Chapter 1307


    After all, that was his daughter.


    “What about me, Daddy? What about me?” With his hand held by Natalie, Connor raised his head to


    regard his father.


    Shane lowered his head and smiled. “I''ll always protect you too.”


    And Anders as well.


    Aside from Natalie, his children were the ones who were most near and dear to him in this world.


    Hence, he would stake everything in their care and protection.


    Delighted at what Shane said, the two children reacted boisterously and filled the entire dining room


    with the sound of their joyousughter.


    Mrs. Wilson feltforted just observing by the side.


    “All right. That''s enough. Connor, Sharon, stop pestering your father and get started on your food


    already. Your father hasn''t gotten to eat yet,” Natalie hastened to say in response to the trio''s


    tomfoolery.


    Connor obediently relinquished his hold on Shane''s legs. Sharon, too, allowed Shane to set her down.


    After he patted Sharon on the head, Shane put her on her feet. Then, taking each child by the hand on


    either side, he made his way toward the dining table.


    Meanwhile, Jackson was at the hospital. He had justpleted an operation and was walking out of


    the operating theater when a nurse came up to him with his cell phone. “Your phone rang earlier, Dr.


    Baker. It was a call from someone named Ss.”


    With that, the nurse passed the phone along to Jackson who received it gratefully. “Thank you. You


    should go on ahead and get back to your work.”


    The nurse responded with an affirmative nod before turning to depart.


    Once he had gathered himself, Jackson''s expression grew solemn.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Why did Ss suddenly call me, and at night, at that? Could it be that something has happened to


    Jacqueline?


    Shane surely would not have gotten Ss to reach out to me if it did not concern Jacqueline, because


    apart from that, there''s nothing else left to be said between us.


    That thought drove Jackson to pull up Ss'' number and dial it.


    Ss picked up promptly the moment the call connected as he had been waiting for his counterpart to


    get back to him. “Dr. Baker.”


    “Do you have something for me?” Jackson asked while he made his way back to his own consultation


    room.


    On the other end of the line, there was a lengthy pause before Ss spoke up, “There is something you


    need to know, Dr. Baker, and please prepare yourself mentally for what I''m about to say.”


    Jackson stopped in his tracks when he heard that as he felt turbulent inside. “Prepare myself mentally?


    What exactly are you trying to tell me?”


    Ss took in a deep breath before he replied, “Mr. Shane wanted me to inform you that Ms. Graham is


    dead.”


    The entire world seemed to have gonepletely silent for Jackson when he heard that.


    His expression froze in ce as though he had his own soul drained away. The fingers he had around


    the phone loosened involuntarily, causing the device in his hand to slip and fall to the floor with a


    tter.


    Picking up on that sound, Ss called out swiftly, “Dr. Baker? Dr. Baker?”


    That elicited no response from Jackson, who continued to stand rooted to the spot, looking shocked


    and dibobted.


    Jacqueline... is dead...


    It took Jackson a while to process what Ss had just told him. Jacqueline... Jacqueline is dead!


    His body wobbled before his knees buckled beneath him. Jackson kneeled on the floor with his head in


    his hands, howling in gut-wrenching agony, “Ahhh!”


    Evidently, that was not an oue he was able toe to terms with.


    Although he understood that a tragic end was inevitable for Jacqueline and had worked on psyching


    himself up for the eventuality, he had not expected that day to arrive that soon. It came so abruptly that


    he had yet to let go of his feelings for her—he was not ready for this.


    Quivering all over, Jackson''s tears came in torrents.


    Concerned, the nurses close by hurried over to check on him. “What''s the matter, Dr. Baker? Are you


    all right?”


    Jackson did not respond to any of their queries but reached out to grope for the phone on the floor.


    After he got his trembling hands on it, he put it to his ear and asked in a shaky voice, “Tell me that this


    isn''t true, Ss. You must be lying to me, am I right? Jacqueline''s not really dead, is she?”