Chapter 141
After dropping Vesper off at home, Caspian didn't rush to rest.
He called his friend who ran the nursing home and confirmed they'd transfer Vesper's grandmother the next day.
On the other side, Amara's transfer paperwork had been completed.
Since it was so late, Evelyn and Monica decided to stay in the hospital room with Amara for the night and transfer her the next morning.
The room happened to have two extra beds, so they each slept on either side of Amara.
The night was quiet, with only the occasional soft beeping from the heart monitor.
Monica tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her mind kept replaying the image of Caspian's cold expression as he called her unreasonable.
She closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillow.
The next morning.
"Mon, do we really have to transfer?" Amara hesitated. "Actually, I'm fine staying here. That old lady next door didn't mean to..."
"Of course we're transferring!" Monica's voice was urgent. "Grandma, you're too nice—that's why people take advantage of you! Not only are we transferring you, I'm going to make sure the person who pushed you gets what she deserves!"
Hearing this, Amara grew anxious and wanted to persuade her further.
Evelyn quickly interjected. "Mrs. Reed, the most important thing right now is for you to recover. Mon gets more stubborn the more you argue with her, and besides, she's not wrong."
Amara finally sighed. "Alright. I can't control you young people anymore. But Mon, don't be too impulsive. Think things through carefully."
"Okay, Grandma, I promise." Monica held her grandmother's hand, her voice softening.
Before leaving, Evelyn remembered that Marsha was also in this hospital.
She hesitated, but ultimately decided to stay behind and visit her.
She was seeing Monica and Amara off when they ran into Vesper and Caspian, who'd returned to transfer Vesper's grandmother.
"Mrs. Reed, I'm truly sorry..." Vesper started to approach.
Evelyn held up her hand, blocking her. "Miss Capulet, yesterday you claimed Mrs. Reed was at fault. Today you're apologizing. You change your tune awfully fast."
Vesper's expression shifted, but she seemed to think of something and held back.
She forced a smile. "Very soon, Mon and I will be family. Family doesn't hold grudges."
"What family?" Amara looked up, confused.
"Shut your mouth!" Monica snapped harshly.
Vesper hesitated, then her gaze settled on Amara.
Clearly, among these people, Amara was the most soft-hearted and easy to sway.
"Mon's brother Caspian and I are engaged. Soon I'll be Mon's sister-in-law."
"I told you to shut up!" Monica went pale with rage and moved to confront Vesper.
Vesper shrieked and quickly hid behind Caspian.
Caspian instinctively raised his hand and shoved Monica away.
Monica stumbled backward and fell to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through her knee.
She looked up at Caspian, disbelief written all over her face.
Her eyes were full of shock and hurt, as if she couldn't believe the person in front of her would treat her this way.
Caspian froze. "Mon, I didn't mean to. I..."
"Just shut up!" Monica gritted her teeth and stood up. The pain in her knee made her sway, but she steadied herself.
She slapped Caspian with all her strength.
The sharp crack made even passing nurses stop in their tracks.
"Are you insane? He's your brother!" Vesper cried out.
"Brother?" Monica let out a cold laugh, her voice eerily calm.
"I don't have a brother like this." She looked Caspian straight in the eye. "From today on, you and I have nothing to do with each other."
She pushed Amara's wheelchair toward the parking lot. Despite the throbbing pain in her knee, she didn't pause once.
Evelyn walked beside her, glancing worriedly at her leg. "Mon, is your leg okay?"
"I'm fine." Monica's voice was hoarse.
"Weren't you going to visit Mrs. Marsha Perkins? Go ahead. Don't worry about me—I've got the caregiver with me."
Even after Monica's figure disappeared down the corridor, Caspian stood rooted in place, motionless for a long time.
What did she mean by that?
What did she mean by "nothing to do with each other"?
A thick fog of darkness rose in his eyes, something roiling beneath that he couldn't suppress.
"Monica went way too far! She completely disrespected you as her brother." Vesper touched his swollen, reddened face sympathetically. "Does it hurt? I'll go get you an ice pack from the medical room."
Caspian's dazed eyes turned toward Vesper.
She froze.
Once again, she felt Caspian's reaction was too abnormal.
"I'm fine." Caspian finally snapped out of it, his tone flat. "Come on, let's handle your grandmother's transfer."
Vesper nodded and followed him.
The paperwork was completed quickly.
Vesper took a phone call and looked at him hesitantly. "Caspian, can you take Grandma to the nursing home yourself? There's an emergency at the office. I need to go back."
"No problem. Go ahead." Caspian smiled.
Once Vesper's figure disappeared from view, the last trace of his smile vanished.
His cheek was swollen and burning.
But compared to the pain on his face, his heart felt like it was being torn apart.
He looked down at his hands—these were the hands that had pushed Monica to the ground.
The expression on Monica's face—so hurt, so incredulous, as if she were looking at a stranger.
He stood silently and punched the wall. Blood dripped through his knuckles.
After a moment, he wordlessly pulled out a tissue, wiped his hand, and pushed open the door to Vesper's grandmother's room.
Soon, Caspian had escorted her to his friend's nursing home.
Vesper's grandmother had been suffering from Alzheimer's for some time.
When she'd been at home, Vesper's parents had been at their wits' end, which was why they'd sent her to the hospital.
So when Caspian arranged the transfer, her family had no objections.
"Caspian, don't worry. I'll take good care of her." His friend clapped him on the shoulder in assurance.
"No need." Caspian's tone was eerily calm, but what lay beneath sent a chill down his friend's spine. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"
His friend froze, then caught on. "I understand. I'll handle it discreetly."
Caspian nodded, handed him a black card, and turned to leave.
On the drive back, he smoked one cigarette after another.
The window was cracked open. Smoke swirled out, but the fire in his chest wouldn't die down.
This feeling of losing control infuriated him.
After returning to Novaria, Evelyn had thought about visiting Marsha multiple times, but kept suppressing the urge.
Last time Monica mentioned Marsha's condition had worsened, Evelyn's heart had been heavy ever since.
In the end, emotion won over reason.
She found out where Marsha was staying and walked silently in that direction.
She couldn't quite identify what she was feeling.
Some bitterness. Some heaviness.
At the far end of the hospital grounds stood a two-story building. Marsha was the only one living there.
The moment Evelyn walked in, she saw a large group of medical staff rushing past.
Her heart sank. Instinctively, she quickened her pace and followed them.