"At 0:30 AM Kyoto time, a plane headed for Bincheng met with a tragic accident during landing. The death toll has risen to 136, with only three survivors."
The news broadcast on the hospital's large screen pulled Lydia Grace back to reality.
As one of the survivors, she lay in the ICU bed, legs wrapped in bandages, her body covered in injuries.
Her hand gripped her phone tightly, the robotic response repeating over and over, "The number you dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
Since the accident, her husband in name, Harrison James, hadn’t answered a single call.
Something this catastrophic—it’s impossible he wouldn’t have heard about it.
The fear of almost dying, surrounded by wreckage and lifeless bodies at the crash site, still choked her, leaving her breathless.
And yet, the man she married three years ago was nowhere to be found when she needed him the most.
A cold wave washed over Lydia's heart.After a long while, her phone suddenly rang sharply. Snapping back to reality, she quickly picked it up, and the glimmer in her eyes dimmed little by little as she saw the word “Grandma” flashing on the screen.
“Hello…” she answered, her voice hoarse.
A concerned elderly voice immediately came from the other side of the line. “Lydia, you scared this old lady half to death! How are you holding up? Did Harrison come to be with you?”
It was Nancy James, Harrison's grandmother—the only person in the massive James family who truly cared for her.
“He…” Lydia hesitated, and that brief silence was enough for Nancy to pick up on the truth.
“That rascal! You’re both his secretary and his wife, and you went abroad for his business, yet now, when you’re in trouble, he’s nowhere to be found? Don’t worry, I won’t let him off the hook!”
Nancy added, “Which hospital are you at? I’ll send the housekeeper to pick you up right away!”
After Lydia told her the address, the call ended shortly after.
She lowered her head and began removing the IV needle from her arm, enduring the pain as she got up from the bed.
“What are you doing? Your leg injury isn’t healed yet; you need to rest.”
The nurse doing rounds tried to stop Lydia but couldn’t. "Get me two crutches. I want to be discharged."
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for debate.
Compared to the hospital, the old James family residence was a better place for recovery.
Plus, she wasn't just anyone—she worked as the secretary to Harrison James, CEO of James Group. Her trip to Dubai had been to finalize the setup and personnel arrangements for a medical exhibition on the company’s behalf. The report needed to be handed in immediately.
But more important than all that, she had to figure out what Harrison was doing and where he had been.
The nurse couldn’t argue for long. Moments later, with two crutches in hand, Lydia Grace limped resolutely out of the ICU and headed toward the payment counter, moving slowly along the wall for support.
As she reached the glass façade of the lobby, something caught her eye—a familiar license plate, followed by several luxury cars.
It was a fleet from James Group.
A few people stepped out of the vehicles, but her focus was drawn to the man in the center. He was wearing a black suit and holding a woman in his arms. His actions made it clear how much he cared for her; even his black coat was draped over her exposed legs.
Without hesitation, he walked briskly toward the hospital’s main entrance. He didn’t even notice Lydia Grace standing there.
She remained frozen in place, watching from a distance as he held that woman and walked right into the specialist clinic.
Three years of marriage, and she had never seen him show such tenderness to anyone.
Who was that woman?
But no matter who she was, an indescribable pain was seeping through Lydia’s chest, spreading relentlessly.
The ache made it hard for her to breathe.
Moments later, two nurses passed her in the hospital corridor, whispering as they went.
“Oh my gosh, that’s the guy who keeps popping up in business reports—Harrison James, the heir to the James Corporation! Isn’t he just so Manly? Running into him at a hospital, and he’s with his girlfriend for her prenatal checkup, no less.”
“Prenatal checkup? Are you sure?”
“Positive. The report says the baby is already 12 weeks! She had some spotting today, so he carried her in.”
Twelve weeks... that meant two months ago.