness in his eyes. He gently touched her hair.

Joanna trembled, looking at him in horror.

"Bruce, stop pretending."

"What are you talking about? I'm your ex-husband and the father of your children!"

Joanna rolled her eyes and turned away.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in!"

Tracy and Kelly entered, pushing a pram.

10:37 Tue, [Date Omitted] Chapter 182

"Miss Haynes, I've brought clothes for you to change into!"

Bruce's face lit up seeing his daughter. "Lilia, my baby!" He hadn't seen her in over two weeks.

"Daddy! Mommy!"

"Mommy, what happened to you?"

"Mommy's fine!"

"Give Daddy a hug!" Bruce scooped up his daughter.

"Daddy, why haven't you come to see me for so many days?"

"Daddy" Bruce glanced at Joanna, blaming her for preventing his visits. He doted on his daughter more than his sons.

Lilia blinked. "Daddy, I know you're busy. I'm not angry!"

"Give me a kiss!"

Lilia kissed him, smiling brightly. Bruce's heart melted. He rubbed her leg; she couldn't walk, breaking his heart. He vowed to find the best doctors in the world to treat her.

As he was with his daughter, Roxanne entered, smelling strongly of perfume, feigning surprise.

"Bruce, what are you doing here?"

Bruce saw her holding test results. "Roxanne, what are you doing in the hospital?"

"I'm getting a checkup."

"And you?"

"Bruce, I have good news!" Roxanne beamed.

Bruce was stunned.

"I'm pregnant!"

Bruce froze. Roxanne pregnant? How?

"You're pregnant? How's that possible?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"I was going to call you. I've just had a test; it's about two weeks along."

"Whose child is it?"

Roxanne looked aggrieved. "Bruce, it's our child!"

"Our child?" Bruce's scalp tingled. They hadn't slept together.

"That's impossible!"

"Bruce, it really is yours!"

"We've never had sex. How?"

"Bruce, have you really forgotten that night?"

"Roxanne, don't talk nonsense!"

"I didn't do anything that night."

Roxanne's eyes filled with tears. "Bruce, don't you want to admit it? We can do a paternity test after the baby is born. It's really yours!"

Bruce's throat went dry. He had no memory of that night, but he'd found himself sticky the next morning, as if they'd had sex.

The extraneous website promotion has been removed. The date and time stamp information is inconsistent and has been partially omitted for clarity. The text is still somewhat informal in tone, typical of a novel excerpt, but the grammar and punctuation are significantly improved.