Chapter 96 A Black-Hearted Caregiver? She’s Here
Alex's deep, narrow eyes fixed on Matthew, cold as ice.
Their eyes met. Matthew didn't flinch at all. Instead, he smiled warmly from the corners of his lips . "Then I won't bother Mr. Baker anymore. I have things to do."
With that, he headed straight to the white building nearby.
The wind swept by, kicking up a few fallen leaves on the ground.
The air held only a faint smell of tobacco.
An unexplained irritation rose in Alex's chest... along with a bit of dull pain.
In the hospital l
.
Outside the VIP ward.
Grace showed up right on time in a plain long dress. Her lightdelicate makeup made her face look soft and gentle, fragile and kind.
These past few days, she came every day without missing it, rain or shine—wiping hands, combing hair, even reading the newspaper.
She handled every task with total care, no mistakes at all.
She never brought up Emily in front of Alex, and never made any demands.
If asked, she'd say she just wanted to do things for grandma.
She seemed so pure and thoughtful, it made your heart ache.
Just then, a nurse came in for the old lady's routine check.
The nurse had a flattering smile, set down her tray, and started chatting. "Miss Miller, you're so caring, coming every day to keep the old lady company. You're even better than her real granddaughter!"
"Mr. Baker is lucky to have someone like Miss Miller around."
Suddenly, hearing the voices from inside the room, Alex paused as he reached the door.
Grace sat by the bed, gently massaging Margaret's hands and feet with a soft expression. "I'm not that great. Stop praising me. Don't say this stuff in front of Mr. Baker, okay?"
The nurse covered her mouth and laughed. "If the old lady knew she had such a devoted daughter-in-law like Miss Miller, she'd wake up sooner for sure."
Grace smiled gently and casually glanced at the nurse's pocket.
It was bulging—with all the cash she'd slipped in there.
On the surface, it was to get the nurse to watch her more closely, but really, it was to buy her loyalty so she'd say good things about her.
Every word floated clearly into Alex's ears.
He walked in without a change in expression. "How's grandma?"
Grace saw him and stood up fast. "Alex, you're here! Grandma's the same, but today's test results are all normal. The records are right here—take a look."
She handed him the medical log and lab reports for the day.
Alex flipped through them quickly. "Mm, thanks for looking after grandma."
His attitude toward Grace had softened a lot—no longer cold and distant like before.
This was the moment Grace had waited for!
Joy flashed in her eyes, but she hid it in a second. She stood up right away, her voice soft. "No need to be polite with me. Grandma's stable today. I just wiped her hands and massaged her legs and feet."
Alex hummed, his heavy gaze on the old lady, full of guilt and sadness.
Grandma...
Grace watched him, a flicker of scheming in her eyes, but her face stayed gentle. "Today... thanks for the help."
"Hm?"
"This morning, dropping Zane off at school..." Grace lowered her eyes, her tone even softer. "If you hadn't given me a ride on the way, I really couldn't have handled it alone."
"It was on the way. Don't worry about it."
Grace softly agreed, but in an instant, her eyes turned red. "Alex, I..."
Alex frowned a little and slowly tucked grandma's hand under the blanket. "What's up? Just say it."
Grace bit her lip and stayed quiet for a long time, like she was building up courage. "Alex... I might have messed up before, but it was all because I wanted to be by your side. I never wanted anything from you, really! I just want to stay quietly with you, take care of grandma and the family."
She looked up, eyes misty with tears, a careful hope in them. "Can we... get engaged? I'll be a good wife and also, a good daughter--in-law. And... we were meant to be like this anyway."
The air grew heavy, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Alex's eyes darkened. After a pause, he said flatly, "I'm not thinking about that now. Grandma's still in a coma. She needs someone here. I'm planning to hire a caregiver."
He didn't say yes, but he didn't shut her down right away!
That was a good sign!
Grace nodded obediently. "I get it. I can wait. Until grandma wakes up and you're ready."
She switched topics fast, like it was no big deal, and looked worried at Margaret. "But... I really don't trust caregivers. There are so many shady ones out there—they slack off and even abuse old people. Grandma can't even respond. What if someone mistreats her?"
Alex went quiet at that.
It was a real worry.
"I'll hire the best one—top professional, no issues like that."
But Grace shook her head. "Alex, money can't stop bad intentions. How about... I stay? I'll be here 24 hours, take care of her myself. That way I can show some filial piety, and you can relax."
She pulled out her own logbook.
Her neat handwriting was crystal clear.
Even stuff like how often Margaret urinated or what time they drew blood for tests—she had it all noted down.
Alex thought it over. Grace was careful, no doubt.
Grandma lay there on the bed, but her rosy cheeks showed just how well she was cared for.
Plus... he didn't trust outsiders with grandma.
"Okay then. Sorry to trouble you. Call me anytime if something comes up."
Right then, he transferred some money to her card. "Buy whatever you need. Don't hold back."
As soon as he finished speaking,
Grace's phone pinged with a deposit alert.
She stared at the number, heart racing, eyes bursting with joy she couldn't hide.
So much cash—she couldn't make that in half a year of live streaming. Everything was falling into place, piece by piece!
Alex was starting to trust her. He was even okay leaving grandma in her hands!
So what if Emily came back?
What could beat her now!
She forced down her excitement and kept her meek face on. "Alex, I don't want your money. Taking care of grandma is my choice. I'll send it back right now..."
Alex gave her a flat look. "Hospital bills add up fast—keep it for that. Plus, without live streaming, Zane's school fees need covering. Just focus on grandma here. I don't want anyone else bothering her."
His tone was cold, the meaning clear.
If she was staying to care for Margaret, no more company or streaming distractions.
Grace nodded right away. "Okay, got it."