###Chapter 51: Beware of Zachary Hawthorne
"He can’t be a doctor anymore?" Cathy asked again in disbelief.
The doctor nodded. "The injury to his hand is severe. Even after it heals, there will likely be lingering effects... A surgeon’s hands are like a professional athlete’s. And he’s one who performs highly complex surgeries. The slightest slip-up could cost a precious life."
Cathy’s expression turned grave after hearing this.
After the doctor left, she called Nina Wainwright.
「Elsewhere.」
When Nina Wainwright answered the phone, her voice was filled with confusion. "He’s just a doctor. Who on earth would attack him so viciously?"
"I don’t know. I’m at the hospital right now. I’ll ask him when he wakes up, and once I have the details, I’ll investigate. You just focus on resting at the manor," Cathy said, her tone serious.
Though she had a flighty personality, she was always reliable when it mattered.
"Cathy, you need to be careful, too," Nina Wainwright said softly, her voice filled with worry.
After hanging up, Nina Wainwright put down her phone and sat alone for a while before dialing Zachary Hawthorne’s number.
The call connected a mont later, and she asked him directly, "Zachary, does what happened to Dr. Pemberton have anything to do with you?"
"Zach is in the bathroom, but I can assure you, what happened to Adrian Pemberton has nothing to do with him." The voice on the phone was Luna Sterling’s.
Nina Wainwright kept her voice as calm as possible. "I need to speak with him. Have him call back when he’s out."
"I know you’re upset about what happened to Dr. Pemberton, but it really has nothing to do with him. He’s been at the hospital this whole ti, I guarantee it," Luna Sterling explained.
Nina Wainwright hung up.
She waited all night, but Zachary Hawthorne never called back.
Nina Wainwright knew he wouldn’t return the call, not when she had used such an accusatory tone. He was just that arrogant.
The next day at noon, Nina Wainwright was just about to call Zachary Hawthorne when a call from Catherine Grant ca in first.
She answered, asking anxiously, "How is Adrian?"
"He’s awake. I’ll let him talk to you himself." Cathy’s voice was filled with worry.
The phone was passed to Adrian Pemberton. Before Nina Wainwright could even speak, she heard him say, "The people who took tried to force to tell them if you were pregnant. I was afraid they’d find out, so I broke protocol and deleted your records... I don’t know who they were, but you need to be extra careful. You must protect yourself and the baby."
"Adrian..." Nina Wainwright cried out, filled with guilt. "Your hand... I heard from Cathy. Your career is ruined because of . I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault."
"Don’t be ridiculous. They weren’t going to make things difficult for if I just talked. I’m the one who chose to defy them. So you have to be okay. No matter what happens, don’t bla yourself or wallow in self-pity. Live a good life and protect your child," Adrian Pemberton said, his voice gentle.
Nina Wainwright bit her lip hard, only managing a soft "mm" after a long mont.
"Have you considered that it might have been Zachary?" she couldn’t help but ask.
’Besides Zachary, who else would be ruthless enough to do this to Adrian just because she’s pregnant?’
’After all, Luna Sterling was the only one supposed to bear his child.’
’Now that I’m pregnant, if Luna found out, how could he possibly maintain his facade of deep devotion to her?’
"I’m not sure." Adrian had tried his best to recognize their voices but couldn’t. "No matter who it was, the fact that you’re under suspicion ans you must protect yourself."
Nina Wainwright’s brows were knitted tightly together.
’If it wasn’t Zachary, could it have been soone connected to Luna Sterling?’
’But she’d barely had any contact with Luna. There was that suspicious incident with the breakfast, but at the ti, it had seed more like an accident than a genuine attempt to harm her.’
’Zachary’s cruelty, on the other hand, had always been direct and unmistakable.’
After hanging up, Nina Wainwright called Zachary Hawthorne, but the line just kept ringing, unanswered.
After waiting half an hour, she dialed his number again.
Just as the call connected, she heard a familiar ringtone coming from behind her.
Startled, she spun around and saw Zachary Hawthorne standing by the door. She was so shocked she almost dropped her phone.
"When did you get here?" she asked, clutching her phone, her eyes wary.
Zachary Hawthorne walked into the room, glancing around at the decor before saying with a half-smile, "What’s wrong? Not happy to see ?"
Nina Wainwright ended the call, her eyes fixed on him defensively. "Zachary, I never told you this address, did I? Were you investigating ?"
"My wife runs off to recuperate at her childhood sweetheart’s grandparents’ house. How could you expect to rest easy?" Zachary Hawthorne walked up to her, stopping to look down at her where she sat on the daybed.
Sensing his suppressed anger and not wanting to argue in soone else’s ho, Nina Wainwright lowered her gaze to avoid his. "I didn’t know this was his grandparents’ house. He never told , he just said it was peaceful here."
Zachary Hawthorne reached out and tilted her chin up.
Nina Wainwright was forced to look at him.
She frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Nina, didn’t you call to confront ? You think I’m responsible for what happened to Adrian Pemberton, don’t you? Well, I’m here now. You can tell why you suspect ." Zachary Hawthorne gripped her chin, his thumb gently stroking her jaw.
Nina Wainwright could feel that he had arrived seething with anger.
Pressing her lips together, she decided not to beat around the bush. She t his gaze and asked, "Well, did you do it? You’ve always used to threaten him, saying you’d make sure he could never practice dicine again. Now that it’s actually happened, are you truly innocent?"
"You suspect , yet you have Silas Sinclair go looking for him. I never knew you had such nerve," Zachary Hawthorne taunted rcilessly.
Nina Wainwright flushed, stung by his sarcasm. She stared at him, her tone insistent. "Zachary, did you hurt him or not?"
Zachary Hawthorne squeezed her chin harder. "Who do you think you’re questioning? And what if I did hurt him?"
Nina Wainwright was left speechless, a tight, suffocating feeling in her chest.
’That’s right, what could she do? He did whatever he wanted.’
’What was she to him? What right did she have to question him?’
"You suspect , you question ... all for a man who has nothing to do with you. Who gave you the nerve?" Zachary Hawthorne leaned in, a chilling smile on his face.
Nina Wainwright swallowed, her tone softening. "Zachary, there’s nothing between and Adrian Pemberton. I’ve always seen him as a brother. Can’t you just trust for once? Even if you and Luna Sterling—"
"Don’t you dare lump your affair in with mine!" Zachary Hawthorne cut her off impatiently. "You’re here to rest and calm your emotions. I can stay with you, but you are not to ntion other n."
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