The old man’s words left Ayan momentarily silent.
Because what his grandfather said was not wrong. The more one knew, the more one had to hide.
Could he really hide it from Camille?
Ayan remained silent, his expression grave. The old man spoke in a calm tone, “Think this through. After you’ve made up your mind, you can ask Camille’s father. If you can gather some useful information from him, it would be beneficial. It might relieve some of the concerns from the Bill family.”
Callum sighed. This matter had been weighing on him for many years, and truth be told, it was exhausting.
But what could he do if he didn’t hide it?
It was only Camille who suffered. If it weren’t for her grandmother treating her like her own granddaughter all these years, she would have had an even harder time.
Callum said to Ayan, “Being good to Camille is better than anything else.”
Ayan smiled, “You have always been good to her.”
“I made a deal with the old Armstrong. Since I took responsibility, I have to see it through to the end. The tasks he started all fell onto me when he left early. But if I’m not good to Camille, then you will have a chance to bully her, won’t you?”
The old man gave Ayan a cold glare and said, “You weren’t very good to Camille in the beginning. You know that very well!”
Ayan didn’t say anything. Bringing up past grudges would be best left unsaid because they were all true. It would be a mistake no matter what was said.
The old man finished his nagging and Ayan finally spoke up, “Alright, it’s getting late. I need to go back now.”
Callum glanced at the time indifferently and said, “You didn’t come here today just to accompany me. You came with a purpose. This time doesn’t count. If you do this again next time, there’s no need for you to come.”
Ayan agreed and promised to play chess with him next time before leaving the ward.
It was late, but he needed to go see Dr. Ellis in his office. His grandfather had been recovering for a long time and it was time to check if there were any improvements. Plus, detailed examinations had been done just a few days ago, so today would be a good opportunity to discuss everything.
When Ayan arrived at Dr. Ellis’ office, both the doctor and Fletcher were waiting for him.
After he entered, Fletcher asked Dr. Ellis and other doctors to separately explain the current situation.
Most of the doctors felt that everything was going well so far, and considering the stable results from the examinations, they suggested continuing with the combined treatment of foreign and traditional medicine.
Then Dr. Ellis shared his thoughts. “I think we should stick with conservative treatment. If the traditional medicine treatment has been effective so far, then we should continue.”
“So you mean my grandfather’s condition is currently good?”
“Yes, it’s relatively good.”
“If that’s the case, can we let him go home for recuperation? He can stay with the doctors at home and we can arrange all the necessary medical equipment there. The main goal is for him to stay at home!”
After Ayan spoke, Fletcher was shocked and asked why he hadn’t discussed this with him beforehand.
“It’s not too late, right? You can consider it now and I also want to hear Dr. Ellis’ opinion.”
Fletcher fell into deep silence while Dr. Ellis thought carefully before saying, “Did your grandfather tell you this or did you come up with it yourself?”
“I came up with it myself. Staying in the hospital every day is actually quite dull and inconvenient. It has been a long time since he met his old friends. I’m worried that rumors will spread from outside sooner or later, which will only add psychological burden and pressure on him.”
As people grew older, their thoughts became different from those of young people. Although the old man didn’t express how much he missed home, both Ayan and Fletcher understood that if given a choice, many elderly people would prefer to live with their families rather than in hospitals where they often felt lonely.
Ayan sighed silently, then said, “I haven’t mentioned this to Grandpa yet. I don’t want to disappoint him by bringing it up if it can’t happen, so I wanted to get your opinions first.”
Dr. Ellis nodded, understanding the weight of the situation. Given the current state of Callum’s health, he could potentially go home for a few days. However, Ayan was implying a more permanent arrangement-transforming a room in the Simpson family estate into a space equipped like a hospital room. It was certainly feasible, considering the Simpson family’s financial resources and connections.
Dr. Ellis responded, “Let me think it over. I’ll review all the recent tests and Callum’s responses to treatment. If it seems viable, I can arrange for a doctor and two nurses to stay at the house. That way, any issues can be addressed immediately.”
“That sounds good. Please make the arrangements, and we’ll cooperate fully. The priority is Grandpa’s health,” Ayan replied, nodding in agreement.
He understood the importance of this decision. The suggestion came from a sincere place-he simply wanted his grandfather to enjoy whatever time remained without regrets, ensuring that he was comfortable and cared for in a familiar environment. It was about making Callum’s final days as peaceful and fulfilling as possible.
Fletcher had always accompanied his father, but it still couldn’t compare to being at home.
Ayan also had plans. If his grandfather went back home, he and Camille would also start living there.
It would be considered as accompanying his grandfather.
After leaving Dr. Ellis’ office, Ayan shared these thoughts with Fletcher.
Fletcher remained silent for a while after hearing them. His emotions weighed heavily on him. Ayan knew that Fletcher understood his intentions but was reluctant to face the reality.
Ayan whispered to Fletcher, “Dad, don’t put too much pressure on yourself either. We’ve known about Grandfather’s condition for a while now and we should prepare ourselves mentally earlier. Only when we don’t have too many emotions can we better accompany Grandfather, right?”
Fletcher nodded and said sincerely, “You’ve really grown up now. Becoming a father has changed you a lot.”
Fletcher genuinely praised him.
Ayan smiled and let Fletcher go find his grandfather while he went home.
He returned to Franklin Bay just as Camille had come back as well.
They met in the garden outside and smiled at each other.
Camille asked, “Where did you go?”
“To see Grandfather.” He walked over and held her hand before leading her into the house.
Camille laughed and said jokingly, “Did you deliberately go see Grandfather while I was busy? Did you think by doing this you could win his favor and make him treat you better?”
“Yes, you’re right. So don’t compete with me next time.”
“Hmph! I’m not as scheming as you!”
Camille snorted lightly but her thoughts were completely different.
Once inside the house, Ayan said, “It’s getting late. Let’s shower and go to sleep early!”
Camille nodded without thinking much about it until he pulled her into the bathroom and they showered together.
Only then did she realize she had been tricked, but it was too late now.