My Mute Bride

Blood spread through Rachel’s skirt as a stabbing pain came from her abdomen. She pressed a hand to it, her face pale.

My child, my child.

Justin shoved Frankie aside and scooped Rachel up. “What are you standing around for? Get driving to the hospital!”

It was then that Frankie snapped out of it, and the car sped down the streets of Riverdale while running several red lights.

After making it to the emergency room, Julian stepped out once Rachel had been checked over.

“How is she?”

Julian confirmed that the door had been shut tight before he allowed his expression to fall. At the same time, he stopped Justin from going in.

“Are you concerned about her?”

“Stop asking me things like that. What happened to her?”

“She’s pregnant!” Julian raised his voice, his low tones reverberating through the corridor, shocking the few medical staff nearby until they had looks of bewilderment on their faces.

Why was the usually even-tempered Dr. Peters so furious?

Instantly, Justin’s head was filled with a buzzing sound. “What did you say?”

“I said that she’s pregnant. She’s already more than two months along.” Julian’s expression was dark. “I wanted to tell you about it a few days ago, but you were busy taking care of Gloria. Not only that, you never asked once about Rachel. So, I thought that there was no difference whether I told you at all.”

Justin was still stunned. He stared dumbly at the door to the ward, seeming as though he hadn’t heard Julian.

Rachel was pregnant all along? Am I going to become a father?

“Justin Burton!”

At the thought of Rachel’s condition, Justin quickly snapped back to reality. “How is she now?”

“You’re only asking this now? What were you doing before you thought of that?”

is going

okay. However, her condition isn’t stable. The first three months of pregnancy is the time when you should be at your most

heard that, Justin let

inside the ward. She was already awake, and her mind was wandering as she stared out the window. Just then, the door

I know that

a long moment of silence, Rachel finally

did you do

slightly at the mention of the elder man. “That is none of your

please let him go. Take all of it out on me-whether it’s your resentment toward me or the Hudsons. Don’t hurt anyone who’s innocent! Now that Hans is in your sight, is

breakdown, her eyes completely bloodshot as though they would burst the next moment.

punishment just because he’s in

up letting out a chuckle as she looked

a human trafficker? In that case, why didn’t you hand him

“Think what you want, but I must have him

incident from 20 years ago, he couldn’t wait to chop all of those

traffickers who sold him were the true culprits-none of them had

about the police? More than 20 years had passed since then. Even if the police could find proof, the statute of limitations on the case had

got a phone call. After glancing at Rachel, he left the

the door shut with a bang, the room descended

the bed sheets tightly, her

“Yes?”

the phone’s speakers. “I’ve gotten hold of some news. The man recently came to Riverdale. He said that he

acquaintance,

back then; Hudson Pharmaceuticals had seemingly bought that forest for development. Hence, it was reasonable for the people who lived

did

admit that he’s been an errand boy for traffickers. The documents at the police station have long since been destroyed as well. We won’t be

cold, and one could sense the iciness

forget that day from 20 years back. It had been swelteringly hot, and the loathsome old man who had locked him up cracked

not obey him, he would let the boy starve to death

damp, and he hadn’t been able to see anything. All he could smell was the stench

then, he

with him now, Mr.