Filed to story: The Billionaire’s Replacement Wife (River & Noah) Novel Online Free
“Sir! Wake up!”
Startled, Axel leaped out of his chair and rushed downstairs
Once Axel saw Noah unconscious on the floor, his face turned pale.
He anxiously asked the maid, “What’s going on?”
The worried maid replied, “Mr. De Marco Jr., Mr. De Marco fainted due to a high fever!”
Axel clenched his lips, trying to stay composed. “Fetch the family doctor.”
“Of course, right away.”
“Wait.”
Unexpectedly, Noah spoke up and unsteadily rose from the floor.
“No need for a doctor. Just leave me alone!” He then turned to Axel and commanded, ‘Go back to bed!”
Axel mustered his courage to protest, “You need to see the doctor!”
The maid also attempted to persuade Noah. “Sir, perhaps you should go to the hospital instead.”
Noah lost his patience and shouted, “Take him back to his room!”
Axel clenched his fists. Seeing this, the maid immediately offered, “Mr. De Marco Jr., let me escort you upstairs, okay?”
Helplessly and sadly, Axel turned to leave when he noticed Noah’s cold and tense expression.
Back in his room, he continued watching the surveillance footage.
Seeing Noah back on the sofa and drinking more wine, Axel decided to call River.
His mother was his only hope because he couldn’t bear to watch his father harm himself any longer.
When Axel’s call came in, River had just finished tucking the two children into bed.
She picked up the phone and asked, “Axel, what’s wrong?”
Axel clutched his clothes and stammered, “Mommy, I need your help.”
River’s heart skipped a beat as she sensed the urgency in Axel’s voice. “What happened? Tell me.”
“Daddy is hurt. His forehead is bleeding, and he has a high fever. But he won’t listen and refuses to see the doctor.”
“Is it serious?” River asked with growing concern
“Yes,” Axel replied
Upon hearing the distress in her son’s voice, River’s heart ached She knew Draco was responsible for Noah’s condition.
She took a deep breath and reassured Axel, “Alright, stay calm. I’m on my way.”
“Okay.”
After ending the call, River hurried to Villa Rosa with Freyn.
Axel was waiting in the living room and pointed toward the lounge.
River nodded, approached the living room, and told Axel, “Go to bed. Let me handle this.”
Axel lowered his head, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Memmy. I didn’t know what else to do.”
River gently ruffled his hair. It’s okay. Just go.”
With Axel upstairs, River braced herself and entered the living room.
Inside, she was greeted by the overpowering scent of wine and smoke. She spotted Noah sitting on the sofa, his face pale and his eyes closed.
River immediately instructed Freya, “Please check his temperature and prescribe some medicine.”
Freya nodded, went forward, and checked Noah’s temperature with a laser thermometer.
His current temperature was 40°C.
Freya frowned and suggested, “It’s better to give him an injection. It’ll cool him down faster.”
However, River shook her head. “No, just give me the pills”
She knew that Noah never accepted injections.
Once, he had fainted due to a severe fever. The doctor arrived to administer an infusion, but he removed it after waking up
He always behaved that way, so it was better not to go into so much trouble.
Freya asked, “Should I handle his injuries, too?”
“Do they need stitches?” River asked.
Freya shook her head. “No, that’s unnecessary.”
As she spoke, she retrieved the medicine from her medical kit. “This is the antipyretic. He can take it despite having had wine.
“Tell him to take one every four hours but stop once his fever subsides. He can also have these anti
-inflammatory pills, but only once a day. I’ll leave the pills here. Call me if any issues arise.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Once Freya departed, River retrieved the antiseptic cream and cotton balls. As she touched his forehead injury, he suddenly opened his byes.
Unexpectedly, he chuckled bitterly upon seeing her. “I must be seeing things now.”
River’s hands tensed as complex emotions overwhelmed her.
“Noah, take the pills since you’re awake,” River said indifferently, suppressing her feelings.
He opened his eyes again when he heard her voice.
Now, he could truly sense her presence.
He looked downward and weakly asked, “What are you doing here?”
River was tending to his forehead injuries. “I came because I heard someone was attempting suicide. After all, I’m the cause of this.”
Noah sneered. “I’m not planning to end my life.”
With that, he pushed her away and rose to his feet, heading for the door.
Annoyed, she watched his retreating figure. She then picked up the medical kit and followed him.
River trailed him into the room before he turned to her, asking coldly. “Why are you following me? Aren’t you afraid I might take advantage of you?”
River met his gaze with calmness. “You seem fine now. I’ll leave then.”
With that, she handed him the medical kit and turned to leave. However, a dull sound echoed behind her before she reached the top of the stairs. Her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed back to him.
Noah lay on the floor, frowning deeply.
Seeing this, she rushed to his side “Noah?”
Noah didn’t respond, and his face was deathly pale.
Helplessly, River did her best to help him back to bed.
After cleaning and tending to his forehead injuries, she applied gauze to them and unbuttoned his shirt.
Upon seeing the bloodstained wounds on his body, she was stunned. Her hands trembled as she worked on the last button of his shirt.
His fair skin bore numerous bloody, crisscrossing marks, clearly the result of a beating with a stick.
River couldn’t help but shiver, thinking, ‘How much pain did he endure? Was it because of the fight with Casey? How did he manage to come home and hide his pain when he went upstairs?”
Suppressing her sorrow, she removed his shirt and went to the bathroom to soak it in water. The blood quickly began to spread.
She hadn’t noticed the smell earlier due to the smoke.
Enduring her grief, she fetched warm water and carefully wiped his body. Then, she gently applied antiseptic cream to his wounds.
Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and furrowed his brow while sleep–talking. “Don’t go…”
River pursed her lips tightly and quietly.
“River… Don’t leave me… It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have done that to you. Don’t go… I’m sorry…
River’s heart beat wildly because of his words. She had waited for his apology for so many years.
Her eyes turned red as she cried.
It had been such a long time, but she still could not bear to forget about him