Chapter 197
Meanwhile, in a hospital room across town.
Rachel sat alone in her bed, the silence in the room almost frightening. After Charles had stormed out that morning in a rage, he hadn't returned.
Penelope, upon learning that Rachel had already lost the baby, had also found an excuse to leave early, abandoning Rachel in the hospital.
Throughout the day, Rachel had nearly been consumed by her own resentment.
It was all Willow's fault. If it weren't for that bitch, how could she have lost her baby? If the baby hadn't been lost, at the very least, Penelope wouldn't be treating her this way. Now even Penelope had abandoned her, and those videos she held no longer posed a threat to Charles.
After all her hard work, would everything be for nothing? The mere possibility drove Rachel to the edge of madness.
Willow... she absolutely couldn't let that woman get away with this!
Rachel grabbed her phone from the bedside table and called Gloria. Since returning from the vacation resort, they hadn't been in contact.
Rachel had sent Gloria several messages, all unanswered. Still, she refused to give up. Now that Willow had Sterling's protection, Rachel couldn't touch her alone. She needed to collaborate with Gloria!
The phone rang for quite a while. Just when Rachel thought no one would answer, Gloria's voice came through.
"Didn't I tell you to wait for me to contact you? Who told you to reach out first?" Gloria demanded haughtily.
Rachel felt irritated but swallowed her pride. "Ms. Brown, didn't you say to tell you immediately if anything happened with Willow? I just wanted to let you know that Willow and Charles are about to officially divorce."
Gloria asked, "How much time is left?"
"Two days," Rachel replied.
On the other end, Gloria fell silent for a long time. In two days, if Willow and Sterling got together, they'd have nothing holding them back. Then she would truly be trampled under Willow's feet forever! Perhaps even the Brown family's secrets would be exposed!
"I understand. Wait for my instructions," Gloria said coldly before hanging up. After ending the call, she paced anxiously, then grabbed her purse and took a taxi to Valerie's place.
Willow remained oblivious to their scheming.
After Matthew's visit, Maria's mood had remained low. It wasn't until the next morning that she seemed to recover. After breakfast, as Willow was about to leave for work, Maria called her back.
"I heard from Molly that Ster has trouble sleeping? This is the herbal medicine you used to take for insomnia. I asked Ruth to fetch it yesterday. Take it to Ster when you go to the office."
Maria produced several packets of herbs from somewhere. Willow understood her grandmother's intentions. She should have refused, but facing Maria, she couldn't bring herself to say no. So she took the medicine to the office.
She spent the entire morning hesitating, unsure how to approach Sterling. At lunch with Molly, Willow finally mentioned it. "My grandmother prepared some herbal medicine for Sterling to treat insomnia. I'll give it to you later—please pass it to Blake so he can give it to him."
Molly was sipping her fruit tea across the table. She frowned at Willow's words. "That's so complicated. Why don't you just give it to him yourself?"
Maria's intentions were so obvious. If Molly played messenger, she'd be a fool.
Willow looked up at her. Molly immediately understood the meaning in her eyes and smiled nervously. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "What did your grandmother say to you? Is this herbal medicine really just for insomnia?"
Willow was at a loss with her. "She didn't say much. I explained to her that Sterling and I were just staying together. Nothing happened."
"Oh..." Molly looked somewhat disappointed.
Willow gave her a helpless glare. Molly immediately brightened up and cautiously probed, "But it seems your grandmother approves of our Mr. Lancaster. Willow, why not just give in?"
Willow had completely run out of patience. "It's not as simple as you think."
Molly was about to say something else. Willow cut her off. "Let's eat. I have work to do later. And please, say less of this around my grandmother. I'm afraid she won't be able to accept Sterling's relationship with Charles if she finds out."
Hearing this, Molly finally realized the seriousness of the situation. She felt a wave of regret and apologized profusely. Willow comforted her and made her promise not to bring it up again. Molly readily agreed.
After lunch, she returned to her desk before work hours resumed. Willow took out her phone, found Sterling's number, and debated whether to contact him directly or speak to Blake. If she went through Blake, his response would likely be similar to Molly's.
After hesitating for a while, Willow finally messaged Sterling, asking when he would be free. There was no immediate reply. Willow knew Sterling was busy with work, so she set her phone aside to wait.
Just as she put her phone down, two excited colleagues walked in from outside and immediately began chatting.
"Really? Actually going to the CEO's office?"
"Of course, I heard it clearly. She came looking for Mr. Lancaster. I think I've seen that young lady before—some energy company heiress. Maybe..."
"Really? Is she pretty? What's her personality like? I hope she won't give us a hard time if she becomes the CEO's wife."
"Of course she's pretty. With our CEO's looks, I don't think anyone would dare introduce someone who isn't beautiful to him, right?"
The group continued gossiping, occasionally bursting into laughter. In the years since Sterling had taken over the Lancaster Group, he had remained single, barely interacting with female executives in the company.
Now, with an age-appropriate heiress actively seeking him out, the news had exploded throughout the company. Some marveled that Sterling was finally meeting potential partners, while others lamented their lost chances.
Sitting at her desk, Willow listened to the discussions, her eyes inevitably drawn to her phone. Sterling still hadn't replied. She knew these rumors were likely baseless. Even if a woman had come to see Sterling, it might not be what everyone was suggesting.
But she couldn't help overthinking this situation.
If this really was a marriage arrangement set up by Harold, it was very likely due to what happened that day. Given her relationship with Sterling, she had no right to say anything, nor should she feel uncomfortable about it. After all, she had consistently rejected Sterling.
She also knew that with Sterling's status, such a match would be most suitable for him. And yet... something in a corner of her heart felt strangely unsettled.
Willow stared at her locked phone, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the screen lit up.
Sterling had replied: [What is it? Is it urgent?]