Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
As soon as the call ended, Elspeth forwarded the photos and left the shop. As Callum remained unconscious in the hospital, she returned to his side. Without any leads, finding Damian would be a daunting task in such a vast city. Additionally, the kidnapper’s motive remained unknown. If it was for money, she could temporarily set aside that concern. However, if it was to cause Damian harm…
The thought pained Elspeth’s heart, but for now, all she could do was wait. She stared at her phone, desperately hoping for news about Damian-whether it came from Harper or the kidnapper.
After some time had passed, she still hadn’t received any news regarding Damian, but Callum regained consciousness. The moment he woke up, Callum uttered Damian’s name. After Callum was transferred to a regular ward, Elspeth was allowed to visit him.
She approached him quickly and gently grasped his hand. Callum slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the slightly worn-out Elspeth before him. Although he wanted to raise his hand and touch her hair, he discovered that he lacked the strength to do so.
“Don’t move. The doctor advised you to minimize physical activity and get plenty of rest after your surgery. With that, you should recover soon.” Elspeth managed to force a reassuring smile.
Callum nodded. His voice was hoarse from just waking up. “Can I have some water?”
Elspeth swiftly poured a glass of water from the table next to her and handed it to him. Noticing that he had difficulty with his movements, she brought it to his lips, allowing him to take a few sips. Drinking the water provided relief, and his voice gradually sounded normal. “By the way, how is Damian?”
While Callum was in a coma, he had been calling out Damian’s name, which showed that he was deeply concerned about his son, both during the accident and now.
“Damian didn’t sustain any severe injuries and only had a few minor scratches. He’s doing fine after applying some ointment and getting some rest.” Elspeth shook her head.
“Then where is he now?” The smile on Elspeth’s face froze upon hearing that.
Observing her peculiar expression, Callum vaguely sensed that something was wrong. “What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop talking?”
“It’s nothing. He’s resting in the adjacent ward. I’ll bring him to see you when you’re feeling better.”
“It’s late now, so he should be asleep.” Callum skeptically nodded.
Elspeth then responded, “Yes, it’s already past 11.00PM. Did you know that you’ve been unconscious for a long time today?” She decided to change the subject as she was unsure if she could control her emotions if he mentioned Damian again.
“I never expected to be so absent-minded and end up colliding with the car in front, causing Damian to suffer with me…” Callum felt extremely guilty about Damian’s injuries. Although he had done his best to protect him during the accident, the thought of the young child experiencing such fright and getting into a car accident with him made Callum shudder. If he hadn’t reacted in time, he didn’t know what unimaginable consequences could have occurred. After all the effort he put into finding his child, he genuinely didn’t want him to suffer even the slightest harm.
“It’s not your fault,” Elspeth reassured Callum as he closed his eyes and fell silent.
“Besides, Damian is also extremely concerned about your condition,” she added. Hearing that, Callum nodded, opened his eyes, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him.
“Could you bring Damian to see me tomorrow morning?” Elspeth was momentarily stunned.
“Well… children can be a bit restless. What if it affects your rest?”
“It’s alright, I just want to see him. Moreover, Damian is well-behaved. He shouldn’t cause any trouble.”
“Maybe it’s better to wait a few days. Rest well for a few days, and after that, I’ll…”
“So, you’re still unwilling to tell me the truth?” Callum said as he stared intently at her face. Elspeth was speechless. She knew Callum was usually quite astute, but she didn’t expect him to figure it out so quickly.
“What happened to Damian?” Elspeth was lost for words after being questioned. Callum suddenly coughed violently several times and his expression became agitated. “Where is he now?”
Seeing that, she had no choice but to reveal the truth to him. “Damian went missing while I was waiting for news about you outside the operating theater.”
“Missing?” Callum’s gaze grew cold as he spoke.
“Yes, we don’t know who’s behind it at the moment, but based on the information I gathered this afternoon, it seems likely that he has been kidnapped.”
“Who dares to kidnap my son? That person must have a death wish!” Unfortunately, he had just undergone surgery and couldn’t afford to become too emotional. Callum started coughing violently after barely uttering a few words.
“Don’t get worked up. I have already sent Harper to gather information. We may have some results soon.” Noticing his condition, Elspeth could only stroke his chest to help him breathe more comfortably.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Elspeth looked at him with mixed emotions. “You just had surgery, and the doctor advised against getting you worked up. So, I thought about concealing this matter and only informing you until I’ve found him.”
“Don’t be so foolish in the future. You should inform me about such things earlier so that I can get my men to search for him.” Elspeth nodded. For some reason, when this matter occurred, she had a vague sense of who might be behind it.
“What’s wrong? Do you have any leads regarding this matter?”
Elspeth nodded. “I suspect that…” She was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.
Glancing at her phone, she confirmed that it was her phone ringing. However, upon seeing the familiar name displayed, she hesitated about whether or not to answer the call.
Callum also glanced at it and uttered, “Go ahead and answer.”
In the end, Elspeth picked up the call.
“Elspeth, do you have time now? I’d like to meet up with you.” Elspeth froze as Slevin had never asked her out so late before.
“Isn’t it too late now?” Elspeth didn’t feel like going as she didn’t know what Slevin was up to, and nobody knew what might happen.
“It’s alright. It’s not very late. Moreover, I have some news that you might want to know.”
Upon hearing this, Elspeth instinctively tightened her grip on her phone. “What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing significant, just wondering if you’d be willing to come over. If you don’t want to, then forget it,” he said, about to hang up the phone.
“Wait.”
“You should be in the hospital now. I’ll come to look for you.” After saying this, Slevin abruptly hung up the phone.
Elspeth’s heart sank. It seemed that he was indeed behind this matter. Even if he wasn’t directly responsible for it, he must have something to do with it.
Callum’s expression changed as he listened to their conversation. “He knows you’re in the hospital and knows what you’re worried about. It seems… Damian’s disappearance is indeed connected to him.”
“Regardless, I must see him.”
Callum looked deeply into her eyes and said, “But I’m afraid he might harm you.” Slevin was a person with unpredictable intentions. If he could target a child he had spent over four years with, it indicated that he was deranged.
Although Elspeth had also considered this, she squeezed his hand to show that she was fine. “Don’t worry, he probably won’t do anything to me.”
“Still, you need to be careful.”
“I will.”
The two of them waited for about half an hour when Elspeth’s phone rang again. However, this time, it wasn’t a call but a text message. It only contained two words, ‘Come out’. Elspeth quickly stood up and walked out without hesitation.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Slevin standing in front of her with an ever-present smile on his face. “Don’t you think I know you well?”
Upon hearing these words, Elspeth suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. “Just say what you’re here to say.”
To avoid letting Callum hear words that might upset him, Elspeth discreetly closed the door of the ward. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid our conversation might be overheard by him? That’s why you’re closing the door.” Slevin naturally noticed her subtle action.
“It’s nothing. I simply don’t want to disturb the patient,” Elspeth replied.
However, Slevin didn’t pay much attention to it. “Is he a patient or a lover?”
A hint of anger crossed Elspeth’s face. “Slevin, what do you mean by that?”
“Why are you getting angry so quickly? From what I remember, Elspeth isn’t someone who gets angry easily, and in all the years we’ve spent together, she has never once gotten angry at me,” Slevin said as his gaze carried a trace of affection. It seemed like he was truly reminiscing about the past.
Elspeth coldly interrupted him. “Enough. You should know that I’m not in the mood to reminisce with you now.”
“Yes, after all, your child has gone missing, and no mother would just sit back and do nothing,” Slevin stated straightforwardly.
“What do you mean? Do you know about this?” Elspeth looked up.
“Of course, I know about it.” Slevin chuckled. “Didn’t I tell you before? There’s nothing in this world that I don’t know of.”
“Then can you tell me where my child is now?” Elspeth lowered her voice.
Slevin shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know either. “I only have rough information about it. I’m not a god, so how could I possibly know where the child is?”
Seeing that he showed no intention of revealing the truth, Elspeth started sounding anxious and irritated. “Slevin! You’ve spent so many years with Damian, so are you really going to harm him?” Elspeth clearly noticed a subtle change in Slevin’s expression when she mentioned this.
“You said it yourself. I’ve been with him for so many years, so how could I possibly harm him?” Slevin put his hands in his pockets while appearing casual and natural. “Instead of doubting me, why don’t you ask me nicely? Who knows, maybe I can help you find him.”
