On the way to the hospital, Audrey bought a bouquet of flowers. She didn't expect there to be other people in the hospital room. She knocked on the door and entered with the bouquet in her hands.
Upon entering, she was met with a chilly gaze.
The "big brother" that Audrey was about to call out got stuck in her throat, making her feel like coughing.
"Miss Audrey, we meet again." Evans's voice was calm, and it sounded different from usual, but Audrey kept feeling that the way he looked at her was strange.
[I miscalculated. If I had known he was here, I would have appeared later. I forgot that he's practically inseparable from the good brother.]
Evans' expression froze on his face. It was the first time he realized that he might not be likable.
In reality, he was mistaken. Audrey had been impressed the first time she saw him – after all, his looks and temperament were exceptional. But being impressed didn't mean she wanted to be close to him.
She was well aware that getting involved with this man would lead to a continuous stream of troubles.
"Mr. Hill," Audrey greeted briefly, not planning to engage in further conversation with him.
She approached the bed while holding the bouquet. "Big Brother, look at the Phalaenopsis flowers I bought for you. Aren't they beautiful?"
Abner nodded. "They are beautiful. I heard you're about to start filming. You should go back and prepare. You don't have to keep visiting the hospital."
Audrey handed the bouquet to the assistant standing by the side and smiled. "I don't have any plans. The filming location is in the city. I don't need to prepare for anything."
Upon hearing her response, Abner stopped insisting.
Audrey and Evans didn't actually have much common ground for conversation. Most of the time, Abner would be looking at Audrey with a cold or judging expression, which makes Audrey afraid.
Abner and Evans were the ones talking most of the time inn the hospital room.
The two of them talked mostly about work.
Audrey listened from the sidelines, not comprehending most of it. But she noticed Abner's slight furrowed brow at times, likely due to pain from the wound.
Audrey then looked at Evans, hoping he wouldn't speak. However, she hesitated to say anything.
This was a person as intimidatingly cold as her elder brother, or sometimes even colder.
[Sigh... My eldest brother is recuperating, and you're discussing work with him?]
Evans paused for a moment, suppressing the amusement in his eyes. He turned to Abner and said, "Let's stop discussing these matters. We can talk about them once you're better. For now, rest properly."
With that, Evans left. He needed to make a call to reassure his elder brother.
Not long after he left, two more people entered the hospital room.
Caroline and Jerry.
After all, Abner was her son. Caroline's heart ached when she saw Abner lying on the hospital bed.
She said, "You were perfectly fine last night before dinner. How did this happen so suddenly? It's probably all the overtime at the company. Even with all the hard work, Gary might not appreciate it."
Caroline's tone was full of complaints.
Abner didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Audrey beside him and said, "Why don't you take a break outside?"
Audrey knew Caroline and Jerry's identities and figured they probably had something to discuss privately. She had no reason to stay.
But she had read the book and knew very well how biased Caroline was.
[Will Big Brother be bullied if he is left alone in here?]
Abner did not know whether to laugh or cry. This wasn't a battlefield scenario.
Audrey pursed her lips and didn't even look at Caroline and her son. She only said, "Call me if you need anything."
Abner nodded.
Audrey walked towards the door, unaware that a pair of eyes had been observing her the entire time, filled with scrutiny and interest.
Once Audrey left, she positioned herself at a distance that wasn't too close or too far.
If the people in the ward spoke in a normal voice, she would not be able to hear them, but she would be able to hear them if they shouted.
Caroline had talked to Abner about all sorts of matters, and Abner was responding with indifference.
Her decision to bring Jerry along indicated that they hadn't given up on their thoughts from the previous night.
Indeed, after spewing a bunch of meaningless words, Caroline said, "Abner, you're just an ordinary person too. You get sick, just like this time. Being ill like this means you won't be able to go to the company for several days. Who knows what your two younger siblings might be up to in the meantime. Jerry is different. He's your own younger brother, and he'll definitely stand by your side. Help him this time, and you brothers can..."
"By your logic, Eric and Charlotte are my own younger siblings too," Abner interrupted in an indifferent tone.
Caroline's face turned red from the embarrassment. She didn't expect to hear this from Abner.
"Abner, Jerry is not like them," Caroline said.
Abner raised his head to look at her. "In my eyes, there's no difference."
"You..." Caroline was so angry that she didn't know what to say.