Chapter 144
Willow's mind was still in chaos when she returned to the hospital. During dinner, she picked at her food, clearly distracted.
Maria noticed her granddaughter's unusual behavior and waited for her to speak up. When Willow remained silent, she finally asked, "What's wrong? Weren't you looking at apartments with Molly? Did you not like any of them?"
Willow snapped back to reality and shook her head.
"If you're not satisfied, you can stay here with me," Maria suggested. "The environment is quite nice. We can look for a place after I'm discharged."
Willow smiled obediently. "That was my plan too." She had initially considered Blake's apartment based on Molly's recommendation, but after Sterling's confession today, she'd backed away from the idea.
"Am I costing too much staying in such a nice hospital?" Maria asked, suddenly concerned. The previous hospital had been expensive too, but Charles had helped cover those costs. Now that Willow was divorcing him, Maria worried about becoming a burden.
"Don't worry about money," Willow reassured her. "When Charles and I divorced, I received a settlement. It's enough to cover your treatment." She hated lying, but didn't want Maria to worry.
Maria relaxed, satisfied with the explanation. Divorce settlements were perfectly normal, after all.
"Grandma," Willow said, thinking about the silver locket she'd seen in Sterling's drawer. "Do you know how the Brown family found Gloria? How did they confirm she was their missing child?"
Maria thought for a moment. "I'm afraid only Valerie and Gloria would know that. They're the ones who brought the Brown family into the picture."
"Why do you ask?" Maria looked puzzled. "What made you think of that now?"
Willow shook her head. "It's nothing." She was probably overthinking things. She was definitely the Spencer family's biological daughter—there could be no mistake about that. The silver locket had been left to her by her mother before she died. It didn't prove anything unusual.
After dinner, Willow was heading back to her room when she received a call from the resort staff. Everything had been arranged for the weekend. They wanted her to bring Maria then, and medical staff would accompany them.
Willow didn't want to accept any more favors from Sterling and tried to decline, but the caller mentioned that doctors had already been scheduled. She only needed to accompany Maria—they gave her no opportunity to refuse.
Maria had overheard parts of the conversation. "Was that about what Ster mentioned before?"
Willow nodded.
"Will Ster be there too?" Maria immediately asked.
Already unsettled by thoughts of Sterling, Willow felt even more conflicted seeing how much Maria liked him. "He... might not be. He's very busy with work." She couldn't bring herself to say more. Once Maria learned Sterling's true identity, she would naturally abandon such thoughts.
Willow closed Maria's door and returned to her adjacent room. Lying in bed, sleep eluded her.
Every time she closed her eyes, scenes from Sterling's apartment replayed in her mind, leaving her thoughts in turmoil.
---
Across town, lights blazed in the mansion deep into the night.
Charles lay on his bed with Penelope sitting beside him and Rachel standing nearby. Harold had been unconscious for a full day and night, and Charles had been forced to kneel for the same duration. Sterling had forbidden anyone to visit him and hadn't even allowed him water. By the time Harold regained consciousness, Charles could barely stand. The Lancaster family servants had to carry him home.
"Look at these bruises! Sterling has gone too far!" Penelope exclaimed, staring at the purple marks on her son's knees. "Does he think he's the emperor?"
She wondered if the family doctor had been bought off by Sterling—a whole day had passed, and Charles's knees showed no improvement whatsoever.
Rachel's expression was troubled too, but not from concern about Charles's injuries. This was the first time she'd seen Charles punished, and by Sterling no less. In her memory, Charles had always been formidable. How could he look so pathetic now?
Penelope placed a hand on Rachel's stomach and turned back to Charles. "Don't worry, this humiliation is temporary. Like you said, once the baby is born, the Lancaster Group will be ours. Sterling is just watching over it for us—his arrogance won't last long!"
Hearing this, Rachel calmed down. "Charlie, are you okay? Does it hurt badly?"
"Both of you, shut up!" Charles snapped. He was injured, humiliated by Sterling, and already irritated. The last thing he needed was these two women chattering uselessly in his ear.
He couldn't help thinking about Willow. If she were here, she wouldn't be like them. She would carefully apply medicine, give him a massage, comfort him gently. Not stand around saying pointless things that only angered him more.
"You may not want to hear it, but I have to say it," Penelope continued earnestly. "Now that Rachel is carrying your child, you need to marry her quickly after finalizing your divorce with Willow. Rachel isn't like Willow—we need to give her a grand wedding..."
She had been planning this since returning from the Lancaster Manor yesterday. The Smith family was of equal social standing. With Rachel pregnant and the Smith family's support, the wedding needed to be spectacular.
"Mom! I'm not in the mood for this right now," Charles interrupted. "If you have nothing else to say, please go rest in your room!"
Penelope gave him a reproachful look. Considering his injuries and the late hour, however, she decided not to push further. She stood and led Rachel out of the room.
Charles's attitude wounded Rachel. It was obvious he hadn't given up on Willow! The thought made her blood boil. They were already divorced! Willow was getting close to Sterling! Charles's punishment was undoubtedly connected to that woman! Yet he still couldn't let her go!
What was so special about that bitch? Even after the divorce, that woman had still flaunted her superiority when they last met.
Seething with rage, Rachel took out her phone and messaged Gloria: [Have you decided how to deal with Willow yet?]
Gloria had told her to wait for news. After a moment, Gloria called her directly. Rachel listened to her plan and agreed to cooperate.