Chapter 29
Heath had lost count of how many times he’d stepped into the hospital lately.
At the hospital, the doctor, Joel Smith, updated Heath on Veronica’s condition. “Mrs. Tate hit the back of her head on the ground, and a piece of glass barely missed slicing past her eyelid. If it had gone deeper, her left eye would have been ruined.”
Heath stood there silently, his gaze dark and unreadable. He always thought Veronica’s most beautiful feature had been her eyes. They were alluring but never vulgar, and occasionally lit with innocence. Once one saw them, they’d never forget them.
Yet, she was foolish enough to go to such lengths for a single painting.
Was it really worth it?
When Eleanor finished filming, she immediately learned what had happened. Samuel and Miriam had come to her hand–in–hand, shaken and tearful. They also confessed the real reason Veronica ended up
unconscious.
After hearing the full story, Eleanor nearly burst with joy inside. She silently squealed, “Veronica, oh Veronica! You’ve raised such a wonderful pair of children.”
Still, Eleanor deliberately put on a serious face and said, “Mira, Sam… I can’t protect you this time. What you did was truly wrong.”
“M–Ms. Turner, we didn’t mean to! We were just thinking that you really liked that painting, so we tried to stop her!” Miriam buried her face in Eleanor’s embrace, crying.
A hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, but more than that, she was afraid. These idiot kids had nearly dragged her down with them. She’d clawed her way to where she was, and there was no way she was letting these two brats ruin everything.
“Don’t be scared. Here’s what we’ll do. You two need to go back to Shalton and find Great–Grandpa,”
Eleanor whispered, giving the children advice.
Veronica lay unconscious for three days and nights. When she opened her eyes, the harsh light from the ceiling made her squint uncomfortably. The hospital room was filled with a circle of people, young and old, men and women.
Leading them was Reynard, his hair silvered and neatly combed, dressed in a tailored suit. Although he was in his 60s, his gaze remained sharp.
When he saw her wake up, his stern face softened with warmth, and he quickly stepped forward.” Veronica, you’re awake?”
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A crowd of people gathered around her.
Reynard exclaimed, “She’s awake! Are you okay? How do you feel? Quick, get Dr. Smith! Veronica, you have no idea how worried everyone was during the day you were unconscious.”
The room was filled with a chaotic chorus of voices.
Veronica’s throat felt dry. With all the chatter around her, her head throbbed painfully. She couldn’t speak.
Off to the side, Regina sneered. “Well, that’s what you get for ignoring Samuel. Now that you’re awake, good. Let’s move on.”
Reynard scolded her sharply. “Regina, will it kill you to say less?”
Regina protested reluctantly. “Reynard!”
She didn’t understand what she’d said wrong. Nonetheless, with one warning glare from Reynard, she clamped her mouth shut.
At the same time, the two children approached the hospital bed. Miriam wrung her little hands nervously. ” Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Samuel also hung his head, his voice trembling. “Mom, I’m sorry.”
Veronica’s gaze remained calm, and she didn’t respond.
Reynard sighed softly and said, “Veronica, I know you’ve been wronged. The children already know they messed up. They shouldn’t have just stood by when you were trying to get the painting, then shifted the
blame.”
“This time, they came to me on their own. They even went to the cathedral to pray for your recovery. You three are still family. Blood is thicker than water. You’re awake now, so let’s let this go, okay?”
Calvin, who was also present, didn’t like hearing this at all. “Mr. Tate Senior, I don’t think that’s fair. Are you saying the Tate family can’t even afford a single decent stool? Veronica barely stepped on it, and she
fell!”
Calvin had received the call about Veronica’s accident early on. He didn’t believe Veronica would be so careless as to fall, especially when she was trying to retrieve the painting that Malcolm had given her.
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Chapter 30
