Chapter 300

Chapter 300

"Mommy!" Barry exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.

This made Katherine even more incredulous. "Heaven must be wonderful if Barry can speak here. If only this could happen in the real world—such a brilliant child shouldn't have to suffer from illness."

"Everyone step back! You're suffocating her, and patients need proper ventilation and a quiet environment. I need to run some basic examinations." Edward arrived with his medical kit, shooing everyone away from the bedside.

The scene was almost comical—half the hospital room was packed with people, leaving barely any space to move around the bed.

When Edward began administering acupuncture, Katherine finally felt real pain. "Edward, be gentle! I already know I'm not in heaven."

Seeing Katherine attempt to sit up, Edward quickly withdrew the needle from that particular point.

Shortly after, the attending physician came to check on Katherine's condition. "Ms. Wilson has passed the critical stage. All her vitals are normal now—she should be able to go home today."

Howard grasped Katherine's hand, his voice thick with emotion. "You terrified everyone. Barry nearly lost his mother right after finding her."

It took Katherine several mental loops to process what he'd said. "Are you saying I'm Barry's biological mother? Then Arabella, she..."

"Years ago, I was framed at that hotel and accidentally collided with you, disrupting Wayne's initial plan. When you were in danger, I happened to be at the neighboring factory. I didn't know who you were then—I just rescued someone and left them in a safe, shaded area before leaving. Michael found you later." Howard's explanation came carefully. "Milton and Barry discovered numerous photos and videos in the cloud storage, so all of this was actually a beautiful coincidence."

Monica approached and handed Katherine a document folder. "Katherine, this is the stock transfer agreement for the Wilson Corporation—consider it your first welcome-back gift. There are more to come, but we won't interfere with those." She tugged at Michael's arm.

"I'm just relieved you're alright," Michael said with a smile, following Monica out of the room.

The two had been constantly bickering before their trip to Valdoria, but after just one month, they were inseparable, walking arm in arm everywhere.

Katherine later learned that Monica was actually the daughter of a wealthy Valdorian family who had come to the country searching for her birth mother. Her adoption by ordinary parents had been purely for convenience in her investigation.

With this background revealed, Michael's family troubles had been smoothly resolved as well.

Aurelius paused in fingering his prayer beads and stood up. "Katherine, this is the last favor I'll do for you. If we meet again in business, I won't be so generous—I'll charge you double."

"You..." Katherine's expression darkened.

"Don't 'you' me. Without my intervention, you probably wouldn't have awakened so quickly. Combined with previous debts, you owe me quite a bit. If you don't want to pay, that's fine—you have a husband who can settle your debts. Worst case, just hand over the Martinez Group. I've been looking to acquire domestic enterprises anyway, and I was struggling to find a suitable target." Aurelius's tone was playfully mocking.

While Howard remained silent, Katherine was quick to refuse. "Absolutely not! Any business dealings with me will be at fair market price—or below!"

Aurelius glanced at the digital clock. "I have to attend mass. I'm leaving now. The peaceful environment here is superior to what we have abroad—it's quite calming. Given your emotional instability, you should consider trying it yourself." With that, he strode out of the room.

Finally, only Howard and the three children remained in the hospital room.

"Where is Arabella?" Katherine asked.

Howard had no reason to hide anything about such a person. "She was an escapee from the W Organization who fabricated her story to get close to me. Back then, the child was part of a trap she set for me, together with someone else. Since she belongs to W Organization, it's their responsibility to deal with her. She wanted to end her life in my villa, but unfortunately for her, Aurelius arrived before the Grim Reaper and took her away."

Katherine drew in a sharp breath.

She wasn't unfamiliar with how the W Organization dealt with traitors. Even if Arabella survived, she wouldn't escape unscathed.

Howard waved his hand dismissively. "Come see the second gift I've prepared for you." 

On the small coffee table sat a modest bag.

Howard unzipped it and struggled slightly to lift it to the bedside. "This contains reports on all my domestic and international properties and business ventures, plus car keys and bank cards. I've changed all the passwords to your initials plus your birthday, followed by symbols in sequence. All of this belongs to you now."

Katherine did appreciate material wealth, but she simply wanted to ensure a good life for herself and the children—not to become someone's financial manager.

Barry pulled up a spreadsheet on his computer. "To make it easier for Mommy to track everything, I've created an automated table. You don't need to manage anything—just check the daily returns."

Flora chimed in excitedly, "Mommy, I've already signed with Emerald City's largest gallery! This past month, I've created so many pieces you haven't seen yet. I'm earning money now too, so you won't have to work so hard anymore!"

"If Flora's and Barry's contributions aren't enough, there's me too. I'm currently a part-time consultant at the hospital, but once I'm older, promotions will come quickly," Edward added earnestly.

Katherine nodded with satisfaction but quickly felt overwhelmed by the pressure. She already had her studio and the Wilson Corporation to manage—how could she handle all of this?

"You should all just take care of yourselves. I'm exhausted enough as it is—I just want to rest." Katherine smoothly sank back onto the hospital bed.

The sound of wood tapping against tile echoed from the hallway. Gloria entered, leaning on her walking stick. "You're far too young to be thinking only of rest, dear. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, you won't be nearly as robust."

"The car is waiting downstairs, and the gifts at home are ready. Hurry up and get ready—we're checking out." Before Katherine could react, Howard had scooped her up and carried her out of the room to the car.

The three children helped Gloria follow behind them.

Outside the Martinez Mansion, the grounds had been transformed with a stunning floral pathway. The couture gown design that had been auctioned earlier now shimmered with rainbow hues under the sunlight.

"Katherine, I've spent the last month thinking about how to propose to you once you woke up. But I realized the perfect moment is just whenever it happens. Will you marry me?" Howard dropped to one knee, revealing a magnificent phoenix-shaped golden ring nestled in its box.

Katherine hesitated slightly—there were still some important matters she hadn't fully understood.

Barry seemed to share a telepathic connection with Katherine. "Mommy, are you worried about Grandfather's situation? Daniel admitted everything. He tried to take over the Martinez Group and caused Grandfather's accident. We've already called the police and had him arrested."

"Say yes! Say yes!" The three children began running in circles, chanting encouragement.

Katherine looked down and extended her hand. "I'm afraid if I refuse you, you might cry, so I'll reluctantly agree. But as you can see, I have quite the support team here—if you ever treat me poorly, you're finished!"