Eric answered the call, but the line was abruptly disconnected.
Must’ve been a wrong number, he thought with a slight shrug. Eric didn’t have much affection for Luke, but since he was Ella’s "big brother," he kept a wary eye on him.
anwhile, in the ninth-floor VIP ward corridor, Lucas snatched Luke’s phone from him with a cold expression.
The call Luke had been trying to make to Eric was cut off by Lucas before it even connected.
"Luke, what’s wrong with you? Were you trying to tell Eric about Ella’s condition?" Lucas’s voice was grave.
Luke’s eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Father, you’ve always been rational. How can you justify hiding Ella’s illness from Eric? She’s planning to have this child—she’s running straight toward death!"
Lucas shook his head. "It’s slow-progressing... She might actually be able to deliver the baby!"
"I’m against it! If she’s treated, she could live another five or ten years. Why are you letting her do this?" Luke demanded breathlessly, his voice filled with frustration.
Lucas responded with a bitter laugh. "Do you think I want this? This is her decision! Living five years or living two makes no difference to her!"
Luke took a deep breath, his hands trembling.
For the first ti, father and son were at odds, their opinions clashing sharply.
"If that’s how you feel, I won’t argue with you anymore," Luke said, turning and storming away.
Lucas stood frozen in the hallway, his figure heavy with sorrow. Shaking his head in pain, he murmured, "I don’t want this either..."
That night, for the first ti, Luke let go of his restraint. He drank heavily, partied with bodyguards, and ended up at a nightclub, attracting swarms of reporters.
Typically careful with his public image, Luke didn’t care this ti. He just wanted to drown his anguish in alcohol.
The next morning, Luke, the heir to the Anderson family, landed on the front page of the entertainnt section.
Handso, wealthy, and powerful, Luke’s wild night quickly drew comparisons to Eric.
Despite having a well-connected adoptive father, Luke had always been a man of impressive personal achievents. Until now, he’d managed to avoid scandals or tabloid drama.
Tiffany sat in her living room, reading the entertainnt headlines with a smirk. Her crimson-painted nails tapped lightly on a stack of photos on the table—pictures of Lucas and Luke, both visibly distressed.
"Happy now? Even Country W’s Lucas is being crushed under your gas," a man said mockingly in fluent Country W dialect.
Tiffany scoffed, narrowing her eyes. "This isn’t my doing—it’s her karma. But... if she knew she was being torn apart daily by my fans online, would she lose the baby? Hard to believe soone who’s terminally ill is still bent on having a child, as if the doctors here are miracle workers."
"A woman having a child for the man she loves isn’t unreasonable," the man replied lazily, sipping his wine. "Besides, she might have two or three years left. So slow-progressing tumors don’t affect the baby much if untreated, right?"
The man’s knowledge was superficial, and he seed indifferent, lounging as he enjoyed his drink.
"Who cares? She’s as good as dead anyway. I wouldn’t mind making her death even more miserable and painful. Find a nurse to leak sothing," Tiffany said with a cold laugh, her eyes gleaming with malice.
Her satisfaction grew as she imagined Ella’s suffering. She didn’t even need to lift a finger—Ella’s fate was sealed.
The thought filled Tiffany with twisted glee, though she knew her true objective was to pile on Ella’s agony. That, after all, was what she truly wanted.
The next morning, as two nurses entered Ella’s room for a routine check-up, they "accidentally" let slip a remark about Tiffany.
Ella’s face darkened instantly, but she said nothing.
Realizing their slip-up, the nurses quickly clamped their mouths shut and left the room in a hurry.
Ella let out a cold laugh and instructed the two bodyguards stationed outside, "Keep an eye on those two nurses discreetly. Confirm their identities and report back to Mr. Anderson."
The bodyguards, being Eric’s n, were highly vigilant. It was clear these won had intentionally ntioned Tiffany to provoke Ella.
None of the regular nurses had been so indiscreet, especially since Lucas had given them strict instructions.
These two, however, had been alarmingly casual. They had to be plants.
"No problem, ma’am," one of the bodyguards replied.
Ella took a deep breath, visibly weary, as Mia looked on with concern. "What’s wrong, Ella? Are you alright?"
Ella shook her head and leaned back against the sofa, tossing her book aside carelessly.
Mia’s gaze lingered on the discarded *Parenting Guide*. A pang of sorrow struck her—Ella was on the brink of death, yet she still had the heart to read sothing like that?
But Mia didn’t know the full extent of Ella’s condition. She only noticed the grim expressions Lucas and Luke wore every day, in stark contrast to Eric’s joy, as if he were completely oblivious to what was going on.
After all, Eric was about to beco a father.
anwhile, Tiffany eagerly awaited news from the hospital. When she heard that Ella had miscarried, she could hardly contain her glee.
Laughing in delight, she imdiately drafted an anonymous email to soone:
"Spread the word about Ella’s miscarriage and brain tumor—make it big!"
After hitting send, Tiffany felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Her entire body relaxed, reveling in the success of her sches.
Coming back under a new identity, she thought, had been one of the best decisions she’d ever made.
"Won’s hatred—it’s truly terrifying," remarked the man nearby with a wry smile.
Tiffany smirked smugly. "Don’t talk as if n’s hatred isn’t just as frightening. I rember that male teacher... used by soone and now rotting in prison."
The man let out a cold laugh, choosing not to engage further.
Lighting a cigarette, his tone grew icy. "You don’t need to act anymore. Let deal with him."
Tiffany leaned against him with feigned sweetness. "Why? Are you jealous?"
"If you ss this up, I’m not willing to sacrifice you," the man replied coldly.
His chilling words sent an involuntary shiver down Tiffany’s spine.
She forced a docile smile. "I won’t. I’ll behave from now on. I’m still the great leading actress, after all."
The man gave a dismissive snort, tilting her chin up. His grip tightened painfully, making Tiffany wince and tremble under his hold.
At the sa ti, Eric caught wind of the rumors and abandoned his eting to rush to the hospital.
Storming into Room 909, Eric flung the door open. Inside, Ella was lying on the bed, her face full of sorrow as Mia gently offered her a glass of water.
"Ella! Why have you been hiding this from ?" Eric demanded, his breath ragged, his eyes filled with icy anguish.
Lucas stepped forward, quickly grabbing Eric’s arm to restrain him from acting out of emotion.
Reviews
All reviews (0)