Chapter 83
Caroline let it go—if something important were happening, Becky would surely tell her.
Back at her apartment, she carefully placed Gareth's wooden box on a shelf before taking out her laptop.
Gabriel had assigned her a paper on cancer treatment due before the upcoming conference. She'd been struggling to find an angle, but after extensive research, she finally had a direction.
Just then, Layla called.
"Mommy, are you coming home today?"
Caroline continued organizing her materials as she replied, "Not today. You and Logan should get some rest early. I'll come see you in a couple of days when I'm less busy."
Remembering Arthur's words, she asked, "Is Logan feeling better? If he's still unwell, have the housekeeper take him to the hospital, okay?"
Layla blinked, surprised that Caroline already knew about Logan's condition.
"Logan just ran around right after eating this afternoon, that's why he threw up," she admitted honestly. "The doctor already came by and said he's fine."
Initially, Layla had been hoping her mother would come home—she'd been wanting her company lately.
But she'd just received a message from Heidi about a camping trip tomorrow, which instantly changed her mind. If her mother came home now, wouldn't tomorrow's camping be canceled?
From Layla's tone, Caroline understood that her daughter didn't want her to return to the Windsor Villa. Heidi was her favorite now.
With Heidi and Arthur attending the auction tonight, they would likely return together, and Layla didn't want her there.
Caroline pressed her lips together, choosing not to say more. "Go to bed early. Goodnight."
"Okay, Mommy. Goodnight."
After hanging up, she switched her phone to silent mode, outlined her paper, and went to bed at her usual time.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the Windsor Villa.
Logan had been fine during the first half of the night but suddenly developed a fever in the early hours.
The combination of fever and vomiting left him nearly dehydrated.
Tiffany had returned to Windsor Manor to care for Isaac, leaving Arthur as the only adult in the house.
When the servant knocked on his door, Arthur had just finished working.
"What's happened?"
"Mr. Logan Windsor has vomited again and his fever is severe," the servant stammered anxiously. "The family doctor can't get here in time. Should we take him to the hospital?"
Arthur's expression immediately grew serious. "Bring Logan here."
By the time they reached the hospital, it was already 2:30 in the morning.
Arthur sat comforting Logan, dark circles forming under his eyes. The servant looked at the boy's pale little face with heartache.
In her memory, the twins rarely got sick. Despite being born weak after Caroline's difficult labor, years of her careful nurturing had made them even healthier than most children.
But since Caroline had left, they had fallen ill repeatedly, and their appetites had diminished.
The servant bit her lip. "Mr. Windsor, the children need their mother. No matter how good someone else might be, no one is as attentive as their own mother. Please ask Mrs. Windsor to come back."
Arthur pressed his lips tightly together, his expression unreadable.
The servant sighed before falling silent.
Just then, Logan's fever spiked again. He began to twist uncomfortably, dislodging his IV needle. Bright red blood spattered across the white hospital bed.
Though Arthur reacted quickly, pressing down on Logan's hand, the damage was done.
"Don't move," he commanded softly.
Hearing his voice, Logan blinked, looking hopefully toward the door, but didn't see the person he wanted.
"Daddy, where's Mommy?"
"She is busy," Arthur replied.
Logan's tears fell instantly. "Doesn't Mommy want me anymore? Is she going to be someone else's mom? I want Mommy! I want Mommy!"
Arthur called Caroline repeatedly, but after three unanswered calls, irritation began to show in his eyes.
Still, he continued to comfort his son until the first light of dawn appeared and Logan finally fell asleep.
---
At six in the morning, Caroline woke up on schedule. Only then did she notice three missed calls from Arthur. She was puzzled—Arthur calling her voluntarily?
She immediately called back. The call connected quickly.
"Logan has a fever and has vomited several times," Arthur said, his deep voice sounding somewhat hoarse.
"I see," Caroline responded calmly, then shared her expertise. "Logan probably ate something that didn't agree with him. Have him drink plenty of warm water and eat bland, easily digestible foods..."
Though typically a woman of few words, she spoke at length about childcare for nearly two minutes. When she finished, she hung up before Arthur could respond.
Layla and Logan were her children, but they weren't just hers—they were Windsor family members.
With so many people in the household, plus the housekeeper and servants, they would be well cared for.
Over the next two days, Caroline was extremely busy with work. She had intended to find time to look for another suitable gift for her grandmother.
While Gareth's calligraphy was precious, it had been a gift to her, and passing it on as a birthday present seemed inappropriate. But two days passed without her finding the time.
After everyone had been working non-stop, Gavin suggested treating the team to a meal at the Royal Hotel.
Alton, who had been working at the neuroscience laboratory lately, naturally joined the dinner.
Halfway through the meal, Caroline excused herself to use the restroom. On her way back, her expression suddenly changed as her gaze fell on several figures in the distance.
"Is that...?" Alton had somehow appeared beside her, staring at the group. He recognized one of them as Heidi.
"The White family," Caroline said softly, lowering her eyes.
Owen, her mother, and her grandmother. Alton's gaze settled on the elderly woman. "That's your in laws?"
Caroline didn't deny it. She was happy to see her grandmother again, but that didn't mean she could easily forget everything she had endured.
Alton patted her shoulder. "Shall we go back to our private room?"
"Yes," she agreed. Though she had left the White family and wanted nothing to do with them, she couldn't let go of her grandmother.