Chapter 39
Juliana froze at his question. What else would it be?
Lucas said nothing. He turned and walked out. The door had barely closed when another figure slipped inside.
David leaned against the doorframe, clicking his tongue. "Dr. Wells, you really have a gift for setting him off with just one sentence."
Juliana didn't respond, her mind a tangled mess.
"Don't let that act fool you." David pulled up a chair and dropped into it. "While you were out, he stayed by your side all night. Didn't close his eyes once. When the doctor said you couldn't swallow, he gave you the medicine mouth-to-mouth. That scene..." He shook his head. "I've known him for years, and I've never seen him that worried about anyone."
Juliana unconsciously lifted her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing her lips. Mouth-to-mouth... No wonder, in her haze, she'd tasted something sharp and bitter.
The Hale family had truly taken a devastating blow. Overnight, several of their subsidiaries went bankrupt, their stock plummeting catastrophically. Marcus had thrown in nearly all his liquid assets just to barely keep the main corporation afloat, but even that was on life support.
That afternoon, someone knocked on the hospital room door. Marcus walked in with Bianca trailing behind him. The once high-flying CEO looked like he'd aged ten years, gray streaking his temples. Bianca looked even worse—gaunt and haggard, her heavy makeup unable to hide the exhaustion and venom in her eyes.
Marcus roughly shoved his daughter forward. "Apologize to Ms. Wells!"
Bianca clenched her jaw, squeezing three words through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry."
Her eyes held no remorse whatsoever. If anything, she looked ready to eat Juliana alive.
Juliana looked at her, her expression calm. "Get out."
"You!" Bianca instantly exploded. If Marcus hadn't held her back with an iron grip, she probably would've lunged forward. "You think just because Lucas is protecting you now, you can act so smug? He'll get tired of you eventually! Just you wait!"
Marcus physically dragged her out. A moment later, he returned alone, the humble apology vanished from his face.
"Ms. Wells, I'll be blunt." He pulled out a checkbook from his coat. "Name your price. How much will it take for you to leave Lucas and leave this city?"
Juliana almost laughed. Like father, like daughter, apparently.
"Mr. Hale," she lifted her eyes, her gaze ice-cold, "not everyone's like your daughter—with a price tag attached."
Marcus's face stiffened. He stared at Juliana's plain but undeniably sharp features, something uneasy stirring in his chest. Those eyes... Especially the way she looked at him now, with that mix of mockery and defiance—why did she look so much like Dami?
An absurd thought shot through his mind without warning. The idea scared even him. He hastily muttered "Take care of yourself" and practically fled.
Outside, Bianca was sobbing on the phone to Emily. Marcus came out and saw her, snapping, "Crying! What good does crying do! Lucas is a brick wall—what do you think you'll accomplish by butting heads with him? Listen to me. Right now, the only card you have left is the one in your hand!"
"What card do I have left..."
"The child! Don't forget, you're still Damian's 'mother'! Get to the Sharp family estate right now. Take his favorite treats, make him happy! As long as the kid is on your side, Ashley can't fall! Do you understand?"
Bianca clutched onto that lifeline like a drowning woman. She immediately wiped her tears and drove to the Sharp Estate.
In the living room, Matthew sat on the carpet, completely absorbed in a thick finance book.
"Dami." Bianca switched to an expression so syrupy sweet it could drip honey. "Look, Mommy brought you your favorite—strawberry mousse."
He didn't call her out. He simply reached out his small hand and accepted the cake box. Seeing him take it, Bianca's spirits lifted, thinking her soft approach was working.
She crouched down. "Dami, Mommy knows you've had a rough few days. Don't be mad at Mommy. Help Mommy talk to your daddy, ask him to forgive Mommy, okay?"
Matthew opened the cake box. "You seem to really like Daddy." It was a statement, not a question, delivered in a tone far too steady for a child.
Bianca's heart skipped. Her smile stiffened. "Mommy loves you too."
"Do you?" Matthew poked at the strawberry on top with a fork. "But you always forget that I hate strawberries."
Bianca's face instantly darkened. Why would she bother remembering what a bastard child liked? She was only being nice to him to get to Lucas.
Matthew stopped looking at her, pushing the cake aside and picking up his thick finance book again. "I heard from Uncle David that Dr. Wells went home to rest. The surgery she did for Grandma was very successful."
At the mention of Dr. Wells, Bianca's nerves immediately went on high alert.
"I really like Dr. Wells. When she and Daddy live together, you won't need to come anymore, Ms. Hale." Matthew looked up, his eyes clear and innocent.
That 'Ms. Hale' was a direct hit.
"Ha." She let out a cold laugh. "She did something bad and got what she deserved. She's lying in a hospital bed right now! Might not even make it!"
The words were out before she realized her mistake. Matthew's fingers froze mid-page turn. Hospital? Mommy's in the hospital?
His heart dropped. He wanted to ask more, but Bianca, afraid she couldn't control her rage much longer, quickly left.
Matthew immediately ran back to his room and dialed Damian on his smartwatch.
"Dami, I found something out." Matthew's voice was heavy. "Mommy's in the hospital."
Juliana had enrolled Matthew in boarding school, so these past few days Damian had been pretending Matthew was still there. Hearing this, he panicked. "What happened to her? Did that woman do something to her again?"
"I don't know, but something definitely happened. Brother, tomorrow's our switch day. I have to go back and check on her."
"Okay."
That weekend, the two boys quickly switched clothes at school.
"Be careful. Don't blow your cover," Matthew warned.
"I know, I know. You get to the hospital and find out what happened to Mom!" Damian gritted his teeth. "I'll make Dad take me there. Don't worry!"
Matthew hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Okay! We'll split up!"