Chapter 83
Hearing the solicitous tone in Charles's voice, Paul widened his eyes, finding it hard to believe the change in him.
Paul swallowed hard and quietly stepped aside, not daring to listen any further.
Before he could leave, he heard Charles's soft, pleading voice, "Okay?"
Paul's legs nearly gave out, almost causing him to collapse.
'Help, Mr. Anderson's change is too sudden!'
Charles ignored Paul's reaction, holding his phone and waiting for Patricia's response.
"Where have you been?" Patricia's voice came through the phone, calm but with a hint of restrained anger.
Charles instinctively touched his nose, glanced at the IV drip in his hand, and said lightly, "In the conference room, getting an IV."
He hadn't finished the meeting with Summit Group and had inspected the Regal City branch, only to collapse in the conference room.
Paul quickly called a doctor, who prescribed two IV drips that Charles had to finish before he could leave.
Charles sighed softly and added, "Are you done?"
After Patricia confirmed, Charles looked up hopelessly at the half-full saline solution.
"Let's meet at the hotel tonight," Charles said simply to Patricia. "We'll have dinner together."
Patricia agreed and hung up the phone.
She paid the bill with the help of the front desk clerk and left with Calvin.
After finishing the IV, Charles hurriedly took Paul to the next appointment at a café.
Even though Paul was used to Charles's robotic efficiency, he couldn't help but worry about his health.
Charles finished his business meeting and walked out of the café with Paul.
Across the street, Adeline froze. She saw Charles standing under a streetlamp at the café entrance, talking on the phone. His profile appeared particularly sharp and cold in the light.
She watched Charles from a distance, her heart trembling, and soon her eyes filled with tears.
She stood there for a long time, watching Charles and Paul get into a car and drive away. A tear slipped from her eye.
Isabel tugged at her hand, looking at her pale face in confusion. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Adeline snapped back to reality, her fingertips cold. She forced a calm smile and shook her head. "Nothing, the wind is strong."
But her gaze was magnetically drawn to the direction Charles had left.
That broad shoulder, the slight tilt of his head when he walked, matched the image she had kept in her heart for years.
"Mommy," Isabel suddenly pointed to where Charles had been, her small finger trembling. "Is that man... Daddy?"
She had seen a photo in Adeline's locked drawer, a man holding a trophy and smiling brightly, looking just like the man they had just seen.
Adeline's body shook, tears instantly blurring her vision.
She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, crouched down, and hugged Isabel tightly, choking out, "Yes... that's Daddy."
Adeline bit her lip hard, tears falling uncontrollably, unable to say another word.
She had kept a photo of Charles in her wallet's hidden compartment and stored newspaper clippings about him in her home.
—
In the hotel suite's dining room, the crystal chandelier's light reflected off the fine ceramic tableware.
Patricia sipped her wine, listening to Charles discuss the upcoming schedule, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on the rim of her glass.
She had just arrived at the hotel when Charles showed up with her favorite cake.
"What time is your flight tomorrow?" Charles pushed the cake toward her and took her plate to cut the steak, trying to sound casual.
"Ten in the morning." Patricia put down her wine glass. "Emily's kindergarten registration is coming up. I need to get back early to prepare."
Mentioning Emily brought a gentle smile to Patricia's face.
Charles's grip on the knife and fork tightened, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He said softly, "I need at least three more days to finish the negotiations here."
He looked at her with a hopeful gaze. "Can't you stay a few more days? I want to take you to see the Silverscale River at night."
Patricia refused bluntly, "No."
She wanted to go back and cuddle with Emily.
Charles pressed his lips together, silently sighing. He knew it would be like this.
Patricia's priority was always Emily.
Suddenly, he felt a pang of envy for Emily. What could he do?
The next morning, Charles personally drove Patricia to the airport. The car was silent, except for the occasional mechanical voice from the GPS.
Patricia leaned against the window and fell asleep.
Charles took advantage of the red light to steal a glance at the sleeping Patricia, her eyes showing dark circles from a sleepless night.
He must have kept her up with his coughing last night.
At the airport parking lot, Charles unbuckled his seatbelt but didn't immediately wake Patricia.
He wanted to spend a little more time with her.
He turned to look at Patricia, seeing her eyelashes flutter as she slowly opened her eyes.
Charles cleared his throat and explained, "I was just about to wake you."
Patricia gave him a suspicious look, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car.
They walked hand in hand to the check-in counter. Charles had suggested holding hands as soon as they got out of the car, and she let him.
But his gaze was too direct, making Patricia uncomfortable. She looked down, organizing her boarding pass. "I should go in."
"Patricia," Charles called her, his voice hoarse. "Take care of yourself and Emily."
Patricia nodded and pushed her luggage cart forward.
Halfway there, she turned back to look at him, feeling a strong sense of reluctance.
She bit her lip, gathered her courage, and said softly, "Finish quickly and come back soon. Emily... Emily misses you."
Charles's eyes lit up, and he smiled contentedly. "Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can."
Patricia's heart skipped a beat at his smile. She hurriedly turned and walked into the terminal.
After passing security, she looked back and saw Charles still standing in the parking lot, his figure standing out in the crowd.
Charles stood there for a long time, only leaving when he could no longer see Patricia.
He returned to the parking lot, started the car, and slowly drove out of the entrance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a familiar figure—Adeline, holding a little girl's hand and pulling a suitcase into the airport.
His breath caught, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Adeline saw him too, her body visibly stiffening, holding Isabel's hand awkwardly.
Isabel looked up in confusion, following Adeline's gaze into the car. Her eyes resembled a familiar outline, making Charles's heart sink.
In that moment of eye contact, the air seemed to freeze.
Adeline's eyes were filled with complex emotions—shock, panic, and a hint of hope.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, her steps instinctively moving forward.
But Charles only glanced at them before quickly looking away, his eyes showing a faint surprise before returning to their usual hardness.
He didn't slow down or stop, pressing the gas pedal lightly and quickly driving away.
Adeline saw his resolute attitude, and tears began to fall.