Marry Me.

The steady beeping of a machine filled the quiet hospital room as a man in a expensive suit stood by Andrea's bedside, watching her closely.

His eyes seemed tired, and his gaze frequently moved to the machine to ensure that she was indeed still alive.

Andrea woke up from her dream, and her hands immediately went to her belly. Seeing that it was not as big as before, fear gripped her heart, and she was about to cry out when she heard a deep, unfamiliar voice.

"He is in the NICU."

Andrea gaze moved to the man as she hurriedly sat upright, but despite the immense pain she felt from her action, her only concern at this moment was her child. "Does that mean my baby is alright?"

The man nodded and brought out his phone from his pocket; he opened it and passed it to her.

She collected it and saw a picture of a very tiny baby. Her eyes became teary as she asked, "Is this him?"

"Yes. The doctor said since he was born before the due date, they need to do some checkups on him to ensure that everything is alright."

"I want to see him." Andrea had a deep yearning in her heart that wouldn't go away until her son was in her arms.

The man collected his phone and said, "You will, but first, before taking that baby back home, you must ensure you are capable of protecting him."

Andrea frowned and looked at the man standing before her and for a moment she thought he was Fabian but his hair that freely fell to his face and his lifeless gaze said otherwise because Fabian eyes were always filled with life. And also, judging from his suit to his wristwatch and even down to his cologne, she could tell that this man was rich.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Gael, Fabian older brother."

"That's impossible, Fabian doesn't have any family. I'm his only family in the world." Andrea said, not believing anything he said.

Gael opened his phone again and this time clicked on a different picture before showing it to her.

"His real name is Henrick Ashford, he was recently named as the heir of the Ashford family and I'm certain his death wasn't an accident at all."

Andrea was surprised to see a picture of her husband and this man together. Although they both looked younger in this photo but she was sure that this man who was smiling so brightly was Fabian, but why would he lied to her and what was this man saying, that his death wasn't an accident but Fabian isn't dead. The police just made a mistake.

Andrea handed his phone back to him and "Fabian isn't dead, the police made a mistake and....." She stopped and started looking around her "Have you seen my phone? I'm sure he doesn't know that I have given birth, if I don't call him now he will get worried. I have to call him to see the baby. Can I borrow your phone instead?"

Gael looked at her, his heart bleeding in pain and sadness as he watched her, refusing to accept the truth. 

"He is dead, Andrea. The DNA test done on the body proves that it is indeed him."

Andrea heart sank when she heard that. She shook her head and said, "You are lying. Could it be someone sent you to tell me all this? I know Fabian; he will never leave me. He has never broken any of his promises to me, so there's no way he has left me."

"Andrea!" Ye Zhimin shouted. "He is dead! My brother and your husband is dead, and I know you are refusing to accept this, but for your son, you have to overcome this, because the same person who killed Henrick is still out there. Henrick was very careful in hiding you, so I'm certain that apart from me, no one else knew he was married, but if we don't find out who his murderer is, then not even your baby will be safe in the long run."

"No, he isn't dead. Fabian isn't dead," Lu Mei said, breaking down in tears. The last word he had said to her before she left for school was I love you, and she didn't get to say it back. There is no way he has left her alone in this world. Everyone is telling lies; they are all lying to her.

Gael looked away. Damn you, Henrick! How could you leave your wife and son just like that? You didn't even get to see the baby once; how could you be so cruel!

Andrea agonizing cry filled the ward, and Gael just stood by her side without saying anything, allowing her to cry her heart out. 

After crying herself to sleep, Andrea woke up again, and this time, a nurse was checking on her vitals. She looked at the nurse and asked, "My baby?"

The nurse looked at her with a warm smile and said, "I'm glad you are awake. Should I take you to see your baby? He is still in the NICU."

Andrea nodded; she badly wanted to hold her baby in her arms.

With the help of the nurse, Andrea was wheeled to the NICU and there she saw her son, sleeping without a care in the world. If only he knows that the man who had always given him a kiss from her womb whenever he woke up was now gone. 

"Can I hold him?" Andrea asked.

The nurse nodded and gently brought out the baby from the incubator and handed him to his mother.

Andrea's fingers trembled as she cradled the tiny bundle. A warmth spread through her chest, and for the first time since waking up, she felt whole.

The baby opened his eyes shyly and then immediately closed them back, causing a chuckle to leave Andrea's lips.

"You are sad, aren't you? You were expecting to see your father, but don't worry, he.." She wanted to say that he would be here soon, but the truth hit her. He wasn't coming.

He wasn't going to hear their baby's first word or see his first step or help him ride a bike. None of those things was ever going to happen. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she handed the baby back to the nurse, who placed him in the NICU. 

"Can you take me back to my room?" Andrea asked the nurse.

The nurse nodded and rolled her back to her room. On getting to the ward, Andrea was surprised to see Gael there.

He cut off his call as his gaze landed on her and asked, "Have you seen the baby?"

She nodded.

Gael dismissed the nurse with a glance.

The nurse left, and when the two of them were alone, Andrea looked at the man who had the same eyes as her husband and asked, "Why did he lie to me? Why didn't he tell me his real name or that he had a family?"

"He did it because he wanted to escape. Not all rich people are happy, Andrea."

"You said he was killed and the same people would come for my son."

"I am certain that it was not an accident. Not too long ago, my grandfather named my brother to be his heir and I am sure that is the reason he was killed."

"His heir? So you are telling me that he was killed because of a company?" Lu Mei asked, finding it hard to believe.

"The Ashford fortune is more than a company. We are talking about billions of dollars, shares worth millions, companies, hotels, resorts and so much more. "

"And all this were going to go to Fa...I mean Henrick. But why not you, since you are the oldest?"

"Unlike my brother who loves business, I am a surgeon."

Andrea nodded and replied "I can run far away with my son."

"Can you really do that? Run far away with that baby and knowing that no justice was done for his father. What about your baby's right? Will you really deny him of these things?"

"You said it yourself—your family is powerful. I'm just an ordinary teacher. Should I go there and demand for my baby's right, only to have them kill him."

"And this is why we must find out who did it. I need to know the person responsible for my brother's death and I need your help for that."

"How....how can I help you?"

"Marry me."