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?”

exactly is going on with

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

Justin let out

headboard of her bed inside the ward. She was already awake, and her mind was wandering as she stared out the window. Just then, the door behind her opened up. She could tell from the sound of the footsteps that it was Justin,

you still unwell? I know

of silence,

you do

at the mention of the elder man. “That is

so please let him go. Take all of it out on me-whether it’s your resentment toward me or the Hudsons. Don’t hurt

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

saying that he should avoid punishment just because he’s in his twilight

hearing that, Rachel’s despair grew. She ended up letting out a chuckle

convincing excuse. Grandpa Irwin, a human trafficker? In that case, why didn’t you hand

want, but

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

sold him were the true

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 already been reached. Didn’t that mean that the culprits would still

the middle of his tirade when he got a phone call. After glancing at Rachel, he left the

the door shut with a bang, the room

clutched the bed sheets tightly, her face as gray

“Yes?”

of some news. The man recently came to Riverdale. He said

old acquaintance, you

forehead tightened into a frown. He recalled that Jefferey had razed the forest around Somerset Mountain back then; Hudson Pharmaceuticals had seemingly bought that forest for development. Hence, it was reasonable for the people who lived there to know

else did he

He won’t 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 able to dig up anything from them.” Frankie’s tone was troubled. “Mr. Burton, it’s been 20 years. Could you have been

and one

It had been swelteringly hot, and the loathsome old man who had locked him up cracked open a corner of the cellar and warned him savagely

not obey him, he would let the boy starve to

able to see anything. All

Katie hadn’t saved him back then, he would

do with him now, Mr.