Chapter 796 Their Love Has No Future

Chapter 796 Their Love Has No Future

Eric only stayed in the hospital for one night.

He didn't sleep at all. The whole night, he was on the phone — taking calls, making calls, arranging press conferences, reaching out to top psychiatrists and psychologists both at home and abroad, trying to line up the best possible care for Molly going forward.

Maurice, as if deliberately trying to overwhelm him — as if deliberately trying to distract him — dumped nearly every piece of company business onto his plate, with no regard for whether Eric could even handle it physically. Glenn stood by watching, helpless, on the verge of tears.

That morning, barely after his IV drip had been set up, Eric got a call from Ellen saying Molly had stabilized a little. He immediately pulled the needle out of his arm, got up, and walked out the door while putting on his black coat.

"Autumn, get the car ready!"

"Mr. Clark, you could at least finish this drip before you go!" Glenn could barely stand to watch. In just two or three days, Mr. Clark had run himself so ragged that his face had visibly hollowed out.

"I'm fine."

Eric was already out the door. His figure looked resolute but lonely from behind, and his hoarse voice carried a raw, urgent longing. "Nothing — nothing — is more important than seeing my wife."

……

The car pulled back into the Half Moon Bay estate.

But once again, Eric was turned away at the door — this time by Byron.

Tyler came out to meet him instead. His manner was respectful, his tone calm and even, with no trace of resentment. "Mr. Clark, Ms. Wellington is doing much better. She had a good breakfast this morning."

"Really? ...Molly ate well? That's wonderful..."

A warm smile spread across Eric's face, his long lashes fluttering softly. The moment he let himself think about it, he was pulled right back into those sweet, tender memories. "Molly never really liked eating breakfast. Before, I always had to coax her out of bed to eat. Every time... I'd try to stay and eat with her before I left for the day."

"You've been so thoughtful, Mr. Clark. You've taken such good care of our young lady all this time. We're grateful." Tyler gave a small bow.

Eric felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest.

No matter how he heard those words, they sounded like a goodbye.

"Mr. Wellington and Ms. Ellen, who has always looked after her, are both by her side. She's doing well now — you don't need to worry. It's gotten quite cold these past few days. Please take care of yourself and head back."

"Tyler!"

Eric grabbed Tyler's arm, his eyes burning with desperation. He opened his dry lips but couldn't get the words out at first. After a moment, he managed to say in a rough voice, "Can I just see Molly? Just for a moment. I miss her so much..."

"Mr. Clark, Mr. Wellington's instructions are that Ms. Wellington is not to have visitors while she's recovering. Please head back." Tyler repeated the line like he had no choice.

"Visitors?"

The word hit Eric like a slap. He couldn't hold back a heavy, rattling cough. "Molly is my fiancée. I'm her partner — her family. How can I be a visitor?"

"I know. I know you're carrying a lot."

Tyler had watched Eric grow up. He couldn't keep up the cold front any longer. He spoke gently, with the weight of someone who genuinely cared. "But after everything that happened, you know how furious Byron is — how much he resents what occurred. And then there's Maurice..."

"What did he do?" Eric pressed anxiously.

"The night it happened, he called. He and Byron had a very heated argument. Ms. Taylor was there too."

Tyler let out a tired sigh. "Both of them made their position very clear on that call. Your engagement to Molly... it looks like it's going to be called off."

A sharp, thunderous pain exploded through Eric's head. Even his breath tasted like blood.

He could easily imagine the things Maurice must have said — how vicious, how cutting — all to tear apart the happiness Eric had fought so hard to build.

Tyler watched the color drain from Eric's face and felt a deep unease. He could only say quietly:

"Mr. Clark, you know Molly's condition well. The truth is, Mr. Wellington never really envisioned marriage for her. It's not something that suits her. Mr. Wellington, Edward, and Ms. Taylor — they can take care of her for the rest of her life. Rather than being the wife of a powerful family, she's better off living without a care in the world as the most cherished daughter of the Wellingtons. You've done nothing wrong. It's just that the two of you... weren't meant to be. When you go back, there's no need to make things too difficult with your family. Mr. Wellington isn't asking you to make any grand gesture. Just let things end here. You had something beautiful. Isn't that enough?"

Tyler knew how cruel those words were to a man who loved Molly the way Eric did.

But it was the gentlest way he could think of to tell him —

There was no future for him and Molly. Not anymore.

"Have any of you stopped to think about how Molly feels?"

Eric's eyes were bloodshot, his shoulders shaking. "Molly loves me! We need each other! What century are we living in — you're still pulling the arranged marriage, family alliance nonsense? I love her no matter what. I don't care how much pressure there is — I'll give up everything to be with her! We love each other... that should be enough! Why can't we be together... why?"

Tyler knew there was nothing more to say. He gave another bow and turned to walk back inside.

"What if I quit as CEO? What if I cut all ties with the Clark Group? I'll give up everything... I just want Molly!"

Eric's voice cracked as he shouted, raw and desperate.

The only answer was the cold wind howling past in silence.

After a long moment, a slight, familiar figure appeared before the hollow-looking man. It was Ellen.

"Mr. Clark, let me take you home." Ellen's eyes were swollen and red — she had clearly been crying.

Eric's dark, sunken eyes lit up again. He grabbed her by both shoulders. "Ellen... Molly knows I'm here, doesn't she? I made enough noise — there's no way she doesn't know I'm right out here waiting for her!"

"Yes. She heard you." Ellen forced the words out.

"What did she say... did Molly say anything to you?"

Hope flickered desperately in Eric's eyes. His grip on her shoulders was tight enough to hurt. "She must miss me too. She must want to come home with me. Ellen, let's bring Molly home right now — I'm taking her home today. No one is going to stop me!"

"Sir."

Ellen didn't move. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "She's not going back with you."

Eric froze. "What did you say?"

Ellen's eyes filled with tears. Slowly, she opened her hand.

The beautiful, custom vintage diamond ring lay quietly in her palm — just like all those warm, tender nights when a soft, gentle girl would fall asleep quietly in his arms.

"She asked me to return this to you."

Not a single word from Molly. And yet the return of that ring cut through him like a thousand blades, leaving him in pieces.

The blow hit Eric like a physical force. He lurched forward, a wave of suffocating pain and crushing pressure slamming into his chest all at once. His vision went dark and still, and he collapsed — helplessly, heavily — onto the cold, hard ground, and lost consciousness completely.

"Sir!"