The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 525

It was well past midnight by the time Winona finally closed her laptop and stepped out of the bedroom to grab a glass of water. She glanced at the clock—12:30 AM.

Stefan had flown to the Capital that morning for back-to-back meetings, and she had no idea when he'd be back.

Just as she took a sip, the electronic lock on the front door chimed. Stefan walked in, his black trench coat draped over his arm. The temperature in the Capital was a good twenty degrees colder than in Riverton, and the relentless cross-country flights over the past few weeks had clearly taken a toll. He looked dead on his feet.

"Why are you still up?" he asked, toeing off his shoes and walking toward her.

Winona poured a second glass of warm water and handed it to him. "You should have just stayed at a hotel in the Capital tonight. Why put yourself through this commute?"

"I caught a nap on the plane. I'm fine," he said, taking a long drink. "Besides, I wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing you were here alone."

Winona caught the raspy edge in his voice. "Are you getting sick?"

His throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper, but he brushed it off. "I'm fine."

She reached up, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead, and immediately frowned. "Stefan, you're burning up."

She practically ordered him into the bedroom to change into comfortable clothes while she fetched the digital thermometer.

"103 degrees," she announced grimly. "Take this. If your fever doesn't break soon, we're going to the ER."

She handed him ibuprofen and a glass of water. Stefan wanted to argue that he just needed sleep, but two straight weeks of hundred-hour work weeks and endless flights had finally caught up with him. He barely swallowed the pills before his eyes slid shut, completely knocked out.

Winona didn't dare sleep. She stayed by his side, checking his temperature every thirty minutes.

By 2:00 AM, the thermometer flashed 104 degrees.

Panic flared. She immediately called Ezra and Waldo Vane to help her get him to the hospital.

After a battery of tests, Stefan was admitted to a VIP suite and hooked up to an IV drip.

"Ma'am, you have work in the morning," Ezra said quietly. "Why don't you head home and get some sleep? I can stay with Mr. Goddard."

"No," Winona said firmly. "I'm staying."

There was a small cot in the corner of the suite. She lay down but set her alarm to vibrate every thirty minutes so she could monitor his IV and temperature.

At 8:30 AM, she was jolted awake by a ringing phone. It was Stefan's.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify