Chapter 69
"Hey, hang tight. I'll get the nurse to bring you another bowl of porridge, but that's it. I've got stuff to take care of, so I'm heading out."
With that, James turned and left, leaving Sophia staring after him, feeling a bit bewildered.
James had rushed in and out so quickly. Did he really see her as someone to thank? It felt so dismissive!
After leaving the hospital, James immediately called Chase.
Chase was at the Brown Villa, having an affair with Veda. When his phone rang and he saw it was James calling, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
Veda, who had been all over him like a snake, noticed his sudden tension and frowned.
"What's wrong, Chase? Did something happen? Aren't you going to answer your phone?"
Chase, looking panicked, held his phone, unsure what to do.
"Uncle James is calling me!"
Just mentioning James made both Veda and Chase nervous, as if they had some kind of trauma. Veda also started to get anxious.
"Why would he be calling you?"
Chase nodded gravely. "It must be something important. Uncle James never calls me unless it's serious."
The phone kept ringing, and Chase was on edge. If he didn't pick up soon, James would definitely be angry, and that would not end well for him.
"You should answer it quickly. If you wait any longer, James will hang up."
Chase wasn't worried about the call ending; he was worried about the wrath he'd face for not answering. When James got angry, he couldn't handle it. Even his father, Jagger, was terrified of James.
With that in mind, Chase hurriedly answered the call.
"Uncle James, sorry, I was in the bathroom, so I couldn't answer right away."
He was so nervous that he felt the need to make an excuse.
"Where are you?"
James's voice was direct and demanding.
Chase hesitated, unsure what to say. He was at the Brown Villa, but he had an engagement with Sophia and was now involved with Veda. Even though James knew about it, Chase thought it was best not to stir up trouble.
"I... I..."
"You're at the Brown Villa, aren't you? Wait for me there. I have something to discuss with you both."
With that, James hung up, not giving Chase a chance to explain or argue.
Veda, seeing Chase's pale face, asked, "What's wrong? What did James say?"
Chase looked distraught. "Uncle James said he's coming to the Brown Villa."
He started pacing the living room, not knowing what James was coming for. He had been provoking James recently, especially at the party where he had openly angered Sophia.
"What are we gonna do? At the party, I had no idea Sophia was Uncle James's date. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to mess with her."
"I can't believe Sophia has that kind of pull. She goes from not getting along with me to cozying up to Uncle James. If she can't be my wife, she wants to be my aunt?"
The thought of Sophia standing next to James made Chase furious. Why couldn't Sophia just stay out of trouble?
She really wanted to marry into the Smith family that badly?
Veda, on the other hand, seemed oddly calm, a glint in her eye at the mention of James coming over.
"Chase, why are you so worked up? If James wants to come, let him."
Chase, seeing Veda not on the same page, got even more anxious.
"Veda, don't take this lightly. If Uncle James is coming, it's definitely to settle scores. We both treated Sophia poorly at the party; he won't let us off easy."
At the mention of Sophia, Veda's face darkened, recalling how James had looked at Sophia with such affection at the party. She was insanely jealous.
Before Veda could say anything, Hazel came downstairs, noticing their tense faces.
"What's wrong? Are you two arguing?"
Veda pouted. "No, Mom, we're not arguing. But James is coming over."
Hazel's face changed at the mention of James.
"James is coming? This is a golden opportunity. Your dad has been wanting to meet James, but he's always too busy. Now he's coming to us; we can't miss this chance."
"I'll call your dad right now and have him come home from the office."
Chase quickly waved his hands. "Mrs. Brown, don't call him. Uncle James isn't coming for a friendly visit. He's probably got urgent business, and I doubt it's good news."
Chase tried to be tactful, but Hazel didn't seem to get it. She only saw this as a rare chance to connect with James. Hayden had been talking about a business deal with the Smith Group, and since Chase had no standing there, they needed James's approval.
Ignoring Chase, Hazel took out her phone and called Hayden.
"Hayden, drop what you're doing and come home. James is coming over!"
Hayden, who was in a meeting, nodded eagerly. "James is coming to our house? Got it. I'll leave work right now and head home."
After hanging up, Hazel looked thrilled, turning to Chase and Veda. "Chase, sit tight. Veda, come help me cut some fruit in the kitchen."
Veda looked reluctant, glancing back at Chase with every step.
Both of them were incredibly anxious, but neither dared to tell Hazel that James might be coming over in a foul mood.