Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 844

Elysia's voice broke mid-shout, suddenly going silent.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by her emotions, she fainted.

Tarquin, panicked, quickly scooped her up in his arms and hurried to his car.

Once they were in the car, he fired up the engine, cranking the heater up to full blast before wrapping her tightly in a blanket he grabbed from the trunk.

Then he rushed back to the driver's seat and drove her straight to the hospital.

He wasn't worried about Axel. Axel knew how to handle himself without getting into trouble.

As for settling scores with Keith, that could wait until Elysia was safe and sound. Right now, he'd love nothing more than to get his hands on Keith, but Elysia came first, always.

He arrived at the nearest hospital with Elysia, and it took nearly an hour to get her settled.

By the time Axel showed up, Elysia was already receiving IV fluids.

She was dressed in a clean hospital gown, her eyes closed, a frown creasing her forehead, her breathing uneven - clearly shaken up by the recent events.

Tarquin sat beside her, cradling one of her hands in both of his, pressing it to his lips, eyes red as he watched over her.

His clothes were still drenched, dripping water onto the floor.

The nurse, noticing Axel's gaze lingering on Tarquin, chimed in, "You're his friend, right? Please convince him to change. He could catch a cold. We've tried, but he won't listen. He won't leave his wife's side for even a second. Talk about true love."

Axel nodded politely without saying a word and entered the room.

"Go take a shower and change. I'll stay with her," he offered.

Tarquin turned to him and asked, "What about Keith?"

"He got away."

"Spirit Village?"

Tarquin exhaled heavily, "It was my mom's dream to create a paradise where she could retire. If things had gone differently, Keith might have helped her realize that dream. I suspect he's keeping the treasure there, in Spirit Village!"

Spirit Village was a place Tarquin had only pieced together today.

He remembered Elizabeth's dream vividly; she had spoken of it often. A tranquil haven for her retirement years.

But until now, he had no idea she had already picked out the spot.

Had he known sooner, he would have brought Spirit Village to life for her.

In the recent days, while searching for the treasure, he had been scouring maps for beautiful, secluded villages.

It was only today, as Keith attempted to flee by water with Elysia, that he stumbled upon the name Spirit Village on the map.