Since Mrs. Vance refused to leave under any circumstances and Ivy Vance was staying behind as well, Chloe Reed and her companions suddenly seemed rather redundant in the hospital room.
Chloe thought for a moment before saying, "Get some good... rest. I’ll come back... to see you tomorrow."
Preston Vance looked at her and nodded. "Alright. Be safe on your way back."
Chloe gave a small nod in return. As they turned and left the ward, Ivy cast a suspicious glance at Chloe, wondering why she spoke so strangely.
Sitting by the hospital bed, Mrs. Vance reached up to wipe her tears. "Preston, please stop seeing her, okay? Do you really want to make an enemy out of the Grant family?"
Preston closed his eyes. "Mom, I want to rest for a while."
This made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of discussing the matter, much less listening to her advice. Mrs. Vance was deeply upset, but she knew she could never win an argument against her son. All she could do was sigh helplessly.
After a night of chaos, dawn was finally breaking.
Stepping out of the hospital, Fiona Linton said, "Let’s grab breakfast before heading back. I’m starving."
"Sure," Daniel Hayes agreed with a nod.
Chloe had no objections either, so the group found a breakfast shop and grabbed a quick bite. Immediately after, they returned to Jardinelle together.
During the New Year holiday, both the servants and the butler of Jardinelle had been given time off. Right now, the villa was completely deserted inside and out. Only the red lanterns hanging from the tree branches offered any hint of a festive atmosphere.
Entering the living room, they found Walker Grant slumped on the sofa. He was still wearing his clothes from last night and appeared to have fallen asleep.
Taken aback, Chloe quickly walked over and gave him a gentle push. "Walker?"
When the man didn’t respond, her heart sank instantly, and her face grew several shades paler.
Fiona hurried over to check Walker’s pulse. "He’s fine," she concluded. "He’s just deeply asleep, likely from pure exhaustion." She pulled out an acupuncture needle and pricked a specific acupoint on his body. Before long, he woke up.
"Chloe?"
"Mhm," she replied.
Walker tugged his pale, thin lips into a faint smile. "You’re back."
Standing a short distance away, Daniel watched the scene with a sudden flash of guilt. His first instinct was to hide, but then he remembered that Walker was currently blind. Realizing such a move would be entirely pointless, he abandoned the thought.
Acknowledging his greeting, Chloe asked, "Why are you... out here?"
"I was waiting for you," Walker said. Then he asked, "What time is it?"
The group fell silent for a moment. Fiona looked at Walker with a highly complicated expression, sighing helplessly to herself. They hadn’t even been apart for a full night, yet somehow, he was exuding the vibe of a pitiful, abandoned puppy. His usual intimidating aura had completely vanished. If he had a tail, it would undoubtedly be drooping in disappointment right now.
Eventually, Walker took out his phone himself and listened to the screen reader to find out the time.
It was already six-thirty in the morning. She had stayed at the hospital with Preston Vance all night.
Walker tightened his grip on his phone. It felt as though a massive boulder had been shoved into his chest, dragging his entire heart down into a heavy, sinking void. The agonizing, tearing ache left him entirely at a loss for how to react.
Fiona let out a yawn. "Well, um... I’m exhausted. I’m going to go get some rest now." She hastily turned and fled the living room, correctly judging that she had no business interfering in whatever was about to happen next.