Once Zayden and Devin had departed, Theodore requested the remaining people to leave too.

In the quiet ward, with only a faint beam of light filtering through the window, he sat alone in a chair, seemingly lost in thought.

His gaze shifted to the white curtain dancing in the gentle wind, as if he perceived a familiar outline within it’

A sudden wave of intense pain overwhelmed his mind. Theodore grimaced, his skull pounding as if under a hammer's strike. The agony was so severe that he found himself silenced.

Instinctively, he groped for his medicine in his pocket, but the echo of Aldus's parting words restrained him from taking them.

At that moment, the room's door creaked open. Theodore looked up to see it was Horace.

Surprised, his brow furrowed and anger surged, "Didn't I assign you to accompany her? What are you doing here?!"

Horace, accustomed to Theodore's temper, maintained his cool, promptly reporting, “Mrs. Anderson is resting, and I've arranged someone to monitor her. I am here to relay a message; it appears that she wishes to meet you."

Hearing the last sentence, Theodore froze. His somber eyes noticeably lit up, his voice laced with disbelief, "Really?"

Recalling Ariana's behavior, Horace wasn't fully certain about his understanding of her wishes.

Yet, the moment Theodore learned of Ariana's readiness to meet him, it somewhat alleviated his throbbing headache.

Observing Theodore's reaction, Horace paused briefly before conveying Ariana's precise response and concluded, "Considering the circumstances, it appears that Mrs. Anderson expressed a desire to meet with you."

As Horace unfolded the story, the spark in Theodore's eyes slowly faded. His faintly creased forehead indicated his uncertainty.

He was worried that Horace might have misunderstood Ariana's intentions and that his presence might upset her.

Horace, scrutinizing Theodore's mixed feelings of anticipation and apprehension, couldn't help but be astounded. It was indeed a surprise to see Theodore, usually firm and decisive, display such caution.

Meanwhile, in the room below, Ariana found herself alone, holding the prenatal examination results. As she stared at the image of the fetuses, her heart was consumed by profound pain.

These were two lives - hers and Theodore's children.

Now, she was forced to contemplate whether to end one of them.

The dilemma was brutally painful for any mother, and she felt cornered.

Ariana was utterly overwhelmed.