Chapter 184
It was already past six in the evening when Philip and Catherine returned to Brightonfield.
During the flight, Philip's phone had been ringing incessantly.
Seeing how busy Philip was, Catherine thought about heading home by herself. When Philip noticed her attempting to slip away, he grabbed her wrist with one hand while holding his phone with the other.
Catherine lowered her eyes, staring at Philip's hand gripping her wrist like a shackle, feeling helpless.
Five minutes later, Philip finally finished his call.
He turned to face Catherine, who was clearly displeased. "Where do you think you're going?"
Catherine tried to break free from his grip, but she couldn't. "Nowhere. Just wanted to go home and catch up on sleep."
Philip noticed the faint shadows under Catherine's eyes and was about to call Alex when a black Range Rover pulled up smoothly in front of them.
Alex stepped out from the driver's seat, his expression urgent. "Mr. Foster, your mother is ill."
Philip's brows furrowed as he led Catherine toward the back seat.
"What happened?" Philip asked once they were in the car, his voice anxious yet still cold.
Alex sighed. "The usual problem. Anemia and low blood sugar caused her to faint. She's currently hospitalized at Silver Lake Hospital."
"Then we'll go to Silver Lake Hospital first," Catherine said, appearing more concerned than Philip himself.
Philip nodded, "To the hospital first."
When they reached the VIP ward, Philip didn't bother to knock and pushed the door open directly.
Alvin was coaxing his wife to take medication. When he saw Philip and Catherine, his expression turned frosty.
"Mom!" Philip strode to the bedside. "How are you feeling?"
Rowan smiled upon seeing Philip and Catherine. "I'm fine!"
"No big deal. Philip, calm down—you don't want Catherine to get worried."
Catherine stepped forward, politely greeting Rowan, then said, "Mrs. Foster, I mentioned before that fainting from low blood sugar can be serious. If you faint when nobody's around, it could be dangerous."
Philip's handsome face darkened. "Mom, can't you take your health more seriously?"
Rowan looked slightly guilty. "I-I do care about my health. I don't want to be sick either."
Alvin, protective of his wife, immediately reprimanded Philip.
"Enough!"
Alvin glanced at Philip, then swept his gaze over Catherine before saying to Philip, "You, come with me."
With that, Alvin strode out of the hospital room.
Philip frowned, giving Catherine a sidelong glance before leaving the room.
Once Philip left, Rowan immediately relaxed.
She took Catherine's hand. "Catherine, I heard you took Philip home to meet your parents?"
Catherine froze momentarily, her face showing a hint of awkward embarrassment.
She clasped her hands behind her back and answered in a low voice. "I didn't take him. He insisted on coming along..."
Rowan was delighted, thinking the two were ready to get married.
"Once I'm discharged, I should meet your parents too. Maybe it's time for you two to get married."
Catherine wasn't so optimistic.
She turned to look toward the door.
Her intuition told her that while Rowan might like her, Alvin probably didn't approve of her.
Outside the door.
"When are you planning to break up with her?"
Alvin asked directly, without any preamble.
Philip frowned. "Dad, Catherine hasn't done anything wrong. I have no reason to—"
"If it weren't for her seeking revenge and setting up Elizabeth, your mother wouldn't be sick and hospitalized!"
Alvin interrupted Philip's defense of Catherine, his voice serious and dissatisfied.
Philip hadn't realized his mother's hospitalization was related to Elizabeth.
"Mom is hospitalized because of Elizabeth's situation?"
Alvin snorted. "What else?"
"Did you honestly think your mother was indifferent to your sister's fate?"
Philip felt a headache coming on, his handsome face turning cold.
"Dad, this is on Elizabeth. Catherine didn't do anything to her."
Alvin's expression turned livid as he continued to scold his son.
"Installing listening devices in someone's home isn't setting them up?"
"Don't you understand her intentions? Philip, you're blinded by lust!"
Philip had been mature and steady since childhood. As an adult, he hadn't been scolded like this by his parents. This was perhaps the harshest thing Alvin had said to Philip in nearly thirty years.
"Dad, if you have such strong opinions about Catherine, why not tell Mom directly?"
Philip had always been rebellious. How could he back down just because of a few words from Alvin?
If he were to break up with Catherine, it would be his own decision. When he no longer wanted to be with Catherine, he would end things naturally.
Alvin laughed mockingly. "How dare you use your mother against me!"
Philip shrugged, feigning innocence as he explained.
"Dad, Catherine is the girlfriend Mom helped me choose. If I break up with Catherine, how could we hide it from Mom?"
Alvin retorted, "Fine, you're using your business tactics on me now!"
Philip gave Alvin a cold glance before looking away, offering no response.
"Dad, you shouldn't interfere in my sister's affairs."
Alvin was furious. "So you still remember Elizabeth is your sister!"
Philip had completely ignored everything Alvin had said earlier!
He had explicitly told Philip that as a Foster, family should come first!
Yet Philip was so bewitched by Catherine that he didn't seem to care about Elizabeth's fate!
Philip pressed his thin lips together, looking at Alvin with a frank and determined gaze.
Regarding Elizabeth's situation, he believed he had done his best.
Elizabeth had indeed committed illegal acts. As her brother, all he could do was hire the best lawyer to defend her.
Philip raised his eyes to look at Alvin.
"Dad, how many years has it been since you last contacted Elizabeth?"
"Do you really think you still understand her?"
"Elizabeth would never do anything unconscionable!" Alvin stated firmly.
He understood his daughter!
Philip nodded. "So you're convinced Catherine framed Elizabeth, right?"
"That's the truth." Alvin's face darkened. "Why wouldn't Catherine frame Elizabeth for revenge? Meanwhile, you're completely whipped."
Philip stood straight.
"Fine. I won't interfere with Elizabeth's situation. Handle it however you want."
"As for Catherine, it's impossible for me to break up with her."
"You!" Alvin gritted his teeth. "Philip Foster, have your grown so strong that you're rebelling?"
Philip adjusted his coat, completely disregarding Alvin's threat.
"Dad, I'm an adult. I can make my own judgments."
Alvin looked at Philip coldly, father and son remarkably similar in their proud demeanor.
He had clearly underestimated Catherine's influence on his son. But now Philip was fully independent and wouldn't follow his orders.
"Fine!"
"I'll just wait and see how far you can go with her!"
In the hospital room, Catherine was peeling an apple for Rowan.
The door was suddenly pushed open from outside.
Philip stormed in and marched to Catherine's side.
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her up from the chair.
"We're leaving."
Then Philip briefly told his mother. "Mom, rest well. Catherine and I need to go now."
Without waiting for Rowan's response, Philip pulled Catherine out of the room.
Seeing Philip's extremely dark expression, Rowan understood what had happened.
She turned to glare at Alvin, who had just entered. "What did you say to Philip?"
Alvin didn't look pleased either, but he didn't want to worry his wife. "Nothing much."
Rowan didn't believe him. How could she not understand her husband's temperament?
"Elizabeth made mistakes. What does that have to do with Philip? Why blame him?"
"Hasn't Philip helped Elizabeth enough over the years?"
"Terry went from being a nobody to becoming a group chairman. What more do you want from Philip?"
Alvin's face was cold as he sat down on the chair by the bed.
He looked at his wife with concerned eyes.
"Rowan, stop pretending. If you weren't worried about Elizabeth, you wouldn't have been so anxious after learning about her situation, eventually falling ill and being hospitalized. You clearly care about our daughter too."