At that moment, the phone she had hidden under the blanket vibrated and fell to the floor, landing right beside her hand.
Mia struggled to pick up the phone, answered it, and held it to her ear. Daniel's excited voice came through the line: "Mia, I have great news for you. If you're free, can we meet? This is huge for you."
"Ah!" A sharp, unpleasant sound, like tearing fabric. It was painful. She needed to get to the hospital.
Mia gripped the phone with both hands, too rushed to hang up. She quickly typed a message to Jennifer: "Mom, come back quickly and take me to the hospital."
"What's wrong, Mia? Are you just too excited, wanting to know what the good news is? I'm telling you, Mia, your voice can be healed. You still have a chance to speak again." Daniel continued cheerfully, unaware of the situation, until he heard Mia's painful groan.
"Mia, what happened?" Daniel asked anxiously, knowing full well that he wouldn't hear an answer.
His concern for Mia wasn't just because he was moved by the news of her hardships; it was also driven by his desperate desire to heal her voice. He knew she wasn't born mute.
He had once been Mia's admirer, a skilled doctor, confident in his ability to cure her condition.
Jennifer called Mia, but the line was busy. She tried calling Lambert, but couldn't reach him. She had no choice but to leave everything behind and head to Lambert's villa.
Outside the villa, Jennifer ran into Daniel, who had hurried there. She shot him a cold look and asked, "What are you doing here? Did Mia ask you to come?"
When she called Mia, the line was already in use—Mia must have been calling Daniel at that moment.
Daniel lowered his head in silence. Jennifer, worried about the child, didn't want to argue with him.
She led Daniel into Lambert's villa.
"Where's Lambert?" she asked the servant as she climbed the stairs. "Mia is this far along, and he's still out? Can't he spend more time taking care of her?"
She intentionally made this remark for Daniel's benefit, to let him know that Mia wasn't doing well at all.
Jennifer had noticed Daniel's concern for Mia. Once the child was born, she planned to accuse Mia of an improper relationship, kick her out of the Wenshte Family, and shatter Lambert's dream of using QIY. After that, she would strike against QIY and easily take control of it.
"The young master had to leave suddenly. He was with the young madam when he left, and she was fine then. We don't know why she suddenly started having stomach pains. If you hadn't called, we wouldn't have known. An ambulance is on the way, and the young madam is already feeling better, so don't worry too much," the servant said, trembling as he followed Jennifer.
Hiding the unfair treatment Mia had received at home was a dangerous move. After all, the madam cared deeply for the young lady and her unborn child. The old master was also waiting for the birth of his great-grandchild in the hospital.
The bedroom door opened, and Jennifer saw the weakened Mia lying in bed. She pushed Daniel forward and said, "You're a doctor. You should check if there's anything wrong with the baby."
Daniel did a brief examination. "The baby's fine. Mia's appetite and sleep have been poor lately. Her body's weakness is causing some fetal movement."
Not long after, the ambulance arrived, and Jennifer and Daniel rushed Mia to the hospital.
After a full body check-up, it was confirmed that both Mia and the baby were fine. Jennifer let out a sigh of relief and arranged for the best hospital room—just like home, with no unpleasant smells.
"Didn't I tell you to call me as soon as anything happens? I was really worried," Jennifer scolded gently, taking Mia's hand.
Thankfully, it was nothing serious.
"I'm fine, Mom. I'm sorry to worry you." Mia typed a message on her phone, wondering if this was the right opportunity not to go home. But after thinking it over, she decided to keep that thought to herself.
She had a huge misunderstanding with Lambert, and she needed to find a chance to clear it up.
He had been too emotional today, acting impulsively and hurting her, but she had clearly seen the regret in his eyes afterward.
Jennifer opened her mouth to speak, but just then her phone rang—it was a call from a client. She quickly stepped outside to take the call in a quieter hallway.
Daniel closed the door to the hospital room. "Mia, why don't you move out? Take this chance to stay in the hospital and don't go back. You can rest properly and have initial treatment for your voice. Staying in the hospital is more convenient."
Mia shook her head: "Moving out would harm Lambert's reputation. I don't want him to be distracted because of me. Everything's fine at home."
In truth, it wasn't fine at all. Her activities were limited to her bedroom, and she often became lost in thought. But this was better for Lambert.
He had said he would divorce her after the baby was born, and if their misunderstanding wasn't resolved, their relationship and marriage would truly be over.
"You said my voice could be healed. How long do you think it will take?" She typed, her hope reflected in the words.
The day she could speak again, she would tell Lambert that she was the little girl he had vowed to protect all those years ago.
"It will take at least a year and a half," Daniel answered gently, not wanting to directly mention her muteness. "Do you remember how you lost your voice?"
Mia lowered her gaze and gestured: "When I was young, I had a high fever from an illness. After taking some medicine and sleeping, I woke up unable to speak. The fever lasted for three days, and that's when my body started to break down."
She vividly remembered the numerous medications and IV drips. She stayed in the hospital for a month before being discharged.
When she got home, a new sister, Hannah, had joined the family, and her father's attitude toward her changed drastically, from being doting to distant and cold.
Now, she understood: since then, Julie had been whispering in William's ear, sowing discord to destroy their father-daughter relationship in order to secure wealth and the QIY assets for herself and Hannah.
Her muteness was likely connected to Julie, though she couldn't prove it yet.
"Don't tell anyone that my muteness can be cured," Mia thought for a moment, then typed the message and showed it to Daniel.
Her flushed cheeks were like peach blossoms in full bloom, pure yet striking, though her lips were pale and her exhaustion evident. Once she regained her health, she would need proper rest.
Daniel was momentarily distracted, then finally answered her: "Don't worry, Mia. I won't tell anyone. I'll make sure to heal you."
The door creaked open, and Jennifer walked in, asking, "What exactly can you cure?"
Both Daniel and Mia sucked in a breath. Had Jennifer been listening outside?
"Of course, He can cure her emotional pain." The cold voice of Lambert suddenly echoed from the doorway.
"Lambert, you're just in time. I need to talk to you. Let's have Mia stay in the hospital. It'll be easier to monitor her condition now that she's further along. You're often not home, and with your leg, it's hard to take care of her properly. What if something happens? You won't be able to take her to the hospital."
She was openly mocking Lambert for being a cripple.
"Let her be. The company's in trouble. Aren't you going to check on it?" Lambert spoke with a slight sneer, shutting Jennifer up with a single sentence.
"What happened?" she asked urgently.