Chapter 459
Chapter 459:
We weren’t in the same room for more than ten seconds with both of us awake.
Most of the house staff were off for Presidents’ Day.
Only Geoffrey and Carmen stayed behind.
I lingered in the sunroom, scrolling through ring settings on my tablet and pretending not to notice the time until my stomach started to complain.
As soon as we sat down for lunch, Ashton’s phone rang.
He answered with one hand still on his fork, but the moment he heard the voice on the other end, his whole expression changed.
“What happened?” I asked the moment he hung up.
“The hospital. It’s Edouard. They don’t think he’ll make it through the night.
Everyone’s already on their way p>
I dropped my spoon. “Then let’s go. Now p>
I pushed back from the table and ran upstairs to change.
We didn’t speak in the car, just stared through the windshield as traffic crawled along like molasses.
The roads were jammed, every junction gridlocked.
Ashton’s hands gripped the wheel at ten and two, his face set in granite.
It took us an hour to cover what usually took twenty minutes.
The lift opened onto chaos: heels clicking, people talking over each other, perfume clashing with the sharp tang of antiseptic. The moment Ashton stepped out, the noise dipped.
He walked straight past the crowd.
“Ashton! Finally p>
“It’s bad. Real bad p>
“No one expected this. On Presidents’ Day, of all days p>
He ignored them, pushed through the corridor, and disappeared into the ward.
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I stayed outside. Through the glass, I saw two nurses and a doctor clustered around the bed, working quickly.
Wires dangled from machines, lights flashing red.
Ashton stood to the side, arms folded, silent.
I moved to a quiet corner near the drinks machine.
Everyone else jostled by the door, craning their necks, muttering and pacing, their mouths drawn tight.
“Ashton’s late. Edouard’s barely hanging on, and he strolls in like it’s nothing. Arrogant little prick p>
“He’s never cared. Everyone knows they barely spoke. Probably counting down to the inheritance p>
I could’ve ignored it—should’ve.
But they brought up Ashton, and that was enough.
I pushed off the wall, walked straight over, and planted myself between them.
“What, you think standing here talking rubbish makes you helpful? Are you going to scrub in? Start CPR through the glass? Half of you didn’t even know Edouard’s birthday until the invites went out, but look at you now. All lined up like it’s a damn family reunion p>
Silence fell hard.