Chapter 108
David answered the call but didn't say anything.
"David, how dare you not pick up my calls?" Ashley's voice came through the speaker, carrying her usual arrogance.
"What do you want?"
Ashley paused on the other end. "Where are you right now? Get to the hospital. Immediately!"
David set the packed bag on the floor. "No need."
"What did you just say?" Ashley's voice was filled with disbelief. "David, don't forget who gave you everything! Looking like that now, who else is going to care about you besides me?"
"I haven't forgotten. But I don't need it anymore."
"You... you've got some nerve! What, you think looking like that will make Lucas feel sorry for you? Or have you already hooked up with Juliana, so now you think you can talk to me like this?"
David's grip on the phone tightened slightly.
"Don't think I don't know what kind of tricks you're all playing!" Ashley let out a cold laugh. "Weren't you supposed to kill Juliana? What happened? Can't go through with it? Or did you and Lucas already plan this whole thing together to put on a show for me?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about? Ha!" Ashley scoffed. "You've had all this time and still haven't done it. You think I don't know what you're thinking? Let me tell you something, David—give it up! Juliana is the Sharp family's disgrace, a woman Lucas absolutely cannot get involved with! I will never allow her through the Sharp family's doors!"
David closed his eyes, letting Ashley's tirade echo in his ears.
He used to think he was part of the Sharp family, that he was Ashley's "son." But now, all he heard was naked manipulation and mockery.
"Give up, David. You can't fight me, and you can't fight the Sharp family. Come back now, do what I tell you, and I'll still throw you a lifeline. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?" David opened his eyes. "What else can you do that's worse than what you've already done? Like killing my parents?"
Ashley went silent on the other end.
"Remember this, David." Ashley's voice turned ice-cold again. "There will never be a place for Juliana in the Sharp family. And you—you'll always be nothing more than the Sharp family's dog."
David hung up.
He stood, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the room without looking back.
Outside the villa, the rain had stopped.
He didn't look back. He walked straight into the endless night.
……
Lucas stood outside David's hospital room door.
That line—"Whatever we had, it's over"—felt like a dull knife scraping repeatedly across his heart.
He thought about the look in David's eyes when he left. That despair. That finality.
He'd truly given up.
Lucas headed to the hospital director's office. The moment he opened the door, he got straight to the point.
"Where is David's attending physician now?"
The director hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally telling the truth. "Mr. Sharp, Mr. White's attending physician... his entire team submitted their resignations last night. They're gone. We can't find them."
Lucas's brow furrowed.
He turned to his assistant. "Find them."
Something was clearly off.
He turned back to the director, his tone cold. "I know I arranged the medical team, so even if something went wrong, it's not entirely the hospital's responsibility. But David is your patient. Doesn't this hospital care about patients' mental health?"
The director was sweating bullets, apologizing profusely.
Lucas gave him a cool glance. "I need answers."
"Of course, of course. Please give me some time," the director said.
……
In his office, Lucas sat behind the large desk, his thoughts in turmoil.
David had called him "the Sharp family's dirty glove," "a pawn that could be sacrificed at any time." Those words burned into him like a branding iron.
He thought back to when David was injured before. He'd just sent over the best medical resources but hadn't stayed by his side himself.
He'd always thought David was tough, that he didn't need constant checking in.
Looking back now, that was just a selfish excuse.
Regret washed over him like a rising tide, drowning him.
He closed his eyes. David's destroyed face flashed through his mind.
He knew he'd screwed up. Badly.
The office door opened quietly. Juliana walked in.
She looked at Lucas but didn't say anything. She just set a cup of hot tea beside him.
"You heard about David?" Lucas asked.
Juliana nodded.
"Now's not the time for self-blame," Juliana said gently. "What matters is what happens next. David's emotions are running high right now. If you want to fix this, you need to show him real sincerity."
"Sincerity?" Lucas let out a bitter laugh. "He probably wants to kill me right now."
"He's angry because he still had expectations. If he'd truly given up, he wouldn't bother venting at you." Juliana analyzed. "He just feels betrayed. Used. You need to show him that you're different from the rest of the Sharp family."
"What should I do?" Lucas looked at Juliana, seeking her advice. When everything felt chaotic, Juliana always stayed clear-headed.
"First, find those doctors. They're the key—and they're proof of your innocence," Juliana said. "Second, find David. Explain things to him face-to-face, not through someone else. Let him see your attitude, your apology."
Lucas took a deep breath. His chaotic thoughts were starting to clear with Juliana's words.
"You're right." He picked up his phone and immediately gave his assistant instructions. "Use every resource we have. Find that medical team that left yesterday." He paused. "Also, track David's whereabouts. Wherever he is, I need to know."
He hung up, then picked up his personal phone and dialed David's number. It wouldn't go through.
Lucas tried several more times. Same result. He tried texting instead, typing out a brief message: [David, I know I messed up. Give me a chance. Let's talk.]
Message failed to send.
His heart sank. He opened his contacts and saw a small red exclamation mark next to David's name.
He'd been blocked.