After more than an hour's drive, the ambulance stopped in front of the First Hospital of City Z, and Joanne was sent to emergency treatment.

When Chris and Gavin arrived, they only saw Brian standing outside the door of the emergency room. He couldn't move, his shoes and pants were all wet, and he looked terrible from head to toe like never before.

Gavin went over and asked him, "How is Joanne?"

"She is injured." Brian stared at the door of the emergency room. "I can only know how bad it is when the surgery is over."

Gavin knew Brian was worrying about her, so he patted Brian on the shoulder and handed him a bag. "Change the wet clothes first. The surgery won't be finished soon."

Brian still did not move, as if he wanted to end the surgery as soon as possible by his eyes.

Finally, Chris came over, took Gavin's bag, and hung it on Brian's wrist. "You will catch a cold in wet clothes. If you do, who'll take care of Joanne when she wakes up?"

Brian's eyes moved, and he went to the hotel with his clothes.

Gavin sat on the row of chairs against the wall and said to Chris, "I thought you would punch him."

"When I know that Joanne had an accident, I really thought so on the way here." Chris subconsciously wanted to fish out a cigarette but drew back his hand when he realized that he was in the hospital. "But when I saw his back, I changed my mind."

Actually, even Joanne, his wife might have never seen Brian blaming himself like that. Brian had been unreachable and looked like a hero in the legend. However, at that instant, he stripped away all his aura and became an ordinary person who would regret about things, and he finally found something-

"Brian is not confident, so he ends up in such a plight with Joanne." Chris smiled because he found the situation hard to believe. "If he had the least confidence in himself, he would have seen Joanne's feelings for him. Seeing him like this, I think he has suffered the pain he deserved, so why bother punching him myself?"

"You really know about other's relationship, but what about yours?" Gavin smiled and asked, "'Top Model' is about to air, I dare to say that Freya will be famous. What are you going... um?"

Chris just said, "I don't care if she's famous or not."

He did not need Freya to be famous. But if she would be happy when she became famous, then he would let her.

Gavin completely misinterpreted Chris's words. "You mean that you don't care about Freya? Hey, then I'll go after her. Don't say that I didn't inform you before! You... Hey, why are you hitting me?"

When he was in the middle of the sentence, he was attacked by Chris and it hurt like hell.

Chris looked cold and disdainful. "Gavin, it's not that I'm looking down on you, but you're really not Freya's type."

Gavin found it so unconvincing and immediately rolled up his sleeves. "Since when do you call the shots for her? I am young and handsome, which girl doesn't want me? I'll prove it to you that you're way wrong!"

"..." Chris looked indifferent and did not take Gavin as an opponent at all.

Brian had changed his clothes and came back at this time. Gavin quickly changed his attitude. Almost at the same time, the door of the emergency room opened.

Brian rushed over. "Doctor, how is my wife?"

"Reassured, her wounds were not life-threatening." The doctor took off the mask and said, "There are many injuries on her body. Her right leg developed a slight fracture, and her head received a blow. It'll take a long time to recover to her previous health."

The light of the emergency room went dark, and Joanne was wheeled out.

She was changed into a pinstriped hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. Although she still looked very pale, she at least seemed to gain a little strength in her.

"She should wake up tomorrow, don't worry too much." The doctor added, "Someone gets her admitted."

Gavin went to finish her admission, while Chris and Brian followed Joanne into the ward.

After setting up everything, the nurse carefully reminded them, "The patient needs rest, and only one person can stay with her at night."

"I see." Chris smiled and said, "Thank you."

The nurse blushed, lowered her head, and left carrying her tray.

From the moment he walked in, Brian could only see Joanne in his eyes. He tucked Joanne in and looked at Chris. "You go to rest in the hotel, and I'll be with Joanne."

Chris hesitated for a moment and said, "She's always kept her feelings for you a secret. Before marrying you, she didn't even tell Freya." I tell you this because I know you feel something for her too. Brian, don't let me down, or you'll never see her again for the rest of your life."

After that, Chris left the ward alone.

In the large single room, only the sleeping Joanne and Brian stayed.

The liquid silently dripped from the glass bottle through the infusion tube into her body. Her thin body gradually grew warmer, and her hands did not feel that cold anymore. However, Brian still could not feel her presence completely.

Her long eyelashes hang down, and even her breathing was too quiet as if she would sleep like this forever.

That strange fear caught Brian again.

Everyone thought he was fearless. In fact, he had weaknesses. He was also afraid of many things. He was afraid that Joanne would leave, fearing that she would not wake up, fearing that she would not be his wife again.

All his fears were related to Joanne. Even if the doctor had told him that Joanne was fine, he was still terrified if he could not see her open her eyes and return to normal.

Chris was right: he was not confident in himself.

Brian knew that Joanne didn't hate him, but he didn't dare to think that she loved him.

When he met Joanne, it was the time when his family was breaking. His father died in a car accident, and his mother became bedridden because of the accident. Hatred had been deeply planted in his 16-year-old heart.

Later, in order to avoid Rowdy, his mother took him to the old house of Joanne's grandmother. He knew that it was called seeking refuge.

Since he was young, he had his own pride. During that time, he was carefully hiding, lest his father's accident would happen to his mother and him again. Now he remembered how grave his expression was every day.

That should be the darkest period of his life, hatred was growing, and he could do nothing, causing him to become lonely and cold.

The 10-year-old Joanne met such a terrible Brian.

He always remembered on that day, a luxury car parked in front of the old house, the driver got off to open the door of the back seat, and a little girl's tender voice came out of the car. "Uncle, hold me."

Her clean and soft voice made people unable to refuse her request, and the driver smiled happily and picked her up from the car. She politely thanked the driver and fished out a White Rabbit candy to the driver.

At that time, Joanne was squandered by the entire family. She wore expensive dresses and exquisite tiny leather shoes. Her skin was really white like milk as if it would melt with a touch. The long hair over her shoulder was the same as it was now, black and soft, glimmering with a charming luster. She looked pretty when she smiled, especially when she was facing the sun, at such times, people would think they saw an angel's gift from heaven.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and saw him.

When she was 10 years old, her eyes were not as calm as now. They were always watery, delicate, beautiful, and clear, making people hard to stare at.

He also looked at her and saw the pair of eyes lighting up little by little, then she broke free from her mother's hand, rushed over and said to him, "Brother, you look as pretty as my older brother!"

This was the first sentence that Joanne said to him. She laughed so innocently and praised him for his good appearance.

At that time, he knew that she was just a little princess who had not seen the world yet. If it was before, he might be in a mood to tease her, but now, he was thinking about Rowdy and his father's death all the time, leaving him no time to play with her.

But Joanne did not mind his indifference for a bit. In the next month, as long as she visited here, she would follow him, no matter where he went.

When he drank water, she would lay her arms at the edge of the table. "Brother Brian, I want water, I am thirsty."

When he poured water for her, she didn't want it then. Instead, she would stare at the glass in his hand, and snatch it when he wasn't paying attention, sipping a few mouthfuls of boiled water, and said with a smirk, "You told me not to touch your things, then I touched them! Hmph!"

When he went out, she followed him like a follower, and along the way, she would come up with numerous questions.

"Brother Brian, what is this flower? What is this grass? Too ugly! Oh, this looks so good!"

"Brother Brian, where are you going? How far do we have to go?"

"Brother Brian, can you walk slower?" I have to drive to catch up with you!"

"Brother Brian..."

He would ignore her the whole time, and it wouldn't take long before her voice disappeared. When he realized that and jerked his head back, he could not see the little figure in sight anymore.

He was panic, and countless scenarios flashed across his mind. He was worried about her and called her name out loud everywhere. He looked for her here and there, but could not see a trace of her.

Just when he was going to call the police, a figure on a longan tree caught his eye. She hid in it and smirked with her mouth covered, her sparkling eyes full of pride.

To a 10-year-old child, he suddenly lost his temper. "Joanne, come down!"

She may have been scared by him, looking at him and clinging to the branches. After quite a while, she said, "I don't dare to go down."

"Then you dare to climb up?"

"I dare to climb." She grinned. "But I can't go down."

"Then you don't have to come down." He turned and went back.

Unexpectedly, Joanne did not call him or cry. Later, he couldn't help but look back. She was still holding the posture in the tree and looking at him with a miserable face. When she saw him turning back, her eyes turned red all of a sudden, and tears came out of her bright eyes.

For some unknown reason, he turned back and climbed to the tree to carry her down.

She might be really scared and used all her strength to hold him tight. After she got on the ground, she broke into tears.

He experienced what she could do and comforted her, trying to take her home. She let him take her hand. On the way, she didn't cry but kept wiping tears off her face all the way. He might start to feel tender for her from that time.

Back to the old house, he thought that Joanne would report to her mom, but she did not say anything. She just did not follow him anymore.

At that time, he did not know that feeling was called disappointment.

After a few days, Joanne followed her mother to the old house. When Iris and her mother went out, taking care of her became his task.

She seemed to have forgotten the last incident and called him brother again enthusiastically, bouncing merrily on the way following him. However, she just no longer dared to climb the tree.