Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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At Saints International Hospital, most of Shelby’s IV drip had gone down, but her fever still hadn’t broken.
She was trapped in a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat. Her hands clutched the bedsheets so tightly they were all wrinkled, and she kept calling out, “Don’t take pictures of me. Please don’t. Brandon, save me.”
Watching her like this made Brandon’s heart ache.
Zack frowned and asked, “What’s going on here?”
Brandon sat slumped in the chair by her bed, his throat dry, barely able to get a word out.
Zack had practically watched Shelby grow up, so of course, he cared about her. He pressed again, “I’m asking you what happened. Why does she keep saying not to take pictures?”
Brandon’s chest tightened as that memory came back to him.
When he was fifteen, on a snowy day, he had found Shelby abandoned on the side of the road.
She was wearing thin clothes, clutching a broken doll, her eyes full of fear and helplessness.
Brandon couldn’t leave her there, so he brought her home and fed her.
He kept looking out for her until she was twelve and he was nineteen. That year, he got into a car accident and ended up walking with crutches.
A few spoiled rich kids mocked him, calling him a cripple and copying the way he walked.
Shelby had stood up for him, but they shoved her down instead.
Back then, Crossen Technology was known in Itera City, but nowhere near as powerful as those other families.
Those kids acted like they could do whatever they wanted. When they caught Shelby alone, they pinned her against a wall, tore her clothes, and took dirty photos of her. The incident left a deep scar on her heart.
From that day on, Brandon swore he’d never let Shelby suffer again and would always protect her.
After hearing all this, Zack’s face darkened. “Who did it?”
Brandon said quietly, “I already handled them.”
After marrying Matilda, she had taken charge of the research center while Brandon handled business.
As a team, husband and wife, they pushed Crossen Technology into the top 500 within three years.
Behind the scenes, Brandon had secretly dealt with those men one by one, never letting Matilda know. Some of their companies went bankrupt. Some slipped up and ended up in prison.
9:17 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 16
Zack narrowed his eyes. “You sure you got them all? What about Matilda?”
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Brandon looked at Shelby’s pale face, his fists clenching tighter. “This isn’t something that can just be let go.”
“Brandon, don’t go soft because she’s a woman. Leave this to me. In three days, I’ll make sure Matilda shows up at your door to apologize,” Zack said firmly.
Meanwhile, Matilda had left the house–hunting to a real estate agent.
She was trying to find work. Her former partners at Crossen Technology wanted to help her but didn’t want to hurt her pride, so they came up with excuses.
The oldest engineer said, “A friend of mine keeps bugging me to introduce him to a top chip architect. Ms. Warren, do me a favor and go meet him, or he won’t stop nagging me.”
The youngest said, “My teacher’s been pushing me to change jobs, but my contract’s not up yet, so I can’t leave. How about you take my place?”
The round–faced woman said, “This headhunting firm keeps calling me every day. It’s driving me nuts.”
Matilda knew these were hard–earned opportunities. They were trying to help her without making it obvious. She couldn’t let them down.
But whenever she showed up for interviews, people suddenly changed their tune.
“Sorry, we’re already full.”
“Our CEO is on a business trip. We’ll reschedule later.”
“Ms. Warren, don’t make things harder for me.”
It didn’t take long for Matilda to suspect someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
Her phone buzzed in her bag. It was Samuel, Tessa’s driver, asking to meet.
He brought her some freshly washed clothes and a hot Domburgh meal that Tessa had prepared.
Matilda called to thank Tessa, but both times the call was cut off after one ring. That had never happened before.
She asked Samuel, “What was Tessa doing when you left?”
He stammered, “Um, maybe talking with Mrs. Ruth Maxwell.”
Ruth had been close friends with Kathy for almost thirty years, and she wasn’t easy to deal with.
“How long has she been staying at Tessa’s place?” Matilda asked.
“Three days,” Samuel said.
9:17 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 16
“Just chatting? Has she been making things hard for Tessa?” Matilda’s eyes stayed locked on him.
Feeling guilty, Samuel avoided her gaze.
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“Tessa’s grandfather told you to look after her, and you still don’t dare tell me the truth, huh?” Matilda’s voice hardened.
Samuel caved right away. “She told me not to say anything. But Mrs. Ruth Maxwell has been bossing her around every day. At four in the morning, Mrs. Ruth Maxwell makes her get up to pray, then cook three meals.
“In the morning, she has to shop; in the afternoon, make coffee for the ladies; and in the evening, pray again in the family chapel. She barely gets a chance to rest.”
Matilda’s face looked calm, but inside she was seething. “Doesn’t Zack care?”
Zack had never treated Tessa particularly well, but before, whenever Ruth picked on her, he usually stepped in.
Samuel sighed, “He’s only come home once in the past three days. He ignores Tessa and says someone’s sick, so he has to stay at Saints International Hospital to keep them company.”
Matilda instantly understood. Ruth was making life hard for Tessa under Zack and Brandon’s orders, but the real target was her.
She told Samuel to drive her to Saints International Hospital.
From the rearview mirror, Samuel kept glancing at her sitting in the backseat with her arms crossed, eyes fixed out the window. Her face looked calm, but her cold, controlled aura felt like the calm before a storm.
“Ms. Warren, I know you care about Tessa, but please, you’ve got to stay calm,” Samuel said carefully.
Matilda’s lips curved in a faint smile. “What makes you think I’m not calm?”
“You just don’t seem calm,” he muttered. Honestly, she looked like she was ready to kill someone.
When they reached the underground parking lot of Saints International Hospital, Matilda hurried to the elevator and headed straight for the emergency building.
Three days ago, Allen had told her that Shelby was in Room 3, the V–Ward, in the Emergency Department.
She strode down the hall with quick, sharp steps, and just as she turned a corner, she ran right into Allen, who was rushing to an emergency consult.
9:17 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 17
