Chapter 279

Chapter 279
Adam's POV

The phone rang in the early morning. I was already awake, reviewing quarterly forecast reports on my tablet, while Stella slept beside me, her black hair spread across the pillow like spilled ink.

"Mr. Lancaster?" The voice on the other end was calm and professional. "This is Dr. Morgan from St. John's Hospital. Your father has regained consciousness."

Those five words hung in the air, heavier than they had any right to be. William Lancaster was awake. The old man who had manipulated much of my life from the shadows had returned to the land of the living.

"I understand," I replied, keeping my tone even. "We'll be there shortly."

Hanging up, I turned to find Stella watching me, her eyes unusually alert despite having just awakened. She always sensed even the slightest shifts in my mood.

"Your father?" she asked softly.

I nodded, setting down the tablet. "He's awake."

Stella immediately sat up, the sheet sliding down to her waist as she reached for her phone. "I'll reschedule my morning lecture. We should get there before Thomas and his vultures descend."

Damn it, we were still too late.

When we arrived at the private ward section of St. John's Hospital, Thomas, Chloe, and Brian were already standing guard outside William's room like sentinels. Their well-practiced expressions of concern might fool the medical staff, but I could see the calculation in their eyes.

Chloe noticed us first. She smoothed her designer dress and pasted on a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Adam, Stella, you're here. The doctors are examining him now. We're waiting for clearance to enter."

Stella's hand tightened almost imperceptibly in mine. "How convenient that you're all already here so early," she observed, her tone suspiciously light.

Thomas stepped forward, positioning himself between us and the door. "As next of kin, we were notified immediately. Given your... estranged relationship with Father, I'm surprised they bothered to inform you at all."

Before I could respond, the door opened and Dr. Morgan emerged with his medical team. The timing saved Thomas from whatever sharp retort Stella had been about to deliver.

"Lancaster family," Dr. Morgan addressed us collectively, his expression deliberately neutral. "Mr. Lancaster has indeed regained consciousness, which is a positive development. However, I must prepare you."

He explained William's condition with clinical precision: partial paralysis on the right side, significant speech impairment, difficulty swallowing. The cerebral hemorrhage had left its mark.

"We're allowing brief visits now," he concluded. "Please keep interactions calm and minimal. Emotional stress could be detrimental to his recovery."

As we entered the room, the sight of William Lancaster—once the embodiment of power and authority—hit me more forcefully than I'd anticipated. Propped against white pillows, his skin was almost the same color. His right hand lay limp on the blanket, and the right side of his face drooped slightly, giving him an asymmetrical appearance that was jarring to behold.

Joseph, who had been sitting by the bedside, stood as we entered. The butler's presence surprised me—he had clearly been here for some time.

"Mr. Lancaster," Joseph said to William, "your family has arrived."

William's left eye focused sharply, scanning each of us with an intensity that his weakened body could not diminish. When his gaze landed on me, something flickered across his face—recognition, perhaps, or something more complex.

Joseph approached William's bed. "Sir, with your permission, I've briefed Mr. Lancaster on recent developments." His eyes met mine briefly. "Including the unfortunate allegations against Adam regarding his brother's death."

William's expression changed, his left hand twitching on the blanket.

"I've also informed him about Ms. Violet Lancaster taking over as CEO," Joseph continued evenly, "and about the document prepared before his medical incident."

Brian stepped forward, the look of sincere concern on his face almost making me laugh. It was like watching an amateur actor perform Shakespeare—all the right gestures but no substance.

"Grandfather," he began, his voice dripping with fake sincerity, "Violet is your daughter who married into Europe and hasn't even come back to visit you once in all these years. How is giving her the CEO position any different from handing our family business to an outsider?"

William's mouth moved silently, struggling with words that wouldn't come, his frustration evident. His left hand balled into a fist.

Joseph leaned closer. "Sir, there's one more update you should know. Ms. Davis has publicly released information about Adam's brother's mental state before his death. She revealed that he suffered from severe depression and had attempted suicide multiple times."

At this, William's entire body tensed. Joseph picked up a tablet from the bedside table. "Sir, I've prepared this for you. If you wish to communicate more easily, you can type your thoughts."

William's fingers trembled as he took the tablet, but he managed to type something with his left hand. Joseph read the message aloud: "I want to speak with Adam alone."

Thomas immediately tensed. "Father, in your condition, perhaps it would be better if we all stayed—"

William's hand weakly tapped the tablet, his face contorting with effort. Joseph translated the gesture: "Mr. Lancaster insists. He wishes to speak with Adam privately."

Thomas, Chloe, and Brian exchanged glances, their discomfort obvious. They couldn't refuse William's direct request, but they clearly feared what might be said in their absence.

"Fine," Thomas relented tightly. "We'll wait outside."

As they filed out, Joseph turned to Stella. "Mrs. Lancaster, perhaps you should also allow them some privacy."

"My wife stays," I said flatly before Stella could respond.

William's eyes narrowed, his fingers moving on the tablet again. Joseph read: "This is family business."

I met my father's gaze directly. "Then perhaps I should leave too?"

It was a calculated move. William needed me here more than I needed this conversation. The challenge hung in the air between us, decades of unspoken conflict distilled into that moment.

Finally, William's fingers moved across the screen again. Joseph read: "She can stay."

Once the door closed behind Joseph, leaving just the three of us, William began laboriously typing. Joseph returned to read the message: "Adam, I want you to take back the CEO position at Lancaster Group. If you refuse, Thomas and his family will take over."

I looked at him dispassionately. "Do as you please."

William's face reddened at my dismissal, but before he could respond, Stella stepped forward.

"Mr. Lancaster," she said, her voice deceptively calm, "are you feeling suicidal today?"

Joseph gasped. "Mrs. Lancaster! Mind your words!"

Stella ignored him, her gaze fixed on William. "Because that's what it sounds like when you threaten to hand control back to the people who likely caused your cerebral hemorrhage."

God, Stella is so direct, but that's exactly why I love her.

The room fell into a dead silence. Even William seemed shocked by her frankness.

"You covered up Adam's brother's death," she continued relentlessly, "you let Adam carry the burden of suspicion and public condemnation for years. You never bothered to investigate the truth or clear his name." Her voice trembled slightly with controlled anger. "Now you learn that your son suffered from severe depression, information that could have changed everything—information Grace Davis knew but never shared with the family."

William's expression was hard to read, a mixture of anger and possibly shame.

You old bastard, are you finally feeling guilty? Too fucking late.

"Mr. Lancaster, don't you find it strange?" Stella continued to press, "A man who has always carefully maintained his health, with perfect blood pressure for years, suddenly suffers a cerebral hemorrhage right after creating a document that threatens Thomas's position?"

William's eyes flickered, and I could see the seeds of doubt taking root. He had been so focused on using his condition to manipulate me that he hadn't even considered that its cause might not have been natural.

"Violet stays," I finally broke the silence. "Don't remove her."

Without waiting for a response, I took Stella's hand and led her from the room, leaving William alone with his thoughts.