Chapter 367
Meanwhile.
On the ride back to the Wilson Villa, Adeline and Richard sat in silence.
Richard kept his eyes closed the entire way.
When the driver announced they were nearly there, Richard slowly opened his eyes and looked at Adeline through the rearview mirror.
"The Lancaster boy already has someone. You can give up now," he said.
Adeline met her grandfather's gaze.
"That Brown boy isn't bad either. Since you'll be treating Mrs. Brown anyway, you can get to know him," Richard suggested.
Adeline smiled. "If I have a better option, why would I settle?"
Richard's displeasure showed. "You must have seen how the Lancaster boy held that girl's hand the entire time. He was making a point for your benefit."
"I know," Adeline said.
Richard's expression darkened. "If you know, why won't you give up?"
He truly couldn't understand what his granddaughter was thinking.
From the beginning, Sterling's attitude had been crystal clear. Richard himself didn't support them being together, yet Adeline stubbornly persisted.
Now, Sterling had brought the woman right in front of them, and she still wouldn't let go.
"They won't end up together." Adeline's tone was certain.
Richard frowned.
"That woman is pregnant. Three months along," Adeline said.
Richard's expression grew complicated. "How do you know?"
Adeline didn't answer. Instead, she continued, "And she's Charles's ex-wife. What do you think—whose child is in her belly?"
Richard's face darkened, leaving him speechless.
He didn't know what Sterling might think, but to outsiders who didn't know the truth, no matter whose child Willow carried, it couldn't be made public.
If it was Charles's, then Sterling was raising another man's child—word getting out would damage the Lancaster Group's reputation.
If it was Sterling's... that meant Willow had committed incest with her husband's uncle during her marriage. Even less likely to be made known.
"Regardless of whose child it is, Willow's status is destined to remain hidden." Adeline's voice lowered. "And all I want is the Lancaster family's power and influence. If after marriage Sterling wants to keep her at home, I wouldn't mind."
Hearing this, Richard's face turned thunderous. "Have you lost your mind? To say such things!"
A member of the Wilson family, willing to cast aside all dignity for power, to become the other woman.
What had he raised all these years?
Adeline's smile remained sweet, but her eyes couldn't hide her ambition. "I'm perfectly clear-headed, Grandfather. Trust me—everything I'm doing now is for the Wilson family's benefit."
Richard's fury mounted as he took several heavy breaths.
Looking at Adeline beside him, he realized she'd developed ambitions he could no longer control.
After a long moment, Richard spoke slowly, his voice suddenly much older.
"I'm too old." He closed his eyes again. "Tomorrow I'll return to the mountains to recuperate. I can't manage the Wilson family's affairs anymore. I don't want to."
The car pulled smoothly to a stop at the Wilson Villa entrance.
The butler waited by the door, helping Richard out.
Before getting out, Richard looked at his granddaughter one more time, his tone heavy with meaning. "Adeline, don't ruin the Wilson family's century-old reputation."
Adeline responded respectfully, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Richard sighed silently and let the butler help him inside.
Adeline lagged a few steps behind.
The moment she got out of the car, her phone rang.
It was Wallace calling.
"Where's what I asked you for? Haven't you gotten it ready yet? Adeline, if something happens to me, you won't escape either!"
The moment she answered, Wallace's frantic voice came through.
Adeline's lips curved slightly. "Mr. Lancaster, aren't you mistaken? I don't recall us having any relationship."
With that, she hung up directly and blocked Wallace's contact.
She'd known all along Wallace was useless, but she hadn't expected him to be this pathetic. Sterling had handed him the position, and he couldn't even hold onto it.
Wallace actually wanted to work with her to control Harold.
Even she, an outsider, knew that the Lancaster Group had been fully handed over to Sterling. Even Harold couldn't reclaim Sterling's authority now. What good would controlling Harold do?
"Idiot," Adeline muttered dismissively, putting her phone away.
The next day.
In the hospital bathroom, Gloria woke up on the plank bed in a stall, checked the time, and got up to prepare her cleaning supplies.
She'd been working at the hospital for a while now and had become quite proficient at these tasks.
She'd just gotten her supplies ready and was about to start when the cleaning supervisor suddenly appeared.
"Are you Gloria Edwards?" The supervisor was a thin, wiry man in his forties, standing before her and looking her up and down.
It had been so long since she'd heard her name that Gloria froze for a moment, thinking he had the wrong person.
Then the man continued, "What's your connection to the Brown family?"
Only then did Gloria realize he was looking for her.
An ominous feeling crept over her as she forced herself to stay calm. "I don't know what you're talking about. People like us—how would we have any connection to the Brown family?"
Something strange flickered in the man's eyes as he looked at her. "Is that so? Then why did the Brown family personally contact the hospital to have you fired?"
Gloria's face went pale.
The man clearly saw her reaction and rubbed his chin leisurely. "I heard that Brown heir is quite the playboy. With a face like yours, I thought maybe you had something going with him..."
Gloria sensed danger in his gaze. Looking around, she realized they were alone.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
The man moved slowly closer. "Looks like you've offended the Brown family. Must have been serious, if they're determined to destroy you completely."
Gloria's entire body tensed as she backed away step by step. "Don't come any closer. I used to be a Brown family daughter. I'm just having a fight with my family right now. If you dare touch me, my brother won't let you go!"
She tried to scare him off.
The man just sneered dismissively. "A Brown family daughter cleaning toilets? You think I'm three years old and that gullible?"
Gloria had been backed into a stall.
The man reached up to close the door, still talking. "You're so young, already cleaning hospital toilets—guess you can't do any other work. How about this: sleep with me once, and I'll keep you on without telling the hospital..."
As he finished speaking, he turned and grabbed the mop Gloria swung forcefully at him.
"You won't give me the easy way, so I'll take the hard way!" The man's face darkened as he suddenly shoved hard.
In her panic, Gloria's legs gave out, and she fell to the floor.
The man advanced on her step by step, pressing her down beneath him.
Time passed—no one knew how long.
The stall door opened again.
The man walked out, satisfied. "You can get lost now."
Gloria's eyes were red, her body in disarray. "But you said..."
"I said if you behaved and kept me company, I'd help you." The man's voice was ice-cold.