Audrey and Gregory were ecstatic. “I heard that!”
“Me too! Daddy’s the best!”
Everything seemed like it was finally falling in place, and our life would become peaceful once more.
My hopes were shattered two days later. That afternoon, Joseph entered our house with an anxious expression on his face, tipping me off that I had been too naive about our situation.
“Go on. What’s wrong?” I was not in the greatest of moods at his arrival. My frustration grew at the problems that never seemed to leave us alone.
Sometimes, I wondered why people preferred havoc and chaos over a peaceful life.
“Nora met Shaun alone.”
Surprised, I asked, “Alone?”
“Yes.” Joseph nodded before continuing, “They even made sure to keep Ms. Audrey in the dark.”
“That’s…” I trailed off, sighing at Shaun’s change of heart.
I had been relieved at his choice at the Hall residence, yet three days was all it took for Shaun to change his mind.
I guess children are less impervious to temptation.
I now realized that Ashton’s earlier concerns were not wholly unfounded. Perhaps Shaun had never forgotten how he was abused at the hands of his previous adoptive parents, and he now saw an opportunity to exact revenge for his suffering.
Ashton remained calm in the face of Joseph’s news. Rather expressionlessly, he flipped through the newspaper in his hand and sent Joseph off. “All right. You may leave now.”
I watched Joseph’s departing figure and pursed my lips in thought. Sometime later, I turned to Ashton and stated, “You don’t seem surprised by the news.”
“Should I experience a meltdown, then?” He looked as unruffled as before. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face as his eyes pored through the financial news as if it was some piece of juicy gossip. “If I were in Nora’s shoes, I wouldn’t let go of this opportunity either.”
I shrugged and offered weakly, “But Shaun said no to them in the beginning.” Frankly, I was curious to understand how Ashton viewed Nora and Shaun’s covert acquaintance.
“So?” Ashton folded his newspaper and met my gaze. “To a businessman, anything can lead to a deal. The only obstacle is price and timing. Once the stars have aligned, anything is possible. Don’t you agree?”
I grudgingly admitted the logic in his words, and I saw no point in arguing with him.
Instead, I forced a laugh and teased half-heartedly, “The people in the village are the ones scheming for profit. Shaun is just a kid, and we’ve given him a home. Things might not turn out as poorly as you expect.”
“Let’s make a bet.” Ashton shifted into a cross-legged position and placed the folded newspaper across his knees. “I bet that he’ll disappoint you in the future.”
Shrugging, I accepted his bet. “Why not? Still, we can’t really let him pass on news about our family to Nora. Isn’t there a way for us to test him?”
“We’re in no rush for that.” He lowered his gaze slightly. Suddenly, his body stiffened as if he recalled something. Ashton tossed the newspaper on the table and straightened himself. Then, he turned to face me and adjusted his expression before stating somberly, “The results came out. Marcus’ condition is critical.”
He paused for a while before adding, “I still have a lot of sway in the matter. I’ll be in full support of whatever decision you make.”
Despite Ashton’s upsetting news, I felt a lot calmer than when we were in the hospital. Perhaps it was because I was not in the presence of a thin and sallow patient.
“Is there hope?” I asked.
Ashton replied, “I’ve contacted the best experts in the world, and they’ll arrive in K City in the next couple of days.”
I nodded, confident in his abilities to handle such matters perfectly. I saw no need to question him further on the relevant details.
Camelia’s advice suddenly surfaced in my mind, and I could no longer dismiss it as an exaggeration. “Will you come to the hospital with me tonight? I think a terminal patient needs encouragement more than anything else.”
I seemed unusually serene and rational in the face of Marcus’ deteriorating health. For the briefest moment, I imagined myself to be no different from the doctors who had grown numb to matters of life and death.
