I shook my head and said, “I’m not particularly hungry.”
Then, I went upstairs to grab my purse. I need to stop sandwiching myself between Anthony and Marcus, regardless of my intentions. Me handing him the money instead of Anthony would send out a different message.
Who knew what horrendous actions Anthony would take if I were to put my oar in again? The only way out was to stay out of it.
I reached for the gold bracelet that I bought for Hannah. It was meant for her baby’s one-month-old celebration.
John mentioned before that due to the freezing weather in K City, they’d just celebrate the occasion over a nice dinner with their family.
Anthony’s cheeks plumped up when he saw me coming downstairs. He was in the middle of telling Flora the dos and don’ts around the house and with Summer.
“All set?” he asked. I nodded, and we headed out.
Once I got into the car parked in the yard, Anthony carefully placed a box in my hands and started the engine. “This is HiTech’s latest model.”
I staggered before lifting the cover. Inside lay a classy new phone with a diamonds cast gold rim. Quite fashionable, I’d say.
Right, he smashed my phone last night.
I then took it out from the box, gave it a rough scan, and slid it into my purse.
Our journey to Hannah’s place was in absolute silence.
John bought Hannah a villa in South District. It was baroque-inspired, and the yard was a medley of flora. Unfortunately, the deep snow took center stage this season.
John hired two caregivers to take care of Hannah and the baby. He wasn’t home when we got there.
Hannah was still in confinement. She came down to the living room when she heard our car’s rumbling engine coming to a stop.
She was in her warm puffy pajamas and looked rather pale as if she was just done with the delivery.
It took her some effort to squeeze out a smile. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“Not bad. But you lost so much weight!” I couldn’t help but noticing how gauntly thin she had become.
“This is what happens once the baby’s out,” she chuckled.
She then gestured for us to take a seat and had the caregiver bring us water.
I looked around but saw no signs of the child. “Where’s the baby?”
“He’s sleeping upstairs.” She then passed me a glass of water. “You know, he’s premature and will need to lounge a bit longer in the incubator.”
Despite her light-hearted statement, I still felt sorry for her.
“Summer was like that too. But things got better as she grew up,” I sighed.
Anthony sat quietly like a totem pole. He would pick up his drink or hang up an incoming call once in a while.
Hannah started noticing it and decided to break that drill. “Anthony, I bet that you’ve never seen a one- month-old baby. Why don’t you go upstairs and check it out? At least you’ll know what it’s like when it’s you and Sienna’s turn.”
He looked at me for a bit and nodded before being led up to the second floor by the caregiver.
Once he was out of sight, Hannah asked, “You had a fight, hadn’t you?”
“No, why?” I denied.
“Come on. It was as obvious as a garish billboard! What made the almighty Mr. Featherstone reduced into a gawper, listening to our dull conversation and declining calls from the company? You guys must’ve been in a fight for him to tiptoe around you.”
Was that considered a fight?
I just tilted my head and smiled. Period. End of discussion.
We chattered on till it was time to go home. As Anthony and I left, I blurted, “Let’s go to the hospital.”
“What’s wrong?” His worried eyes swiveled towards me.
“Your vasclips.”
His mind went blank for a couple of seconds before turning the car around and drove to the hospital.
As I waited outside the operation room, his phone rang. It was from Joseph. I was fully aware that I shouldn’t be meddling with his calls, but it had been buzzing relentlessly. Thinking that it might be something urgent, I picked it up.
“Mr. Featherstone, the Bureau of Industry and Commerce is running an investigation on White Corporation, meaning it would be closed for some time. Do you still want me to give the media the video clip of Mr. White’s mother?” Joseph spewed his updates the moment the line got through.
Sharon’s video?
“What video?” My fuddled mind demanded an answer.
“Mrs. Featherstone?” Joseph was taken aback. Little did he know that I’d be on the other end.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Featherstone.”
“Joseph, Anthony is occupied at the moment. But let me tell you something. We need to know where to draw the line.” I tried to sound less pushy. “I’m in no position to tell him how to run his business, but you, someone who’s been working for him for so many years, should know what his rash decisions would lead to. To exterminate a fellow businessman is a big no-no. It wasn’t only his capability that kept the ball rolling in K City for the past four years, but also the acceptance of the big shots he was dealing with.”
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Yet, there’s a limit to how vicious you can be to your opponent to ensure amity among allies. Who knows they might be next in line?
A pause ensued. “I understand, Mrs. Featherstone.”
After I hung up, I tried to get a grip on myself. It was since Emery’s wedding that Anthony turned so irascible.
What did Marcus do to cause Anthony to brew such brutish intentions?
Roughly an hour later, Anthony was out. He was in his usual poker face.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” There was a gentle twitch at the corners of his mouth.
I shook my head and held his hand. “Does it hurt?”
I heard that it’d be awfully painful.
“So what if it does? What are you gonna do?” He gave a cheeky grin.
I closed my eyes and brushed my lips on his. “Will this work?”
Cough! The doctor tried to make his presence felt. “You’ll need to come back for a check-up in a week, and try resuming intercourse only after a month’s time.”
“Thank you, doctor.” It was pretty awkward to be seen smooching. My face was still blushing after saying my thanks.
We lingered at the hospital for another hour till the pain subsided.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply