Chapter 24 : Hayden Hughes , Are You Jealous ? Suddenly , a searing pain shot through my abdomen . Just a moment ago , I had been laughing and chatting , but my smile instantly crumbled . At almost the same time , I felt a warm , sticky trickle flow out from inside me , soaking through my pants in an instant . Madam Hughes noticed something was off and asked with concern , " Aubrey , what's wrong ? " I waved a hand , forcing a smile . " Bit my tongue . It hurts a little . " Madam Hughes was both amused and exasperated . " You're a grown woman . How do you manage to bite your tongue while eating soup ? Let me see- " I obediently stuck my tongue out for her . She examined it closely before reassuring me , " It's not bleeding . Should be fine . " I nodded . But I'd forgotten that she was holding Sugar . A dog's sense of smell is sharp , especially for the scent of blood . He started sniffing insistently in my direction . Madam Hughes pulled him back . " Be good , don't make a fuss . Let your sister eat in peace . ' But the little dog didn't understand human language . He kept struggling , trying to leap onto me . 77 Madam Hughes sounded surprised . " What's gotten into Sugar ? Why is he suddenly so attached to you ? " I just took Sugar from her and held him in my arms . " I'm just that likable ! They say if a dog likes you , you must be a good person . " Madam Hughes chuckled , chiding , " You and your witty remarks . " " Madam Hughes , you guys go ahead and eat . I'm finished . I'm just gonna take Sugar out to the garden for a bit . " Without waiting for her reply , I bolted from the living room , clutching Sugar . It wasn't until I burst through the villa's front door that the tension I'd been holding in finally snapped . I leaned against the outer wall of the villa , sliding down bit by bit until I collapsed onto the ground . Chapter 24 * It hurt so much . * * Like a thousand needles jabbing into me . * I was drenched in a cold sweat . I had used up all my energy forcing myself to talk , and now my throat was painfully dry . " Aubrey ? Aubrey ? Are you out there ? " It was Mr. Hughes calling for me . He must have been worried and come looking , but he couldn't see me . I fought to suppress the pain , trying to make my voice sound as casual as possible . " I'm here , Mr. Hughes ! Sugar needed to go , so I brought him outside . " " It's chilly out . Don't stay out too long . " " ... Okay . " I practically hissed out that last word . Then , everything went dark . When I woke up again , there was a stinging sensation on the back of my hand . A nurse brought me a cup of water . " Here , drink some of this . " My throat was at its absolute limit . I couldn't even manage a thank you as I took the cup and gulped it down . " The shot I gave you is for the pain ; it should help you feel more comfortable . Why haven't you been coming to your chemo appointments these past few days ? We tried contacting you , but you didn't answer your phone . If you don't keep up with the treatments , your condition will progress very quickly . " " ... " As I looked up , I saw Hayden Hughes appear in the doorway of the hospital room . The words died on my lips . He pushed the door open and walked in, his expression grim . " How are you feeling ? Any better ? " I nodded . " Much better . " " What happened ? How did you just collapse outside ? " The nurse cut in , " What's wrong with you family members ? She's in this state and you don't even take it seriously ... " I quickly grabbed the nurse's arm . " It's fine , I was just exhausted . " Chapter 24 I shook my head at her , signaling for her to stop . The nurse glanced at Hayden , and a look of realization seemed to dawn on her . Having worked in the hospital for so long , she was used to this kind of thing . Patients hiding their condition from family , family hiding the truth from the patient - it was all just to spare each other the pain . The nurse asked , " Who is he to you ? " I said , " My brother . " " Oh . Well , brother , could you please step out for a moment ? I need to perform a treatment on Ms. Shelton that requires removing some clothing , so it's not convenient for you to be here ... " Hayden said , " Husband . " I looked up at him , surprised . " You said it yourself . We never had a wedding , but we signed the papers . So we're still legally husband and wife , right ? " The nurse was stunned . " A married ... brother and sister ? " I gave a dry laugh . " Our family situation is a little complicated . We're not really married ; it was just to satisfy our elders . He has a girlfriend , and she's gorgeous . " The nurse looked even more confused . She glanced from me to Hayden , then back again . Hayden strode over , a deep frown on his face . He reached out and pressed his hand to my forehead . " You're a little warm , " he said . I slapped his hand away . " Don't touch me ." A heavy silence fell over the room after I knocked his hand away , the air thick with tension . I said , " It's just a cold , nothing serious ... Did you bring me to the hospital ? Where's Renee ? You left her at home alone to deal with your parents ? How could you ... " Hayden knelt on one knee in front of me , his eyes locked on mine . " Aubrey , you look terrible ." " I told you , I have a cold . " I thought for a moment , then added , " The cough I've had for the past two days is from the cold , too . " Hayden's brow furrowed . " What kind of super - virus makes someone pass out ? " I sat up straight . " What is your problem ? Your dad just recovered from a serious illness , and Renee is shy to Chapter 24 begin with . Instead of checking on them , you come here to pick a fight with me ? " Hayden shot back , his tone just as sharp , " Weren't you the one who said you weren't selfless enough to hire a fake boyfriend ? So what was with that guy from the other day ? Don't you think you owe everyone explanation ? " " What is there to explain ? " " What do you think ? " Hayden stood before my bed with his arms crossed , looking down at me . " Why did you bring some guy home to lie to Mom and Dad ? " I let out a cold laugh and looked up at him . " Who said I was lying ? I have a one - sided crush on him . Bringing him home to put on a show wasn't just to fool your parents - it was also a chance for me to spend more time with him . Is that so wrong ? " * Bang . * Hayden's hand slammed down on the bed's side rail , making the whole frame vibrate . He leaned in close , his eyes boring into mine . " You're lying again . " " What am I lying about ? " " You don't love him at all . " " Tch . You're not a mind reader . How would you know ? " " Because I've seen how you look when you love someone . I've seen how you used to look at me . " I froze . He was right . In the three years since he'd been back , he had seen that look in my eyes countless times . Even Julian could see it . How could Hayden have missed it ? A slow smile spread across my face . Hayden frowned . " What are you smiling about ? " I tilted my head up , my eyes playful and teasing as I looked at him . " Hayden Hughes , are you jealous ? "