Chapter 337
Alexa’s mind screamed absolutely not, but her voice betrayed her. “Fine. Let’s go see your grandmother.”
Riley’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected Valerie’s advice to work so well. Play the victim, stay humble, and people who didn’t know the full story would side with you.
And being a kid made it even easier to win sympathy.
“I knew it, Alexa. You still care about Lillian deep down…” Valerie chimed in, walking on one side of Riley while Alexa took the other. The two of them flanked Alexa like they were escorting a prisoner, piling into a taxi and heading straight to the hospital.
Before they even reached the room, raised voices could already be heard from down the hall.
“Can’t you just hold it in for a second? I just changed your pants and now you’ve gone and peed again! What do you need, eight pairs a day? Might as well go without them!”
Next to Lillian’s hospital bed was a small plastic stool. On it sat a basin filled with freshly cleaned waste.
Bess Harper, the caregiver, had only just finished getting Lillian into clean clothes when she’d wet herself again.
Both pairs of pants Wyatt had brought were already soaked. With nothing else left, Lillian was now lying there uncovered from the waist down.
Bess slipped an absorbent pad under her, then gave her thigh a sharp smack while pulling up the blanket. “Give me a heads–up next time, would you?”
The slap wasn’t hard, but it echoed loudly through the room.
The patient in the next bed turned their head, watching with a look that was hard to read.
Bess didn’t seem to care. She picked up the basin and walked off toward the bathroom.
“Grandma!” Riley rushed to the bed and grabbed Lillian’s hand. “Mom came to see you!”
“You’re already here, Alexa,” Valerie said, giving her a gentle push forward. “Might as well say something. Lillian, see? Alexa came running the second she heard you were in the hospital!”
Lillian’s face was still flushed with shame, but when she saw Alexa, her expression changed. It was like seeing a lifeline.
Wyatt had a steady job, but without any under–the–table income, his salary didn’t stretch far. The family had been relying heavily on Alexa and her side of the family to stay afloat.
John was still in prison, and Clayton could barely keep himself together. If Wyatt and Alexa split up, the entire Patel family would collapse.
“Alex…” Lillian tried to lift a trembling hand toward her daughter–in–law.
Alexa looked at her coldly, saying nothing.
The hope in Lillian’s eyes faded fast. A tear slid down her cheek.
Bess returned from the bathroom and saw the crowd around the bed. After a quick check, she realized these were Lillian’s daughters–in–law and granddaughter.
“You all talk. I’ll go get some hot water.”
“I’ll do it!” Valerie quickly snatched up the thermos. She smiled at Bess and said, “I’m taking my niece to Ashbourne tomorrow, so if anything comes up, just talk to Alexa.”
She made her exit quickly, eager to hand responsibility off to Alexa once and for all. Once Bess saw Alexa as the point of contact, there’d be no backing
Chapter 337
out.
Alexa knew exactly what Valerie was up to. Once Valerie was gone, she turned to Bess. “I need to use the restroom
Riley made a move to follow, but Bess stopped her.
“Why don’t you stay and chat with your grandma? I need to rinse out these pants.”
Alexa followed Valerie at a distance. She watched as Valerie strolled ahead, swinging the empty thermos, humming a tune. One hand dipped casually into her coat pocket, her whole posture smug and self–satisfied.
Valerie had no idea Alexa was right behind her. At the sink, she set the thermos under the faucet and started scrolling through her phone. When a dance video popped up, she even swayed a little in time to the music.
Once the thermos was full, she slipped the phone into her pocket, tapped her water card, and lifted the kettle.
But as she turned to leave, Alexa pulled a small handful of beans from her pocket. She stumbled forward slightly, just enough to look natural, and scattered the beans across the floor,
Valerie spotted them a second too late. Her foot landed right on top.
The thermos slipped from her hand, crashing to the floor. It shattered instantly, boiling water spraying out in all directions.
Valerie screamed as the hot water hit her foot. Then she lost her balance and fell, her knees slamming down onto the jagged pieces of the broken
thermos.
Valerie’s piercing scream brought a swarm of hospital staff rushing down the corridor.
As they lifted her onto a gurney, she twisted around to glare at Alexa, her eyes blazing with fury.
She thought bitterly, ‘You bitch! You’ll pay for this. Just wait!”
Alexa stood by with a radiant smile, not the least bit flustered. “Oh Vally, dancing around with a kettle? Who knew graceful moves came with such a price?”
Valerie was taken to the ER for treatment. Through gritted teeth, she swore she’d call the police, sue Alexa, and ruin her life.
But deep down, she knew she couldn’t. She wasn’t even supposed to be in Ironhaven. Her parole strictly forbade her from leaving her registered zone, and getting the cops involved would only bring her own violations to light.
Riley, oblivious to the real story, was outraged. Determined to get justice, she marched down to the local station and came back dragging a police officer
with her.
Alexa laughed out loud when she saw them. Valerie, watching from her hospital bed, nearly choked on rage.
Two weeks later, the vacation came to an end.
Most of the group flew directly to Ashbourne, but Yann took a detour and accompanied Audrey back to Ironhaven.
The east wing of the city hospital was nearing completion, and Earl was hosting a welcome dinner, ostensibly to honor Yann, but really potential donors.
Once he heard Audrey would be attending, he assigned a few female staffers to accompany her.
niff around for
Ironhaven’s October weather was fickle. It was still warm enough for short sleeves at noon, but the temperature dropped fast once the sun dipped. Audrey dressed accordingly, draped in a soft, pale cashmere coat and a bright silk scarf knotted loosely around her neck, hiding the faint bruise left by
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Chapter 337
Yann’s lips.
Earl squinted across the table at her, convinced she looked familiar but unable to place her.
It wasn’t until after dinner, once the guests had left, that his secretary leaned in and murmured discreetly, “She’s Mr. Winifred’s wife. Used to be that executive assistant at Stride Commerce.”
“Ohh… Ms. Henderson. No wonder she looked familiar.“.
Later, as the Maybach pulled up to Royal House, Audrey spotted a familiar figure pacing nervously outside the gates.
The man saw the car approaching and quickly stepped aside, positioning himself near the path.
“Wait,” she said, tapping the back of the driver’s seat.
The car slowed, the tinted window rolled down, and she called out, “Paul?”
He looked almost unrecognizable, hair neatly combed, clean–shaven, and dressed in a stiff charcoal suit instead of his usual zip–up jacket.
Audrey gave him a quick, amused once–over. “You heading to a date?”
Paul beamed, bent slightly to peer into the car, and caught a glimpse of Yann’s face inside. He nearly lost his composure.
‘That’s him. Finally!‘ he thought.
With a tone that practically dripped with flattery, he said, “Ms. Henderson, been a while! I came by to update you on the progress.”
Audrey snorted. She knew full well he was using work as an excuse to meet Yann.
She glanced at Yann, who had already reached over to take her hand. After a brief moment of eye contact and a subtle nod from him, she turned back to Paul. “Alright. Come inside.”
“Absolutely!” Paul hopped into his own car and followed the Maybach through the iron gates of Royal House.
Inside, Zoe welcomed Audrey with a smile that practically reached her ears until Audrey took off her coat.
The smile froze midair. Zoe’s eyes dropped to Audrey’s belly, now noticeably rounded.
“Mrs. Winifred…”
Audrey ran a hand across the curve of her stomach and then leaned in and whispered with a grin, “Triplets. Just passed the four–month mark.”
“Oh my God! Congratulations!” Zoe blinked and then abruptly turned away to wipe at her eyes.
She’d watched Audrey fight her way through so much. To see her now, glowing and fulfilled, was overwhelming.
Tiffany had come in behind Paul, smiling warmly at Audrey but keeping her distance. Yann’s presence was intense. He stood close to Audrey, quiet but unmistakably protective, and that alone was enough to make Tiffany tread carefully.
“Shall we go to the study?” Yann asked Audrey softly.
She glanced at Paul. “No need. We’ll talk in the library. You’ve got that video call coming up. Go on. I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t wear yourself out,” he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before heading upstairs
The moment he was gone, the stiffness in Paul’s shoulders melted away and he dropped onto the armchair opposite Audrey.
