Chapter 471 Natalia
Chapter 471 Natalia
Isabella hurried down the stairs, ignoring Michael, and urged them to follow her back upstairs.
Seeing her so anxious, Terry was curious and was about to ask Michael, but Michael gave him a nudge and quickly followed Isabella upstairs.
She must have something really important to show them.
The three of them reached the upper floor.
There was a row of about seven or eight rooms, but only three or four of them were occupied by patients.
Isabella led them into one of the rooms. Inside, a frail woman sat in a wheelchair while a young nurse was washing her face.
After the nurse left, Isabella cleaned the towel and hung it up.
Terry couldn't help but ask, "Why'd you bring us here? Who is she?"
Isabella didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Michael and asked, "Michael, how are you? Is Grandpa really mad?"
"I've already talked to Grandpa. Now, tell me, who is this woman?" Michael scrutinized the woman in the wheelchair. Her eyes were vacant, her face unnaturally pale, and her hair was cut short with a scar running from her left eye to her right mouth corner. He couldn't see any connection to Isabella.
"Dr. Castillo, do you know who she is?" Isabella asked, looking at Terry.
Terry glanced at Michael, shook his head, and said awkwardly, "Even though I'm the director here, there are too many patients for me to remember all their names."
Especially in this charity ward, he was even less familiar with the patients.
"I found her in the garden. The wind must have blown her name tag away. I followed the tag to find her here."
Isabella handed a thin piece of card to Terry.
Terry took it, shook it, and complained, "These people are too much. Even if it's a charity ward, using such flimsy cards that can be blown away by the wind is unacceptable. Ms. Taylor, don't worry, I'll make sure they understand that saving money on this is not okay."
"It's not about the quality of the name tag. Look at the name on it," Isabella said.
Terry brought the tag closer to read the faint writing: "Natalia Ruth. Why does this name sound so familiar?"
Michael asked Isabella in surprise, "Is it her?"
Isabella nodded, kneeling down to gently touch the woman's gaunt face, her voice choked with emotion. "Though she's changed a lot, you can still see it's her."
"What are you talking about? Who is this woman?" Terry asked urgently.
"She's Isabella's biological mother, Natalia Ruth," Michael replied in a low voice.
Terry looked shocked. "I remember now. Natalia Ruth was a big star. Are you saying this is Natalia? How is that possible? This face doesn't look like hers at all. And Isabella's mother is Natalia?"
"Let's do a DNA test," Michael suggested.
He couldn't believe that the vacant-eyed, emaciated woman before them was Natalia.
As for whether she was Isabella's mother, only a test could confirm it.
Terry immediately made a call to have someone collect blood samples from Isabella and the woman for testing.
He also called the deputy director to bring Natalia's file.
The deputy director explained, "When the new ward was first built, to promote our nursing home, the first batch of patients we received were given free care and living expenses, and they were all placed in the old ward."
"Is there a record of who brought her in?" Terry asked.
"There's no record, but I remember."
The deputy director recounted the scene: "The reason I remember it so well is because it was quite unusual. The person who brought her in was driving a luxury car. I thought they were bringing a patient to the new ward, but it turned out to be the old ward. The man who brought her in had a woman with him. After they brought her in, the woman rolled down the car window, and I saw it was a former favorite actress of mine, which made it even more memorable. They registered the name as Natalia Ruth. Natalia Ruth was a big star, but the woman they brought in had no resemblance to her."
"Was it Freya Stewart who brought her in?" Isabella immediately asked.
The director nodded. "Yes, it was her. I used to really like her. Even though she retired from acting and married into a wealthy family, she hadn't changed a bit. I recognized her at a glance."
"Freya brought her in? So, Freya knew where she was all along?"
Isabella clenched her fists in anger, trembling with rage.
Michael gently held her shoulders to comfort her. "Now that we've found her, we won't let her suffer anymore."
Isabella leaned against Michael, sobbing. She had never imagined she would see her mother like this.
She had always thought that Natalia, once a big star, must be living happily somewhere in the world.
She never expected this.
Seeing Natalia's current state, it was clear how much she had suffered over the years.
Thinking about it made Isabella's heart ache.
The test results came back quickly. In the meantime, Terry had Natalia moved to a vacant villa in the new ward.
All her caregivers were replaced with more professional, high-level nurses.
"If she really is your mother-in-law, you should cover the costs," Terry joked with Michael.
Michael replied, "Make sure she gets the best treatment. Money is not an issue."
"I know money isn't an issue. What I want to say is, if she really is your mother-in-law, what are you planning to do..."
He lowered his voice as he spoke to Michael.
Natalia's condition, even without a full examination, didn't look good.
Not to mention her physical ailments, it was clear to anyone that she had significant mental issues.
Michael was the richest man in Silvercrest City, the chairman of the Johnson Group. If people found out he had a mentally unstable mother-in-law, it could affect the company's image.
"I understand your concern, but now is not the time to worry about that. From the day I met Isabella, I knew who she was. None of this matters to me," Michael said firmly.
"You may not care, but if word gets out..."
"Don't say anything more. Don't let Isabella hear. Just make sure she gets the best treatment, no matter the cost," Michael interrupted.
Terry nodded, indicating he would do his best.
Suddenly, Daisy Harrington, the nurse who had been caring for Natalia, showed up.