Chapter 255: The Delicate and Weak Julian Forrester

Chapter 255: Chapter 255: The Delicate and Weak Julian Forrester

Sienna Everett froze. Her mind went completely blank, and she remained motionless for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she blinked. Unconvinced, she lifted a hand and rubbed her eyes.

The sight before her didn’t vanish.

The man was still looking at her, his dark lashes lowered, his eyes filled with a soft, lingering tenderness.

"You... you’re awake? Are you really awake?"

Unsure if she was dreaming, Sienna Everett stared blankly at the man before her. She cautiously extended a finger and gave him a tentative poke.

The moment her finger made contact, his warm, dry hand wrapped around it.

Seeing her adorably bewildered expression, a lazy smile touched the corners of Julian Forrester’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, his voice soft. "Sien..."

But as he spoke, he found his vocal cords were so strained he could barely make a sound.

His voice was raspy, as if he hadn’t spoken in ages. "Sienna..."

The moment she felt the unimpeded warmth of his skin against hers, the moment his dry, raspy voice sounded in her ear, Sienna Everett’s heart, which had been floating somewhere high in the clouds, finally settled back into her chest.

Sienna Everett’s eyes welled up as she threw her arms around him in excitement. "You’re finally awake! You’ve been in a coma for seven days!"

In her excitement, she didn’t control her strength and knocked Julian Forrester flat on his back on the hospital bed, drawing a muffled grunt from his throat.

Sienna remembered the injury on his back and scrambled out of his arms, her eyes wide with alarm. "Your wound! Did I put pressure on your back? Does it hurt?"

It did, in fact, hurt a little, but he just shook his head. "It doesn’t hurt."

Julian Forrester sat up slowly, his hand still holding hers. "I was in a coma for seven days?"

In his mind, it felt as if he had been trapped in darkness, lost in a long, deep sleep.

He’d occasionally hear someone call his name and speak to him softly.

That gentle voice was like a beam of light from a distant horizon, tearing through the endless void and pulling him from the unconscious darkness.

"That’s right. You were in a coma for seven days. You never woke up, and everyone was worried sick." Sienna Everett checked the wound on his back. Thankfully, it hadn’t reopened.

Only then did she realize that while she had fallen asleep slumped over the side of the bed, she was now on the bed itself.

"Did you move me onto the bed? When did you wake up?"

Sienna Everett stared at him, not even blinking. No wonder she thought she’d dreamt of a warm embrace holding her.

"Not long ago." Julian Forrester’s voice was still raspy.

When he first emerged from the dim slumber, his consciousness was still hazy. He stared blankly at the white ceiling of the hospital room, his gaze unfocused.

After a while, his thoughts slowly returned. He remembered the moments before he lost consciousness—how Sienna Everett had nearly been crushed by a falling chandelier. He had protected her, but he didn’t know if she’d been hurt.

He frantically looked around. Dawn was just breaking. The faint scent of disinfectant hung in the quiet hospital room.

Suddenly, he sensed a fluffy head resting by his hand. He slowly looked down and saw the girl’s soft, dark hair fanned out, her fair cheek pressed trustingly against his hand.

The girl he longed for was asleep right there, slumped over the side of the bed, without so much as a blanket over her.

He immediately checked her over carefully. Thankfully, she wasn’t injured.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

But seeing Sienna Everett sleeping in such an uncomfortable position by the bed made him frown.

He wanted to move her onto the bed, but having just woken up, his body was weak and he could barely muster any strength. Even the simple act of sitting up felt slow and feeble.

He used to be able to lift her so easily, but now he struggled for some time before he could slowly and carefully move her onto the bed.

"Why were you sleeping slumped over the bed?" Julian Forrester asked, looking at her with disapproval.

Even injured and sick, he didn’t want to see her wearing herself out for his sake.

"I was worried about you!" Sienna Everett blurted out. The gloom and despair of the past few days vanished, replaced by a lively sparkle in her eyes. "See? I stayed right here by your bed, so I was the first one to know you woke up!"

"Oh, right! Don’t move. I’ll get a doctor to come and check on you!"

Sienna Everett immediately got off the bed. Even though Julian Forrester was awake, she couldn’t let her guard down. She had to have a doctor examine him.

Sienna hopped off the bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, she froze.

She pressed her lips together, slowly reached down, and pinched her leg—hard.

"HISS..."

’It hurts. It really hurts!’

Seeing this, Julian Forrester quickly pulled her to him. He ignored his own aching, weak arms and gently rubbed her leg. "Are you being silly?"

A film of moisture filled Sienna Everett’s eyes, but a bright, beautiful smile bloomed on her lips.

She blinked her wet, tear-filled eyes, her voice tight and trembling. "Julian Forrester, this time it’s not a dream. You’re really awake... I dreamt you woke up so many times before, but every time I woke up, you were still just lying here..."

Julian Forrester’s hand, which was rubbing her leg, stilled.

His breath hitched. His heart ached as if it had been stung, a bittersweet pang. Then, a feeling as soft as a dandelion seed head brushing against his skin spread through him, melting him completely.

"Sienna, this isn’t a dream... I’m really awake..."

In response, Sienna Everett threw her arms around him again, hot tears soaking her lashes.

Remembering Julian Forrester’s injuries, Sienna quickly loosened her grip, afraid of accidentally hurting him.

’I can’t help it,’ she thought. ’Right now, Julian Forrester is as delicate and fragile as a flower.’

After hugging him for less than three seconds, Sienna remembered what she needed to do and immediately called for a doctor to examine Julian Forrester.

Then she took out her phone and called the old master, Keith Sterling, and the others to tell them Julian had woken up.

The hospital director, leading several doctors, rushed over, practically out of breath.

Seeing Julian Forrester awake and sitting up in his hospital bed, everyone was overcome with excitement. The hearts that had been lodged in their throats could finally drop back into place.

’Thank God, the man has finally woken up!’

The director’s face broke into the most sincere and joyful smile he’d worn in days. He said excitedly, "Mr. Forrester, we’ll arrange a full physical examination for you right away!"

The series of examinations was rather involved. Sienna, feeling uneasy, stuck by Julian Forrester’s side the entire time, like a knight guarding a delicate flower.

Once the examinations were complete, Sienna helped Flora Forrester sit back down on the hospital bed.

Just then, Samuel Sutton arrived at the hospital, supporting the old master. Keith Sterling and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, were with them.

"Bro!" Seeing his brother finally awake, no longer lying lifeless and unresponsive in the hospital bed, Keith Sterling’s eyes instantly filled with tears that he could no longer hold back.

"Julian..." The old master’s hands were trembling. A spark of light finally returned to his weary, world-worn eyes.

’His grandson was finally awake.’

’Sienna’s care these past few days hadn’t been in vain.’

’The two children would be able to accompany and rely on each other from now on.’

’Even if he were to pass away now, he could do so without any regrets.’