Chapter 19
“All right, I’ll go over now,” Nadia said, turning the wheel smoothly.
Fred stepped back from the curb, disappointment flickering briefly in his eyes.
She caught his gaze as she reversed the car and rolled down the window. “I’ll remember.”
His face broke into a surprised smile.
Chloe was livid the moment she heard Fred was pursuing someone. “You introduced someone to him, didn’t you?”
Jason, groggy and irritable from jet lag, shot her a look of pure annoyance. “I just got back. How would I know?”
“If it wasn’t you, then who? He never meets the girls his family sets up! Was it Paul? Ask him if he knew who she was. Is she prettier than me?” Chloe whined.
Jason dragged his arm off his eyes and let it drop to the couch, his patience visibly eroding. “If you’re going to keep yapping,
get out.”
Chloe pouted but stayed put. She wasn’t stupid enough to push him when he was in this mood.
Just then, a message from Abby lit up her screen: [Ran into Nadia outside the museum. Bit of a scuffle.]
Chloe’s eyes narrowed. Judging by Jason’s mood, Nadia had definitely stirred something up. “Did Nadia upset you?” she asked sweetly.
Jason grunted, “What?”
“Nadia,” Chloe repeated, voice laced with fake innocence. “Did she piss you off again?”
“Stay out of my business,” Jason snapped, and that’s when he noticed the purple jade bangle on her wrist.
He recognized it instantly. Nadia had begged for it on their first wedding anniversary, and she had worn it only once, to his mother’s birthday banquet.
He thought she treasured it and had decided to keep it only for special occasions, but she had given it away instead.
Noticing his dark expression, Chloe quickly tugged her sleeve down. “I’m leaving. I have a dinner appointment with my classmates!”
Jason was about to lean back when another message from Abby came through on WhatsApp: [Jason, I didn’t mean for Nadia to find out about Leland. Don’t be mad.]
After Nadia stormed off, Jason had taken Abby shopping, indulging her every whim, buying whatever she wanted without a second thought.
However, his generosity did not bring Abby any joy. He remained cold and silent throughout, and in the end, instructed Austin to send her home.
Prompted by her agent, Abby decided to test the waters to see where Jason really stood after what happened earlier.
Jason lit a cigarette. His eyes were bloodshot, his fingers still from fatigue. Smoke curled around him as he typed: [Don’t confront and provoke her.]
I didn’t! I only asked if she knew Leland was returning soon, and she splashed me.] Abby replied immediately.
Abby didn’t wait for his response. She called.
“Jason,” she cried, voice trembling with grievance. “You’ve spoiled her rotten! She embarrassed me in public! If she didn’t want me there, she could’ve just said so. But throwing iced coffee in my face? That’s trashy!”
Jason exhaled slowly, as if trying to push the anger out with the smoke. Finally, he said, “Send a list to Ivory. Whatever you
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Chapter 19
want.”
Abby paused. “You’re compensating me? For her?” Her voice rose in disbelief. “She was in the wrong from the start. Why are you making it up for her?”
She continued crying. “Anything I want?” she sniffled.
Jason abruptly ended the call, tossing the phone onto the desk. He leaned back in his chair, eyes closing in frustration, but the peace he sought refused to settle.
Madge had been moved to a VIP ward that occupied the entire floor. Only authorized medical staff were allowed in, and all visitors were required to have an appointment.
Nadia was stopped the moment she stepped out of the elevator. “I’m here to see Madge Black,” she said.
“Do you have an appointment?” the nurse at the reception asked, her tone polite but firm. “Mr. Black instructed us not to allow visitors without prior approval.”
Nadia called Jason. He picked up, but immediately hung up.
“I couldn’t get him on the phone,” she told the nurse. “Could you please call him for me? Tell him Nadia’s here to visit.”
The nurse nodded, made the call, then looked up awkwardly. “Mr. Black said that he doesn’t know you.”
Nadia froze. ‘Bastard, she thought. ‘You just agreed to the divorce this morning, and you are already barring me from visiting Mom?‘
Nadia considered calling Madge directly, but after hearing from Leigh that she still wasn’t feeling well, she didn’t want to risk upsetting her.
After lingering by the elevator for a few seconds, Nadia turned and headed downstairs.
“If you’re going to be heartless first, don’t blame me for being ruthless later,” she muttered to herself in the lift.
Inside the ward, Jason was quietly peeling fruit when his phone buzzed.
A notification flashed across the screen–someone had just booked him an appointment with the Urology Department. His grip on the knife tensed, and for a split second, it looked like he might drive the blade straight into the table.
“Is that from Nadia?” Madge asked, glancing at his reaction.
“No,” Jason muttered through clenched teeth.
Standing nearby, Austin noticed Jason’s expression and the fruit in his hand. Thinking it wasn’t good enough, he stepped forward for any instructions. Jason leaned in and whispered something. Austin nodded stiffly and left.
“Did you fight with Nadia?” Madge narrowed her eyes. “I meant to tell you before to be gentler in bed. Don’t be rough.”
“She said I was being rough with her?” Jason’s face darkened.
“If not, why would she give you such deep scratches?” Madge asked, tugging at his sleeves, revealing the scratches underneath.
Though the marks had faded, faint white lines remained on his arm. He tugged his sleeve down. “She didn’t do this.”
A pillow smacked him in the face before he could react.
“What a jerk! Cheating on her behind her back,” Madge exploded. “How did I end up raising scum like you? I’m striking your name off the family registry. From this day on, I have no son!”
“Mom,” Jason tried to argue.
“I’m calling your father,” Madge snapped. “There has never been a cheater in this family. I want to know if all those years abroad warped his genes!”
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Chapter 19
“They’re not scratch marks,” Jason replied, trying to explain.
Madge froze, then flung another pillow at him. “You think I’m some gullible little girl? I’ve lived long enough to know exactly what those marks are! Don’t you dare play dumb with me!” she fumed.
“I’ve already called Nadia. If you don’t win her back, don’t bother calling me your mother!”
Jason sighed, gave up trying to explain, and quietly bent down to pick up the pillows.
Downstairs in the andrology department’s waiting area, Nadia flipped through brochures on male disorders, her expression unreadable.
J
Austin spotted her quickly. “Mrs. Black? Why didn’t you come up?”
“I tried. They wouldn’t let me,” Nadia replied.
“That’s strange.” Austin gave a strained smile and gestured for her to follow him. “Let’s head back up.”
When they reached the nurse’s station, the same nurse looked up, visibly startled. Austin spoke first. “This is Mrs. Black. Please allow her access next time.”
“Oh.” The nurse blinked. ‘Mrs. Black? But Mr. Black just said…‘ she thought.
Nadia wasn’t going to let it slide. “You must be beside him just now. Didn’t he tell the nurse that he didn’t know me?”
“He was peeling fruit, so I held the phone to his ear,” Austin said with an awkward chuckle. “Maybe I wasn’t close enough. He might’ve misheard, or maybe the nurse’s accent threw him off.”
‘What a load of crap, Nadia thought.
Outside the ward, Austin lowered his voice. “The doctor advised us not to upset Mrs. Black as any agitation might worsen her condition.”
Nadia nodded in acknowledgement, but what followed made her blink.
“Mr. Black returned in a rush,” Austin added. “He’s probably still jet–lagged.”
Nadia arched an eyebrow. ‘Jet lag? And that’s supposed to excuse what, exactly?‘ she thought.
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