Chapter 15
When Zachary arrived at the VIP hospital room where Nicole was staying, he saw through the window in the door that Nicole’s father, Morgan Walsh, was also inside. Nicole was on the phone, so Zachary instinctively stopped in his tracks.
“I told you not to contact me again, don’t you understand?”
Whatever the person on the other end of the line said, it made Nicole extremely irritable.
“Didn’t I already give you 200,000 more? It’s just killing someone, 1,800,000 is more than enough to buy your life. I’ve given you plenty, I’ll give you another 200,000, just stop bothering me.”
After saying this, she hung up the phone and, in a fit of anger, grabbed whatever was nearby and threw it around.
Morgan, who was sitting to the side, waited until she finished venting before he spoke.
“You really didn’t need to dirty your own hands with something like this. Why didn’t you tell Dad in advance?”
“I just didn’t trust anyone else, Dad. Can you help me get rid of him for good? Such a greedy person.”
“Understood. Just make sure Zachary never finds out about any of this.”
“Of course I know, Dad. You’re always the best to me. If Jasmine hadn’t insisted on showing up in front of us, I wouldn’t have had to get my hands dirty. People of her kind should just stay in the gutter where they belong.”
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“Alright, alright, someone like that isn’t worth my little princess worrying about. How long do we have to keep up this act, anyway?”
“Just a couple more days, then I’ll go home. Staying in the hospital every day is driving me crazy. I don’t even know where Zachary has gone. If he’s not around, what’s the point of pretending to be sick?”
***
While the two people inside the hospital room continued their cheerful conversation, Zachary stood outside as if nailed to the spot, unable to snap out of it.
A tremendous sadness enveloped his heart, wrapping around him so tightly it felt as if his entire world was collapsing.
He kept replaying everything that had happened recently in his mind, each moment now turning into sharp spikes stabbing at his heart.
He felt like he was suffocating, as if a huge boulder was pressing on his chest, making it impossible to breathe, his body swaying uncontrollably.
After a long while, he waited outside the door for another ten minutes to make sure the people inside had finished talking, then he raised his hand and knocked.
Knock, knock,
The conversation inside the hospital room came to an abrupt halt.
Morgan walked over and opened the door, looking at Zachary standing outside with some concern, and asked tentatively.
“Zachary, when did you get here?”
“Just now,” he replied, lowering his eyes and restraining the anger in his heart. He greeted them both with a smile. “If I’d known you were here,
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Uncle, I would have come earlier.”
“We’re all family, there’s no need for such formalities. As long as you treat our Nic well, that’s all that matters.”
Lying on the hospital bed, Nicole listened to the conversation at the door. Seeing that Zachary still hadn’t come in, she spoke up in a slightly coquettish tone.
“Dad, why aren’t you letting Zachary come in yet?”
“Alright, alright, now that you’re grown up, you think your father is nagging. I’ll leave you two some space.”
“Dad, don’t forget what you promised me.
“I know.”
After seeing Morgan out, Zachary finally entered the hospital room, only to have a pillow thrown at him by Nicole as soon as he walked in.
He caught it with a raised hand, walked over to Nicole’s bedside, and acted as if nothing had happened, interacting with her as usual.
“Don’t be mad, baby.”
“Who told you to disappear for two days straight without a trace? What could be so important that you didn’t even have time to contact me?”
After speaking, she glared at Zachary with her almond–shaped eyes, demanding an explanation.
“Wasn’t I out preparing a surprise for you?”
Zachary patiently coaxed her in a gentle voice, stepping forward to pull her into his arms. Where she couldn’t see, the warmth on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold indifference as he looked at the
Chapter 15
woman in his embrace.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips, though it was unclear whether he was laughing at himself or at her.
Suddenly, Nicole felt a chill run down her spine, goosebumps rising all
over her body. Was the air conditioning set too low? She couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
Lateefa Khanam is a spirited writer who finds freedom in horse riding. She cherishes her mare and the newborn foal, calling them her little happy family.
