Chapter 729

As she spoke, Camillie struggled out of bed, hastily threw on a coat, and hobbled urgently toward the door with her cane. Rory didn’t even wait for her father, who still hadn’t emerged from his study, before rushing after the arriving medical staff and her grandmother into the ambulance. By the time the doctor arrived, Aaliyah’s water had already broken. At the hospital, after examining her, the doctor glanced at Camillie and Rory and handed them a stack of documents. "The amniotic fluid is insufficient. We need to perform an emergency C-section immediately, or the baby will be at risk." Without hesitation, Camillie snatched the consent form and signed it in quick, decisive strokes. As she handed it back, her trembling fingers clutched the doctor’s wrist. "Doctor, if anything goes wrong during the surgery, don’t waste time consulting us just save the baby. That’s the Brown family’s only grandson." The doctor had little patience for families who prioritized the child over the mother. Hearing that last remark which also implied they’d illegally determined the baby’s gender only deepened his disgust. "The surgeon will do everything possible to protect both mother and child. In an emergency, we’ll make the best medical decision we can. That’s all outlined in the consent form you just signed." As he walked away with the signed documents, he muttered under his breath, "The Brown family’s 'only grandson'? What, do they think they’re royalty passing down a throne?" Camillie, hard of hearing in her old age, missed the jab but Rory caught every word. A shadow flickered in her eyes. No, the Brown family had no throne but they did have hundreds of millions in assets. And every last cent would be hers. As for the bastard still in Aaliyah’s belly? Just a stepping stone. And Cayden? All his hard work meant nothing. In the end, his fortune would belong to her too. —— That night, Jane slept soundly in her sister’s arms, warm and content. The next morning, Jane rubbed her chubby little hands over her sleepy eyes, barely awake, only to meet her sister's droopy, somewhat resentful gaze. Startled, Jane sat up in bed, her voice still husky from sleep as she asked nervously, "Sis, what's wrong?" Mina immediately pulled up the front of her pajama top for Jane to see. "Look at this yourself!" Jane's face instantly flushed crimson when she saw the large damp patch on her sister's pajamas clearly from her own drool. Embarrassed, she wiped the remaining saliva from the corner of her mouth and gave an awkward chuckle. "Sorry, sis... I'll buy you a new bunny pajama set, okay?" "No!" Mina flatly refused, her face stern. Pouting her pink, petal-soft lips, Jane mumbled pitifully, "Then what do you want me to do?" "Get up now, wash up, and get dressed. I'm going to tell Big Brother to take you to the hospital for a checkup today," Mina announced matter-of-factly. Jane blinked her big, obsidian-like eyes in confusion. "A checkup? For what?" "You drool every night when you sleep. I just looked it up online, and it said it might be some kind of... neural regulation disorder or something. So we need to get you checked out ASAP. If there's any nerve that hasn't developed properly, early detection means early treatment." With that, Mina patted her pajama pants and strode out of Jane's room, head held high. Jane stared blankly at her sister's retreating figure, her adorable face frozen in shock. When the realization finally hit, her expression crumpled. Her sister actually went online to ask if nighttime drooling meant she was sick? Neural regulation disorder?! Everyone knows those online diagnoses always jump straight to cancer didn't her sister realize that? Since when is drooling a medical condition? Kids always drool in their sleep! Jane wasn’t too bothered by her drooling habit aside from feeling a tad embarrassed, she never once considered it might be a sign of illness. But John was a different story. The moment Mina mentioned it to him, John took the matter with utmost seriousness. Without hesitation, he strode into Jane’s room with Mina, scooped the little girl into his arms, and headed downstairs. By the time they reached the first floor, William had already packed Little Jane’s breakfast and handed it to John. Mina eagerly snatched the breakfast bag, putting on her most responsible face as she declared, "Big Brother, you just focus on carrying Jane. I’ll handle her breakfast!" John knew full well this was just Mina’s excuse to skip school, but given her recent academic improvements, he let it slide. Turning to Jane, he said gently, "Jane, your sister’s bringing your breakfast along. We’ll head to the hospital first for a checkup, and then you can eat, okay?" Jane: "…" Suddenly, she understood exactly how Bryan had felt during his last forced medical exam. Plump little hands cupped John’s face as her big, obsidian eyes shiny like chilled grapes locked onto his. "Big Brother, drooling is just like kids wetting the bed. It’s totally normal! We really don’t need to go to the hospital." As he settled her into the car, John patiently explained, "Jane, your sister’s right about this. Nighttime drooling could indicate neural regulation issues. And bedwetting might sometimes signal hidden spinal problems it’s not always harmless." Then, struck by sudden realization, he studied her seriously. "Jane… do you still wet the bed?" Jane: (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ She had an idol image to maintain! How could Big Brother suspect her of something as mortifying as wetting the bed at her age? Besides, she had the soul of a twenty-eight-year-old inside her didn’t she deserve some dignity? Her tiny face flushed crimson with embarrassment as she declared with utmost seriousness, "Big Brother, I don’t wet the bed! I stopped doing that when I was two!" John watched her rare moment of flustered indignation, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. When Jane got all worked up like this, she was absolutely adorable!