At the hospital.
“How is Lina? Has Dylan come out yet?” That was the first question Raymond asked Ria who had been sitting in the hallway in silence for a while now. Ria’s gaze snapped in Raymond’s direction, her gaze distant, still immersed in the memories she had just now. Ria shook her head, unable to speak. The silence was broken by Raymond’s earlier return.
Raymond understood that Dylan was still in there with Lina. All he prayed for was good news about Lina’s condition. Her last word before she went limp still baffled him. What does she mean that her father was coming for her?
“Raymond, I heard that sister-in-law fell into a coma again. What’s wrong this time?” Nicholas rushed in breathlessly, putting on a white shirt and blue pants. His hair was in disarray showing how much he rushed here.
“Hmmm, but I’m sure she will be fine,” Raymond answered, reassuringly to Nicholas more like he was reassuring himself. Nicholas walked up to Raymond, his shoes clicking onto the tiled floor. For the past few days, Lina was sick, he had never seen Raymond so tense before. He was like he was going crazy at that period Lina hadn’t woken up. Even when Ashley left him back then, he didn’t see this kind of emotion in Raymond.
“Bro,” Nicholas Walk up to Raymond, his hand on his shoulder comforting him. “Sister-in-law would be fine. Nothing would happen to her. Dylan is also there with her, if you can’t trust other doctors, at least you should trust Dylan would do a good job at making her get better.” Nicholas gazes into Raymond’s blue eyes, his expression unreadable.
Raymond nodded at Nicholas before going to sit next to Ria.
A few minutes after he sat down, the radiology room door opened with a creak as Dylan walked out. Though this wasn’t his specialty, he still helped out with Lina’s imaging test. The beeping of several machines followed behind Dylan before disappearing as he closed the door behind him.
“How is she?” Raymond abruptly stood up, walking forward. The others also followed behind him. “Lina is fine. She is just reacting to a repressed memory,” Dylan explained, his expression serious. “It seems her brain shut down to protect her from the trauma associated with that memory. The good news is that she should wake up within the next twenty-four hours, and with proper treatment, she should make a full recovery.”
Ria’s eyes welled up, her hands clenching her skirt tightly. “Are you sure she would be alright? Is there anything we should prepare ourselves for?” She asked, her voice choked. Raymond and Nicholas nodded, agreeing with her question. It was like she spoke for all of them.
Dylan took off his surgical gloves, thrashing them into the trash can he could see in sight. “Nothing to worry about. All we have to do is to monitor her for a few days to avoid further complications. We will need to run some tests to understand the extent of her trauma. That will be done when she wakes up.” Dylan explained professionally.
After briefing them on Lina’s condition, Dylan excused himself after telling them they could see Lina after she was wheeled out.
***
On the other side of the city, in a private cafe.
Ashley and old Walton could be seen sitting opposite each other in a classy cafe as they stared at each other. The old man’s stare was filled with hostility while Ashley’s own was filled with panic and fear.
“Why did you come back after my warning?” Grandpa Walton asked Ashley who shook at the sound of his cold voice. Grandpa Walton stared like a cold, calculated blade, slicing through her defenses. The dim lighting of the cafe seemed to amplify the tension, casting long shadows across the table.
His wrinkled hand lifted a cup of dark coffee placed in front of him, his back resting on the chair he sat down, as he stirred the coffee the spoon clinking against the delicate china seemed to echo through the tense silence. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, but Ashley was too tensed to appreciate it.
Ashley’s eyes were wide with fear, and her gaze darted around the cafe, searching for an escape from the confrontation unfolding before her. But the cafe was empty, except for the discreet staff who seemed to blend into the background. Everyone was minding their business. The soft hum of the espresso machine and the muted chatter of the other patrons were what greeted her.
Ashley forced a smile, trying to deflect the old man’s anger. “Grandpa Walton, I came back this time for my cousin’s wedding party. After the wedding, I will leave, and I promise I won’t meet Raymond during this period.” Ashley’s voice was steady but her eyes couldn’t betray her fears. She secretly cursed her unlucky self.
She knew coming back to the country was to face a battle she wasn’t capable of winning five years ago. Now that she had achieved all she wanted, the only thing remaining was to also claim Raymond as hers.
“Do I look like a fool to you?” Grandpa Walton spat. “Don’t try to outsmart me. What were you doing earlier with Raymond at the hospital? Let me warn you, he is already married now, if you cause any problem for my granddaughter-in-law, I won’t let you off.” Grandpa Walton harshly dropped his cup of coffee on the table making some black content spill on the table. Even though he hadn’t met Lina yet, he had already regarded her as one of his.
Ashley’s face was pale. She didn’t know Grandpa Walton saw her earlier. “Grandpa Walton, I…I was, I mean, I…I accidentally bumped into him at the hospital. Our meeting wasn’t intentional I swear.” Ashley tried sounding convincing but Grandpa Walton wasn’t a fool. He didn’t believe anything she said.
Grandpa Walton’s eyes narrowed. “I warned you five years ago to stay away from Raymond. You promised me you would leave him alone.” His voice was laced with venom. “But I see you’re still obsessed with him.”
Ashley’s eyes flashed with anger, but she bit back her retort. She knew she had to tread carefully around Grandpa Walton. “I remembered our deal five years ago. You helped me and my family move abroad and also helped my parents’ little business flourish. I appreciated that and also your help in making me reach where I am today. But what I regretted most was leaving Raymond behind.” Ashley was sincere about this, her eyes were filled with sorrow.
A chuckle left Grandpa Walton’s lips. “Had you loved my grandson back then, you wouldn’t have cheated on him behind his back with that brat from the Scott family. Did you think I know nothing about this?” Grandpa Walton’s eyes searched Ashley’s own which had turned even more paler at his words.
“I thought my grandson fell in love with a good girl back then. I wasn’t a fan of choosing a partner for my loved ones. I monitored you guys dating from afar from the beginning. Who would have thought you are nothing but a cheating whore who would sleep with anyone just for an audition.”
Grandpa Walton spat out, his voice laced with venom. He had kept this secret in his heart for five years. Seeing this pretentious bitch in front of him makes him spill it out. He didn’t even tell Raymond about this and Ashley also didn’t know this misdeed of hers was why Grandpa Walton looked for her years ago. She didn’t think about it then. All that was in her head was how to become famous. Hearing old Walton spill out her deepest secret shocked the hell out of her. Her mouth hung open, unable to speak.
“What?” Grandpa Walton glared at her, “Are you shocked I knew about this? Nothing can escape my watch. You better heed my warnings and stay away from Raymond or else, I will tell him your dirty secrets.”
“No, you can’t do that.” Ashley sprung to her feet, her sudden actions causing the chair she was sitting on to creak, breaking the peaceful atmosphere at other tables. She thought no one knew about her dirty past. Who knew this old man had always had leverage on her? No, she can’t allow this secret to get out. It would affect her career and it would also make Raymond hate her even more.
Grandpa Walton was very satisfied with her reaction. He smiled cunningly. Seeing his cunning smile, Ashley realized she might have overreacted. Remembering her celebrity identity, she controlled herself as she exhaled sharply.
“That would be all for today.” Grandpa Walton stood up with the help of his walking stick. “And you better not try anything funny, I’m not the only one watching you.” After he said that, Grandpa Walton walked out with Jeff who was watching them from a table before theirs trailing behind him.