Devoted Love, Mr. Hayes’ Darling Wife

After Clementina Orihuela left the room, Adán Rouco struggled to get up, removed the intravenous tube from the back of his hand, and had just gotten out of bed when his long legs went slack and he almost fell to the floor, leaning on the edge of the bed and straining to reach a full-length mirror.

The man in the mirror had a thick white medical gauze wrapped around his forehead, a few scratched and bloody scabs on his cheeks, and his face was as white as ash.

It was as if he had slept for a century and not just seven days as Clementina Orihuela had said.

He reached out his hand, gently touching his forehead…. what had happened in those days?

On the other side of the door, Clementina Orihuela looked at him through the half-buried door before turning to the butler and saying, “Basilio Grullón, go find out where this Jerold Rouco is from and what relatives he has.”

“Yes, princess.”

The butler added, “By the way, Princess, his lordship says that the Orihuela Group has recently opened a branch in La Ciudad Santa, and he wants you to go there to attend and practice.”

Clementina Orihuela was surprised and said grimly, “Did my father do this on purpose? He knows I do nothing but eat, drink and be merry, and he dares to send me to La Ciudad Santa to run the branch by myself? I think he has a lot of money to burn and wants me to lose it for him.”

The butler laughed, “You are very clever, princess, but your mind is not on your career.

Clementina Orihuela looked at Adán Rouco in the room and said, “Take Jerold Rouco with you, I’m bored lately and I could use to go to La Ciudad Santa to rest.”

“Yes, when are we leaving?”.

“When Jerold Rouco is feeling better”.

“Yes.”

…

Early the next morning, Clementina Orihuela was sitting at the breakfast table.

The butler informed her, “Princess, I have ordered an investigation on Jerold Rouco, but I have checked all the people named Jerold Rouco, and none of them match this Jerold Rouco.”

Clementina Orihuela’s knife and fork paused as she cut her eggs and her red lips curved, “Heh, this guy is a nigger.”

“I wonder, princess, if he’s not lying to you. His name may not even be Jerold Rouco.”

“From the look on his face, it doesn’t look like he’s lying to me.”

“Princess, until we find out who this man is, I think you should remain wary of him.”

…

A week later, Clementina Orihuela took Jerold Rouco to La Ciudad Santa.

After a week together, Clementina Orihuela became increasingly interested in the man next to her.

Jerold Rouco is cold, he doesn’t talk much, but his eyes are very sharp, and Clementina Orihuela likes this kind of tough guy. They were just a sham.

However, Jerold Rouco does not believe it.

Clementina Orihuela suddenly grabs Jerold Rouco’s left hand and removes the platinum ring from his ring finger.

Jerold Rouco’s brow furrows deeply, “Give it back to me.”

“I won’t!”

Instead of giving it back to him, Clementina Orihuela strings the ring directly onto a fine platinum chain, “I am your savior, this, take it as a token from you to me.”

“You can keep this ring, and when you get to The Holy City, don’t follow me again.”

Clementina Orihuela growled softly, glared at him, and said, “Where will you go if you leave me? Do you have a home? Do you have a family?”

Jerold Rouco’s dark eyes gave him a cold, stern look: “That’s my business”.

“When you’re on the street, don’t come looking for me.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She did not believe Jerold Rouco could survive alone in The Holy City, and even if he did, she would force him back to her side step by step.

Clementina Orihuela loves to play, especially this cat and mouse game.

But he doesn’t know that Jerold Rouco is not a mouse, much less a prey he can get his hands on.

…

The villas of Repulse Bay.

Estrella Berrocal is lying in Adán Rouco’s study, writing in her diary, but falls asleep on his desk.

She is half asleep when an upright, uncluttered male figure walks slowly along the back of the awning.

In the blurred vision, the man’s face gradually becomes clearer.

“Adam …”

Adán Rouco smiled slightly as he took a step towards her, taking off his black coat and throwing it over his shoulders as he reached her.

Estrella Berrocal looked at him dumbfounded, “Adán…. Are you back?”.

Adán Rouco reached out his hand and rubbed her hair, his voice was as deep as usual, he said softly and affectionately: “Estrella, why are you sleeping here on your back, you’ll catch a cold”.

The man’s large hand caressed her cheek, Estrella Berrocal reached out and placed her hand on the back of his, her gaze unblinking as she looked at him, her eyes reddening little by little, “I waited for you here, I waited for you to come back every day, everyone said you were dead, I didn’t believe them, you see, my instinct was right, you’re alive and well, you’re finally back …. Adam, don’t leave me again, okay?”.

Adán Rouco was still smiling softly and lightly, but his hand was slowly moving away.

Estrella Berrocal tried with all her might to grab him, but his figure, however, was moving farther and farther away from her, she could not catch him, his figure went from being clear to blurred and finally into the air …

“Adam…!”

Estrella Berrocal woke up with a start.

When she awoke, she was sitting in a chair, surrounded by empty space.

It was a dream …

Estrella Berrocal looked in frustration at the diamond ring on her ring finger and rubbed it gently, her heart pounding.

The front page of the newspaper reads

“Adam’s fifteenth day of absence”.

…

“Princess, Jerold Rouco has disappeared.”

Clementina Orihuela’s face went cold: “Didn’t I tell you to keep a close eye on him?”.

The butler pursed his lips, “If Jerold Rouco wanted to leave, you couldn’t keep an eye on him, but he has no identity papers and little money, so he probably won’t be leaving The Holy City for a while.”

“Send for someone now and kidnap them again!”

“Yes.”

When the butler turned, Clementina Orihuela’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed and she said, “Forget it, when you find him, send someone to keep an eye on him and trip him up, I want him to come back to me on his own!”

“Yes, princess.”

…

These days, Estrella Berrocal was having a lot of pregnancy vomiting, Felipa was cooking many of her usual favorite dishes, but Estrella Berrocal was throwing up everything she ate.

Felipa was unsure, “Third Young Grandmother, I’d better accompany you to the hospital. Besides, this time of year, it’s almost time for a pregnancy test.”

Estrella Berrocal nodded, “Good.”

When they arrived at the hospital, there were many couples in the obstetrics and gynecology department, husbands supporting their pregnant wives and talking to them with kind and loving faces, and Estrella Berrocal touched her belly for a moment.

Felipa, seeing that she was a bit depressed, asked, “Third Young Grandmother, are you particularly uncomfortable?”

Estrella Berrocal shook her head, “I was thinking that if Adam were still here, he would have been the one to accompany me today on my maternity visit.”

Felipa sighed, “Third Young Grandmother, don’t bother.”

“Number 270, Estrella Berrocal please come to specialist room five.”

Felipa helped her up, “Third Young Grandmother, it’s our turn, come in.”