He walked over and sat beside her, lowering his eyes to gaze at her lying on the bed. The tenderness in his eyes only grew deeper.
"I've already made breakfast. Get up and eat in a bit, alright? Something urgent came up at the hospital. I need to head over."
Hearing he was about to leave, Lauren Shaw opened her eyes and looked at him. Meeting his smiling gaze, she couldn't help but recall last night's wildness.
Her face flushed red.
Yancy Shaw reached out to gently stroke her cheek, leaned down, and placed a kiss on her face before changing his clothes and heading out.
Lauren Shaw couldn't help but mumble a few complaints in her heart before finally getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
After breakfast, she slipped on a pair of flat shoes and left the house.
She hadn't been to the studio in days. As soon as the employees saw her, they all crowded around, talking over each other about how much they'd missed her recently.
Xiaomei teased, "Did you go on a honeymoon with brother-in-law these last few days? You look so rosy—guess he's really been taking care of you."
"That’s not all! Haven't you noticed? Sienna Shaw has even put on a bit of weight since she got married."
Hearing their chatter, Lauren Shaw put her hands on her waist and measured herself. Sure enough, she'd gotten a bit plumper.
Eating well and sleeping soundly, without the constant emotional ups and downs, naturally she'd filled out.
She laughed, "You little rascals and your sharp tongues."
Just as she sat down at her desk, Sisi came over.
Her face didn't look so good.
"Sienna Shaw, I want to talk to you about something."
Sisi had been working here for almost a year now. She’d come straight out of college, so not as long as Xiaomei or Maya Wells, but she learned quickly, and was clever and capable.
Lauren Shaw put down her design draft and looked at her. "Go ahead."
Sisi seemed a little embarrassed. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, looking uneasy.
"Could you...maybe give me an advance on my salary? I need it for something urgent."
"Of course," Lauren Shaw replied, a bit puzzled.
Getting an advance wasn’t a big deal, so why was Sisi so nervous?
"Are you having some trouble?"
Lauren Shaw had always been sensitive to the people around her—she could spot even the smallest change in their moods.
"It's nothing, really. Just a family thing—I need the money," Sisi replied simply.
Seeing how troubled she looked, Lauren Shaw guessed it must be something serious.
She not only approved the salary advance but also gave Sisi a few days off.
Sisi was sincerely grateful. "Thank you, Sienna Shaw."
Lauren Shaw waved it off. "If you really want to thank me, just keep working hard."
Sisi straightened up and answered in a clear voice, "I promise I’ll get the job done!"
Once Sisi left the office, Xiaomei sidled up to Lauren Shaw and quietly filled her in on what had been going on with Sisi lately.
"She’s been really off these days, distracted, always zoning out. Sometimes you have to call her several times before she even reacts."
Lauren Shaw thought back to her earlier conversation with Sisi and smiled. "Probably just family troubles weighing on her mind."
"I heard her dad is sick. I even caught her crying on the phone last time."
Because they worked together so often, Lauren Shaw knew a bit about Sisi’s family. And everyone knew her character.
"What was she crying about?" Lauren Shaw asked.
"Her mom died when she was little, so she grew up with her dad. She worked hard to get into university, hoping she could finally give him a better life, but now her dad’s sick."
"He used to work on construction sites to pay her tuition. It was really tough," Xiaomei added, her voice full of sympathy.
Lauren Shaw said nothing, her gaze lingering thoughtfully on Sisi’s empty desk.
She had no interest in prying into others’ personal affairs. With the design competition right around the corner, she couldn't afford more delays. She needed to get her work done.
Her phone vibrated—it was a message from Claire Xu.
[Babe, Yvonne Sung got admitted to the hospital.]
Hospitalized? Just as she was about to reply, another message came in from Claire Xu.
[Stomach hemorrhage. They’re still trying to save him.]
Emergency treatment? It sounded serious.
[How did he end up with a stomach hemorrhage?]
Karma comes fast, she thought.
Claire Xu replied: [No idea, probably drank too much. He got totally wasted last night, lost it downstairs from your old place. Hugo Pierce and Yana Quinn went to get him, and the next thing I heard, he was in the hospital this morning.]
Lauren Shaw remembered the calls she’d gotten from him last night and finally realized he had been standing outside her building. Thank goodness she didn’t live there anymore.
Claire Xu: [Heard Yana Quinn cried her eyes out—tears streaming and everything.]
Crying?
Lauren Shaw: [He’s not dead. What’s the use of crying?]
Crying wouldn’t fix anything. If he hadn’t been drinking himself stupid every day, would he have ended up with a bleeding stomach? He’d done this to himself.
She didn’t understand—when Yana Quinn had left him before, he’d drunk to forget, fine. But now that she was back, why was he still drinking? Was he trying to play the martyr in front of her?
Thinking of how he’d been right outside her old apartment last night, she texted Claire Xu: [Do you think he’s going to put the blame on me?]
Claire Xu found it amusing: [Shengsheng, your imagination is wild!]
Lauren Shaw settled down and considered it. It wasn’t impossible. After all, if his mother found out he’d been outside her place, she’d almost certainly say her son was only in this state because of her.
She had dealt with his mother before and knew all too well how she operated.
Her phone rang—another unfamiliar number.
Recently, unknown numbers kept calling her, and she’d learned it was best not to answer, to avoid further trouble.
And as if summoned just by thinking about her, someone barreled in through the doorway.
Lauren Shaw quickly messaged Claire Xu: [Speak of the devil, and she appears.]
Zoe Carter stormed in, fierce as a mother tiger, glaring daggers at Lauren Shaw.
"My son kept calling your name even while he was unconscious! How could you do this to him?"
She did this to her son? As if his stomach hemorrhage was her fault?
Looks like Claire Xu had been right—seems they really were here to blame her.
Lauren Shaw folded her arms lazily and leaned back in her swivel chair.
Ignoring Zoe Carter’s tirade, she idly picked at her manicure.
Seeing how indifferent Lauren Shaw was, Zoe Carter grew even angrier.
Her scolding finally petered out. Lauren Shaw looked up at her. "Done? Have some water."
Lauren Shaw asked Xiaomei to pour her a glass of water.
Zoe Carter, thinking Lauren Shaw was intimidated, smirked a little—certain she had her right where she wanted her.
She sat down, realizing she had indeed talked herself hoarse and was thirsty.
Lauren Shaw silently watched her.
After Zoe Carter drank a few sips, Lauren Shaw finally spoke.