Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68:The Morning That Started With ‘Where Is Nicholus?

Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68:The Morning That Started With ‘Where Is Nicholus?


The morning sunlight slipped through the tall dining room windows in soft golden streaks, warming the long marble table that had already been set with polished silverware and delicate porcelain. The quiet of the mansion felt almost ceremonial after the chaos of the night before, as though the house itself was trying to restore its dignity. Mr. Simon sat at the head of the table, posture straight and composed, scanning a document he hadn’t turned the page of in several minutes. Madam Carol sat across from him, stirring her tea absentmindedly while watching the steam curl upward. I moved between them silently, placing fresh toast and fruit onto the table, careful not to disturb the stillness that seemed to stretch across the room.

Mr. Simon finally lowered the paper and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as though sleep had not come easily. “I received a call very late last night,” he began, his voice calm but weighted. Madam Carol immediately looked up. “From Richmond Draven,” he continued. The name alone shifted the air at the table. Madam Carol straightened slightly in her chair. “Richmond? At that hour?” she asked, brows knitting together. “That must have been important.”

Simon gave a faint nod. “It was nearly midnight. I almost missed the call. But when I saw his name, I knew it couldn’t wait.” He picked up his teacup, pausing before taking a sip. “He asked about Sir Senior Varya’s condition. He sounded genuinely worried.” Madam Carol’s expression softened with understanding. “They’ve known each other for decades,” she murmured. “Of course he would call.”

“He did more than call,” Simon continued. “He told me he and Auren will be visiting the hospital this morning. Personally.” He let the words settle between them. Madam Carol’s spoon stopped mid-stir. “Both of them?” she repeated. “Richmond and Auren?” Simon nodded again. “Yes. He insisted they would come themselves rather than send well wishes.”

Madam Carol leaned back slowly, processing the implication. “That is not a casual visit,” she said carefully. “When Richmond shows up in person, it means he wants to be seen. And if Auren is coming with him…” She let the sentence trail off meaningfully. Simon finished it for her. “Then it becomes a public gesture of support. Exactly.”

He placed his cup down with quiet precision. “Because of that, I won’t be attending the board meeting today. I need to be at the hospital.” Madam Carol studied him closely. “You’re certain? That meeting has been scheduled for weeks.” Simon gave a small, knowing smile. “Richmond and I have been friends for over thirty years. When he says he’s coming, I don’t send excuses. I show up.”

Carol’s expression softened into understanding. “He must have sounded worried,” she said gently. Simon nodded. “He did. He kept asking questions—how serious the fall was, whether the doctors were optimistic, how the family was handling it. It didn’t feel like business. It felt like a friend checking on another friend.” He paused before adding quietly, “And a father making sure his son shows proper respect.”

Madam Carol tapped her fingers lightly against the table. “And the board?” she asked. Simon shrugged slightly. “They’ll manage one meeting without me. Public loyalty carries more weight than corporate punctuality. Being seen at the hospital with Richmond matters far more today.” He glanced toward the window, already mentally preparing for the day ahead.

Carol nodded slowly. “Then you should leave early. Hospitals become crowded quickly, and you don’t want Richmond arriving before you.” Simon let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “Exactly what I was thinking. He would never say it, but he’d notice.” He stood, adjusting his cufflinks. “I’ll head there within the hour.”

The soft click of heels echoed from the hallway before the dining room doors opened, and Miss Elara stepped inside with the kind of quiet confidence that always seemed to command the room without effort. She was already dressed for the day, her posture flawless, her expression composed, but there was a sharp alertness in her eyes that told me she had heard more than she was meant to. She paused just inside the doorway, her gaze moving from her father to Madam Carol before settling on the untouched breakfast spread. “So,” she said calmly, “I assume we’re discussing the hospital visit.”

Mr. Simon straightened slightly, surprised but not entirely. “Good morning, Elara,” he said, though his tone carried a faint note of caution. She moved toward the table without waiting for an invitation, pulling out a chair and sitting down as though she had been part of the conversation from the beginning. “You’re planning to skip the board meeting,” she continued, folding her hands neatly on the table. It wasn’t a question.

Simon sighed quietly. “Richmond and Auren are visiting the hospital this morning. It’s important that I’m there.” Elara tilted her head just slightly, watching him the way a strategist studies a chessboard. “Important, yes,” she replied. “But not more important than the board meeting you’ve spent weeks preparing for.” 

Madam Carol glanced between them carefully. “Elara, your father feels it would be disrespectful not to—” Elara lifted a hand politely, not rude but decisive. “I understand why he feels that way,” she said. “But let’s be honest. Mr Richmond isn’t coming to test Father’s loyalty. He’s coming to show support. And support does not require both of them abandoning their responsibilities at the same time.”

Simon frowned slightly. “It’s not abandonment. It’s presence.”

Elara leaned forward just a fraction. “And the board meeting is responsibility. Visibility. Leadership. If you miss it, it sends the wrong message.” Her gaze held his steadily. “You taught me that, Father.”

He hesitated, clearly torn. “This is different,” he said quietly. 

Elara shook her head slowly. “No. It isn’t. Mr, Richmond will understand. Especially if he learns you stayed to protect the company. He would do the same in your position.” Her voice softened just enough to sound reassuring rather than confrontational. “Let me go instead.”

The words settled into the room like a carefully placed piece on a board. Simon blinked. “You?”

Elara nodded once. “Yes. I’ll visit my grandfather at the hospital. I won’t go alone—Nicholus can come with me. It will still represent the family. Mr, Richmond and Auren will see that we care, and you will still attend the meeting that cannot be moved.”

Madam Carol studied Elara with quiet admiration. “That sounds… reasonable,” she admitted. Simon exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple again as if the decision was weighing heavily on him. “You’re certain you want to handle this?” he asked. Elara met his gaze without hesitation. “Of course. He’s my grandfather. And this is exactly the kind of responsibility you’ve been preparing me for.”

Silence stretched for a moment before Simon finally nodded. “Very well,” he said at last. “I’ll attend the board meeting. You and Nicholus will go to the hospital.” Relief flickered briefly across Madam Carol’s face. Elara allowed herself the faintest smile, small but unmistakably satisfied.

Simon pushed his chair back slowly, the quiet scrape of wood against marble drawing everyone’s attention again. The decision seemed to settle into him all at once, replacing hesitation with the familiar steadiness he carried when business took priority. He folded his napkin neatly beside his plate and looked directly at Elara. “I’ll join you at the hospital once the meeting ends,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “It shouldn’t run longer than the afternoon.”

Elara inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, her expression composed, though I noticed the faint spark of satisfaction that briefly softened her features. “Of course, Father. We’ll make sure Grandfather knows you’re coming,” she replied smoothly.

Madam Carol reached for her teacup, clearly relieved the matter had been settled without further tension. “That sounds like the best arrangement for everyone,” she said warmly, offering Simon a reassuring smile. “You can focus on the meeting without worrying about the hospital.”

Simon gave a small nod, already shifting into a different mindset. “I’ll need to review the reports before I leave,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. His gaze moved briefly to me as I stood nearby. “Sera, please have the car ready in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” I answered quickly, lowering my head.

He turned back to Elara one last time, his tone softening just slightly. “Call me when you arrive. And if the doctors say anything new, I want to know immediately.”

“I will,” Elara promised.

Simon stepped away from the table and headed toward the doorway, his pace purposeful and already distant, as though the boardroom had pulled him away before he’d even left the house.
Elara stayed standing near the breakfast table for a long moment after her father left the room, her fingers resting lightly against the polished wood as if she were still thinking several steps ahead of everyone else. The quiet that followed felt different now—no longer sleepy or peaceful, but charged with purpose. Finally, she turned her head toward Madam Carol. “Where is Nicholus?” she asked, her tone calm but carrying a firmness that made the question sound less like curiosity and more like an expectation.
Carol looked up from her tea with mild surprise, clearly not prepared for the sudden shift in conversation. “Nicholus?” she repeated slowly, buying herself a moment to think. She set the cup down carefully on its saucer before continuing. “I haven’t actually seen him in the last few days. You know how he is, Elara. He disappears whenever he gets caught up with his friends. Late nights, parties, long drives… he rarely tells anyone where he’s going.” She gave a small sigh. “I assumed he was staying over at someone’s place.”
Elara’s expression tightened just slightly, the faintest hint of irritation flickering across her features. “Of course he is,” she murmured under her breath, almost to herself. Then louder, sharper, “He vanishes the moment responsibility appears.” She crossed her arms loosely, staring at the table for a second before adding, “Still… I think I might know where to find him.”
Carol tilted her head with a knowing smile. “You always do. He may ignore the rest of us, but he never ignores you.” There was warmth in her voice, but also quiet amusement. “Are you planning to drag him out of whatever nightclub he’s hiding in?”
“If necessary,” Elara replied without hesitation. “He’s coming to the hospital with me whether he likes it or not.” The determination in her voice left no room for doubt. Then her gaze shifted toward me, sharp and immediate. “Sera.”
I straightened instantly. “Yes, Miss Elara?”
“Tell the driver to bring my car around. We’re leaving in a few minutes.” Her tone was calm, decisive, already moving forward before anyone else had time to catch up.
The word we hit me before I could stop it. It echoed loudly in my thoughts, louder than anything else she had said. I hesitated, unsure if I had heard correctly. “We… Miss Elara?” I asked softly, my voice betraying my surprise.
She turned toward me fully this time, eyebrows lifting slightly as if the question confused her. “Yes. You’re coming with me.” Her voice softened just a fraction, but the certainty remained. “I’ll need you there.”
My grip tightened on the tray in my hands. “To the hospital?” I asked carefully, still trying to understand why my presence would matter.
“To find Nicholus first,” she corrected, already stepping away from the table. “Then the hospital. I don’t have time to do both alone.” She paused, glancing back at me. “Is there a problem with that?”
“No, Miss Elara,” I answered quickly. “I was just surprised.”
“Don’t be,” she said simply. “You’re with me today.”
I nodded and turned toward the door, my heart beating faster than it should have. “I’ll inform the driver right away,” I said. As I left the room, the word we continued to echo in my mind, carrying a strange mixture of nervousness, responsibility, and a quiet, growing sense that the day ahead would be anything but simple.