The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 855

She looked so peaceful and lovely in her sleep, her beautiful face slightly squished against the bed, her lips formed in a small pout.

Jamison smiled, overcome with the urge to free his hand and gently stroke her cheek, but he didn't want to wake her.

He thought back to how they had met, marveling at the strange path their lives had taken. Over the years, both at home and abroad, he had met countless accomplished women—young, beautiful, intelligent, and successful. Yet none of them had ever captured his attention so completely.

Even his brief infatuation with Davina paled in comparison to the soul-deep connection he felt with Ivy.

He couldn't explain it.

Perhaps that was the hallmark of true love—an attraction that defied reason.

He lay there in silence for what felt like an eternity, until the door creaked open.

Jamison looked up to see the caregiver entering the room.

Seeing him awake, the woman gasped softly. "Mr.—"

"Shh!" Jamison quickly motioned for her to be quiet, but it was too late.

The sound startled Ivy awake. Her eyes snapped open, and when they met Jamison's, her face lit up with joy. She sat up straight. "You're awake! How long have you been up? Why didn't you wake me? I was just going to close my eyes for a minute, but I must have fallen asleep!"

In her excitement, she stood up and turned to the caregiver. "Could you please get the doctor?"

"Of course, Mrs. Ludwig," the woman replied with a smile before slipping out of the room.

Ivy turned back, her eyes shining as she looked at her husband.

Jamison reached for her hand and pulled her closer. "Did you get enough sleep?" he asked gently. "If you're still tired, you should use the other bed. Sleeping like that can't be comfortable."

The VIP room was equipped with a second bed for family members staying overnight.

Ivy sat down in the chair, clasping his hand with both of hers. "I'm fine. I slept for a couple of hours. Any more and I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"Alright."

"How are you feeling? Does the incision hurt? The doctor said it would be painful once the anesthetic wore off," she asked, her eyes moist with happy tears, a flood of questions on her lips.

"It hurts a little, but it's manageable," he replied. As a doctor himself, he was well aware of the post-operative recovery process.

Before they could say more, the door opened again, and a group of four or five doctors in white coats filed in.

"Jamison, you're awake sooner than we expected. How are you feeling?"

"Were you just updating everyone?"

"Yes. Thad, Davina, Naylor, and Katrina waited all morning until your surgery was over. They went out for lunch and even brought some back for me. You were still asleep then, so I sent them on their way. Now that you're awake, I had to let them know."

Ivy's voice was soft and gentle.

The serious illness had changed them both, bringing out a newfound patience and tenderness, a deeper appreciation for one another.

Jamison nodded. "See, it was the right decision not to make this public. Otherwise, we'd be inundated with visitors, and you'd have to deal with all of them."

Given the Ludwig family's status, news of his illness would have undoubtedly led to a constant stream of well-wishers, which would have been exhausting.

"You're right," Ivy agreed, pressing his hand to her cheek with a soft sigh. "I just wish you would get better quickly…"

"Don't worry. I just had a detailed talk with Director Wylde. The surgery was a success, and they got all of the diseased tissue. Now we just have to wait for the pathology report. If the results are good, the chance of recurrence will be low."

Ivy frowned. "And what if… what if the results aren't good?"

"If we're really that unlucky," Jamison said with a faint smile, a look of someone who had made peace with his own mortality, "then we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."