Chapter 1649:

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Her eyes reddened, and within the blink of an eye, tears tumbled down like scattered pearls, her sobs breaking the silence. “Matthew, what if… what if Dr. Watts can’t heal my legs? What do I do then? Will I be completely useless? How can I go on living…?”

Matthew’s head throbbed, a storm of irritation brewing within him. The ache behind his eyes pulsed with rising frustration.

He had never been good at offering comfort, and today, his patience was fraying at the edges. Still, he gritted his teeth and tried to keep his voice steady. “Stop overthinking. Nothing’s certain yet. Don’t give up hope on yourself.” But Lindsay’s sobs only grew louder as she reached out for his hand.

Matthew, already feeling the urge to withdraw, tried to pull his hand back. But Lindsay’s grip tightened, her tears flowing more freely. “I’m terrified, Matthew. You’re all I have left. Please… you have to help me.”

Nearby, Stella stood, a quiet spectator to the scene unfolding before her. A strange heaviness pressed against her chest as she watched. She knew Lindsay wasn’t looking for her support, so she held her tongue, staying in the shadows.

After a struggle, Matthew finally freed his hand from Lindsay’s hold. His voice grew colder, sharper. “Stop saying such hopeless things. I’ll take you to the hospital later. But first, I need to change my clothes.”

Lindsay opened her mouth, perhaps to protest, but when she caught the hard, unreadable expression on Matthew’s face, she recoiled slightly, realizing she might have pushed him too far. Her voice faltered. “Okay.”

Matthew stood and turned around. Then he paused, his gaze briefly flickering toward Stella. His steps faltered, as if he wanted to speak, but in the end, the silence between them grew thick, and he ascended the stairs, leaving his words behind.

Stella understood—there was nothing more to be said to Lindsay.

The scent of alcohol still lingered in the air and clung to her clothes, making her skin crawl. She turned, ready to change, but before she could escape the tension in the room, Lindsay’s voice rang out, sharp as a knife. “Stella, you really have no shame, do you? Resorting to such dirty tricks. Are you so afraid Matthew will leave you that you’d stoop to seducing him while he’s drunk?”

Stella didn’t want to dignify Lindsay with an answer, not this early in the day. Without uttering a word, she turned to leave, seeking escape.

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But Lindsay wasn’t done. Her voice rang out once more, thick with malice. “Let me make one thing clear. Even if my legs can’t be healed, Matthew will never leave me. He’ll take me all over the world searching for a cure while you’re left clinging to that empty title of Mrs. Clark. What’s the point of it?”

The words were like thorns in Stella’s chest, but she could take no more. She spun around, her eyes locking with Lindsay’s smug, self-satisfied expression.

Her voice, cold as ice, cut through the room like a blade. “The treatment hasn’t even started yet. How can you be so certain your legs won’t recover?”

Lindsay’s heart stuttered, panic flickering in her chest. For a heartbeat, she feared Stella had uncovered her deception.

But after a careful, scrutinizing gaze, she saw nothing—no hint of suspicion in Stella’s eyes. Her composure returned, like a snake shedding its skin. “The doctors in Sothrea have already told me my legs are beyond repair. Isn’t it normal to believe that?”

Stella’s laugh was dark, devoid of warmth. “Normal, you—”

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