Chapter 375 Continue Then?
"Who knows who the Jimenez family will belong to in the future. Stefan, are you sure you don't want to leave yourself a way out?" Michael's warning tone rang out.
The car instantly fell silent.
Stefan had been with the Jimenez family for so many years. He was someone Steven kept close, and he'd watched all these Jimenez kids grow up. Being talked to like this by Michael today, it was impossible for Stefan not to be angry.
But everyone was smart. Angry or not, you still had to keep up appearances.
"Mr. Michael Jimenez, what are you trying to say? At the Jimenez Mansion, I only do what Mr. Steven Jimenez tells me to do."
The implication being: everything else, I don't listen, don't hear, don't understand.
"There's a reason my grandfather kept you by his side all these years," Michael said with a light laugh.
Stefan smiled and didn't respond.
By the time Michael finished all his tests, it was already late at night.
He ended up being admitted and put on an IV drip.
Michael, beaten and covered in injuries, was hospitalized. Thalia lay in bed, hugging her blanket with tears in her eyes, still complaining that William wasn't taking care of her the way she wanted.
That was the difference.
"You're the one who said stop, and you're the one who's not satisfied." William came out of the bathroom, wringing a hot towel, and couldn't help scolding her.
Seeing William approach, Thalia rolled over and obediently waited for him to wipe her down.
"Don't you know women always say the opposite of what they mean at certain special moments?"
The man, wearing only a towel around his lower half, bent down to wipe her body, his tone matter-of-fact. "Like when?"
"In bed."
William nodded. Got it.
"So continue?"
Thalia added, "I'm joking, just take it as a joke."
.........
"Fallon, is the flower basket I asked you to prepare last night ready?"
"Ready, Mrs. Brown."
Fallon brought out the flower basket. Thalia glanced at it, nodded with satisfaction, and gestured for her to take it to the car.
"Get a fruit basket too."
"Mrs. Brown, we didn't prepare that."
Thalia took a sip of warm water, her tone casual. "It's fine, just put in whatever we have at home. Not an important person."
Hearing this, Fallon felt relieved. Every time William asked them to prepare something to send out, it had to be perfect. Everyone had to prepare a day in advance and didn't dare be careless. With Thalia saying this today, Fallon understood.
"Where are you going so early in the morning?"
"The time on your schedule should be this afternoon."
Thalia reached out, and a servant nearby took the cup from her hand. She smoothly took William's tie, compared it, and stood on tiptoe to tie it for him.
This sudden gesture from Thalia caught William off guard.
Subconsciously, William felt Thalia wasn't tying this tie for nothing. He reached out and held her palm. "Thalia, what are you up to?"
Thalia said, "That's too much. Are you letting go or not?"
William looked at her suspiciously. Thalia continued what she was doing. "Going to the hospital to see Michael in a bit, having lunch with Eleanor at noon, resting at the office after lunch, then going to the set in the afternoon."
"Visiting Michael is to annoy him, but what's this about having lunch with Eleanor? Since when can you two sit down and eat together peacefully?"
Thalia finished the tie and adjusted it. "She needs money, and I have money."
"So you're telling me you want to help her out financially?"
"Do I look that stupid?"
William glanced at her. Although he didn't say a word, his look said it all and was quite meaningful.
"Alright! I'm not that dumb. I'm not going to take my money and fill that bottomless pit of the Mitchell family."
"Good that you know. If Eleanor doesn't wake up, she'll be another Zephyrine."
When Thalia arrived at the hospital, the doctor had just finished rounds. Michael heard the door and thought the doctor and nurse had come back. He didn't expect to look up and see Thalia standing at the door with a flower basket.
"Ms. Smith, what are you doing here?"
Thalia walked over and placed the basket on the bedside table. Michael looked at the flowers and almost laughed. A bunch of white carnations with a few green stalks stuck in the center looked odd, no matter how you looked at it.
The color scheme had that deadly combination you'd see at a funeral.
"Don't like it?" Thalia asked.
"I like it. I should be grateful you personally brought flowers to see me."
"John, bring in the fruit basket."
Thalia watched John place the fruit basket aside, then pulled out a chair and sat down like she owned the place. "Hurt pretty bad, huh? Must hurt a lot?"
Michael nodded. "It hurts. Now that you're here to see me, it hurts even more."
"Sounds like I should come see you more often."
"Even if we have bad blood, I don't deserve to die, do I?"
Thalia lowered her head and laughed, reaching up to adjust her sunglasses. "Well, that depends on whether you can know your place."
There really weren't many people who could show off in front of her, Thalia.
If she couldn't keep Michael in check, all these years in Emerald City would have been for nothing.
As Thalia left the hospital room, she saw Raymond jingling his car keys, heading toward Michael's room.
"Thalia, am I this lucky? Running into you here."
"What are you doing here?"
"What a coincidence, right? Last night, Michael was almost dead in an alley, and I pulled him out. Thought I'd be a good person and save his life." Raymond played the carefree act perfectly.
If Thalia hadn't seen his true colors, she'd be fooled too.
"How kind of you."
Raymond clicked his tongue. "I may not be much to look at, but I've got a good heart."
Thalia nodded with a half-smile. "I can see that."
John could tell Thalia's words were pure sarcasm. Whether Raymond really didn't catch it or was pretending not to was unclear.
As soon as they got in the car, John opened the driver's door and was about to speak. "Going to see Ms. Mitchell?"
"No rush. Go up there and beat Raymond up. For being such a busybody."
John thought, 'Now that's the Thalia I know.'