Chapter 164 Colluding

Chapter 164 Colluding

Just then, Brandon walked in, holding a bouquet of white lilies.

He immediately saw Monica sitting on the bed, her face streaked with tears. 

Without a second thought, he quickly crossed the room, set the flowers aside, and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

The moment Monica saw Brandon, her mind went blank. 

She was utterly confused, unable to distinguish whether this was reality or still a dream.

Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but fear of a harsh truth kept her silent. 

Tears streamed down her face, soaking her clothes.

Brandon's heart ached for her. He held her tightly, as if his embrace could shield her from all the world's pain. 

"Let it out, Monica. If you need to cry, just cry. If you feel up to it, I need to take you to the funeral home. Your mom's body still needs your signature for the cremation."

His voice was low and hoarse.

"No, this isn't real. I just had a dream!"

Monica clung to a desperate hope, shaking her head frantically. 

"My grandpa and my mom were in my dream, in a big garden, our old family home. My grandpa is still alive, so my mom can't be dead."

"Brandon, tell me what we saw was a dream, right?"

"My mom can't just leave me like this."

Her voice was filled with tears and pleading.

"Calm down, Monica."

Brandon held her tightly, trying to warm her cold heart with his own body heat.

"If your grandpa is still alive, he needs you now too," he said. "And you're pregnant. You can't get too upset. I'm so sorry about your mom. I never imagined Henry would hide her in Serenity Nursing Home."

"I'll kill him! It must be Henry! He killed my mom!"

Monica's emotions exploded like a powder keg. 

She grabbed a fruit knife from the bedside table, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and tried to rush out of the room, her eyes burning with hatred.

Brandon's heart tightened. He quickly blocked her path, grabbing her arm.

Monica had lost all reason, hitting Brandon's chest with all her might. In the chaos, the knife slashed his arm, and blood quickly soaked his sleeve.

Ignoring the pain, Brandon gripped Monica's wrist, holding the knife, and pulled her into another tight embrace. 

His voice was firm yet gentle. "Calm down, Monica. You have no evidence. If you kill him now, you'll go to jail. It's not worth it."

"And this needs careful planning to succeed."

"If there are more villains, you need the best strategy to deal with them. Take away what they value most. That's the greatest punishment."

He gently stroked her back, trying to soothe her.

"No, Brandon, you don't understand. After I went to college, my mom got sick. She hid it from me, saying it didn't hurt, secretly going to the hospital for injections. By the time I found out, it was too late."

Monica sobbed in Brandon's arms, her words broken and filled with sorrow. "I signed three critical condition notices for her in the hospital. I couldn't afford her dialysis, so I turned to Henry."

"I was useless, unable to protect my mom, letting her fall into Henry's hands, becoming his leverage over me."

"I've had enough. Don't stop me. I want to take Henry down with me!"

"I don't care if he has accomplices or if it's illegal. I just want to kill this murderer."

"He's not my father. I can't have his filthy blood in me!"

"He promised me. How could he break his word?"

"I did everything he asked. I only asked him to save my mom. Was that so hard?"

"Brandon! You don't understand. I have so few loved ones left in this world."

"My mom was gentle, but she loved me more than anyone."

Monica's words were filled with pain, guilt, and regret, each one cutting into Brandon's heart like a knife.

Hearing Monica's tearful, incoherent words, Brandon's eyes reddened. 

He gently stroked the back of her head, trying to ease her pain.

But Monica's emotions were too intense, and soon she fainted again, crying.

Brandon was frantic, quickly calling for a doctor.

The doctor rushed in, examined Monica carefully, and frowned deeply. "This is the second time the pregnant woman has fainted. The fetal heart rate is very poor. If you can't calm her down, she might lose the baby."

"But her mother just passed away."

Brandon's face was full of worry.

"I understand, but you need to decide what's more important. Do you want to keep the baby?" The doctor sighed, continuing, "I'll adjust her estrogen levels and give her a progesterone shot to try to save the baby."

"But you, as her husband, need to comfort her. Or you could handle her mother's funeral arrangements to avoid further distress."

"That's just my suggestion."

The doctor checked the heart rate and fetal heart monitor, quickly signing a report and handing it to a nurse.

Brandon nodded gravely, filled with worry. He pulled out his phone and called Justin, giving him instructions in a low voice.

Meanwhile, at the Evans Villa.

"Is it true?"

Henry sat on the living room sofa, a hint of tension and anticipation in his eyes as he looked at Paula.

"Absolutely. The funeral home just messaged that Brandon's assistant signed the papers. Kathie's body has been cremated."

Paula waved her phone with a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with greed as she admired the new jewelry from the store.

"Even if there's evidence later, it won't trace back to you. Don't worry, honey."

"My wife always knows what to do. How did you know it was me?"

Henry stood up, walked over to Paula, and playfully pinched her nose, a teasing tone in his voice.