It was not as if he was embarrassed, but the way he felt powerless, as if he could not do anything, was terrible.
“Let’s get your eyes checked at the hospital,’ Abigail said. “I know a good optometrist.”
“I already had a doctor examine him,” Stan said, butting in just then.
“What did he say?” Abigail asked.
“It might be a retinal rupture, but further examination at the hospital is needed to determine the cause before they treat him. Mr.
Althoff refused to go, however,” Stan said, sliding a peek at Diarmuid.
Abigail did not say anything. Instead, she scooped a bowl of soup, blowing on a spoonful until it was just the right temperature, and held it beside Diarmuid’s lips. “I know you’re worried about James, but you won’t be able to do much while you’re blind.”
Then, before Diarmuid could respond, she continued, “Zachary and Stan are on it, aren’t there? Zachary also told me that you had sent people to find James too.”
“Those people must be part of a huge organization,” Diarmuid said. “Things might be bad if they really got James.”
Abigail’s heart clenched.
“Still, you have nothing to worry about,” Diarmuid said. “I know people, and they’ll find James as quickly as possible.”
“Yeah,” Abigail replied, but there was no easing her worry now.
It had certainly been a close shave-those men were real savages!
And if they had really captured James… the consequences would be too severe!
Abigail would not know how she should face Erin.
What would happen to Erin if she found out about James? The worry alone would kill her!
As Abigail sighed, Diarmuid changed the subject. “You brought our kids. Ready to move here already?”
“Yeah,” Abigail replied. “It’d be more convenient for your work. I’ve resigned anyway, so I can stay home to take care of them. That said…”
Taking a moment to breathe in, she said solemnly, “Whatever your business entails, just don’t go too far ever again. I don’t know anything about your job, but you should know that you’re not a lone wolf now—you have a family, a wife and kids, so think of us before you do anything. Don’t make so many enemies!”
Abigail understood that Diarmuid’s hostile takeover over Smartville Tech was what led to the whole mess.
When people are desperate and have nothing to lose, they would fight without holding anything back-even if it kills them!
As the saying goes, “Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.”
And none of this would have happened at all if not for the plane crash!
“Yeah,’ Diarmuid replied.
“I’m going out later,” Abigail then said.
“Where to?” Diarmuid asked.
“I need to cook up something so Erin will be willing to go back to Minerva. I’m afraid she’ll find out something about James if she stays here with us,” Abigail told him.
“Your excuse might arouse her suspicion anyway,” Diarmuid pointed out. ’ You’re still injured, so you should stay here.”
“What if she asks about your blindness? What would you say here?” Abigail asked.
“She must have heard about the plane crash, right?” Diarmuid asked in return.
Abigail shook her head. “She would not be here this late if she did. She doesn’t know.”
Diarmuid was silent since what Abigail said was reasonable.
Erin might be his stepsister, but she had always treated them like family!
If she knew Diarmuid was in trouble, she would have been here by now.
She was not, and that probably meant she did not know.
“Anyway, the bullet wound is much better now,” Abigail said. “It doesn’t hurt that much. I’m going out to get some Vicodin.”
“Yeah,” Diarmuid replied flatly. He wanted to hug her just then, but he could not see too well to do it right.
Still, Abigail leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek and did her makeup after eating, so as to make herself look presentable.
As she got dressed, she called Zachary and said, “Take Erin to Rodleaf Avenue. I’ll be there later.”
Zachary cast a sideways glance at Erin on the other end. “Why?”
“What should I tell her if she sees that Diarmuid is blind?” Abigail asked without elaborating. “Just take her there.”
“Oh, okay.” Zachary did not press her and hung up before turning to Erin.” Abigail’s going to Rodleaf Avenue. She told me to take you there.”
“Okay.” Erin nodded.
With that, Zachary took Erin to Rodleaf Avenue, and Abigail was already there when they arrived.
Still, Zachary did a double take when he saw Abigail-she had still been sickly back at the castle, but she was suddenly standing there, looking perfectly fine!
She rarely applied lipstick, but she did now to cover her pale lips.
He had to admit that makeup was certainly a miraculous invention, capable of hiding anything!
“You can go,” Abigail told Zachary.
Zachary was hesitant. “What about you?”
“Eagle is with me,” Abigail replied.
“Okay,” Zachary replied and turned to leave.
After he was gone, Erin asked, “Why did you bring me here, Abigail?”
“I heard that this place is fun,” Abigail replied. “I’ve never been here, and since you’re here anyway, I was thinking about going shopping with you.”
Smiling at Erin then, she added, “Just speak up if anything catches your eye. I’m buying.”
Erin walked up and put a hand around her arm, and just happened to touch Abigail where she was shot.
Even though Abigail’s arm was numb, being touched there made her shoulder hurt again.
Still, she bore with it and said, “James is abroad, helping Diarmuid with an errand. He won’t be returning so soon-” “Zachary told me,” Erin replied, suddenly looking Abigail straight in the eye. “I understand that he’s working, but why can’t I reach him?”
Abigail was left stumped.
She stammered a little before saying, “The place he went to was remote and has poor cell signals…”
“He wouldn’t let that stop him,” Erin said, her eyes almost ablaze as she held Abigail’s gaze. ‘I hope you’re not hiding anything from me, Abigail.”
Abigail was afraid to look Erin in the eye just then-she could not do it while lying to those exceedingly sharp eyes.
“Why would I lie to you?” Abigail said.
“But why did you bring me out here? To persuade me to go home?”
Abigail quickly denied it. “Of course not. You just came, so of course I’d like you to stay a few more days… but you can’t stay because of work, right?”
“I applied for an extended leave,” Erin replied.
Abigail was stumped.
Erin was not so easily fooled. What should she do?
Abigail certainly did not know what to do just then.
To make things worse, Erin suddenly said, “Let’s go. Once we’re done shopping, we can head to your place.”
And with that, Abigail could not tell her to return to Minerva at all!
If Erin headed to the castle and saw Diarmuid’s eyes, she would be able to tell that something was wrong!
In fact, she already did!
Still, Abigail had no choice but to play along, following Erin while looking like her soul had left her.
Erin sensed that and smiled. “What’s on your mind, Abigail? You look so distracted.”
Abigail sighed. “Didn’t you check out the news?”
“I’ve been busy,” Erin replied. ’We just finished an important project, which was why the higher-ups allowed me to take leave.”
In fact, she had been working overtime until midnight and drove to work before sunrise.
She had no time at all to check out the news.
As such, Abigail told her, “Diarmuid’s plane to Franconia crashed…”
Erin became flustered right then. “Is he alright?”
Abigail nodded. “He’s fine, but his eyes were injured. It caused a huge mess, so James had to leave to deal with the cleanup. We didn’t want to tell you in case we’d worry you, and James was probably concerned he could not tell you if you asked, so he decided to cut off contact entirely.”
Erin was skeptical. “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Abigail said. ’’Just come home with me later and you’ll understand.”
Since there was no way she could send Erin home, she just had to bring Erin to the castle.
Erin stopped walking right then. “We should go to your place, then.”
When Abigail turned to look at her, she said anxiously, “I didn’t know something so bad happened to Diarmuid. I really am a bad sister… I would like to check on him sooner.”
“He’s much better now,” Abigail assured Erin.
“But you just said his eyes were injured. To what extent?”
Abigail was quiet for a moment. “The doctor said that it’s treatable.”
Erin remained worried and pulled Abigail along, “Let’s go.”
The motion pulled on Abigail’s injury as well, and she scowled in pain.
“What’s wrong?” Erin asked when she noticed her reaction.
“My hand is sore,’ Abigail said, hastily coming up with an excuse.
Erin loosened her grip on Abigail but did not let Abigail go.
With that, they hurried home to check on Diarmuid, with Abigail having no choice but to follow since she could not stop Erin.
Erin kept urging the chauffeur to hurry along the way even though he was already going very fast.
“Calm down,” Abigail told Erin.
“This is very serious,” Erin retorted. “How can I calm down?”
Abigail said nothing to that, since Erin was right.
No one could stay calm after going through something so terrible!
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.
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