Chapter 42
Amelia wondered, “Has his vocal cords recovered? Can he speak now?” She was so overjoyed that she forgot to stay mad. Rushing over to Landon, she patted his back to help him breathe while encouraging him. “Cough a bit more. Come on, harder.”
Gloria, watching them with a complicated expression, thought, “If he keeps coughing like that, isn’t he going to choke again?”
Landon finally stopped coughing, though he shot an annoyed glare at Amelia. With his eyes filled with silent accusation, he asked inwardly, “What did you say to Mom to make her misunderstand?”
“Forget about that. Quick, try speaking,” Amelia urged, her eyes fixed on his throat. For the first time, she realized even a man’s Adam’s apple could be described as beautiful. It proved that when one was in a good mood, everything looked pleasing.
Landon also hoped he could speak. With some anticipation, he tried to make a sound using his vocal cords. Both Amelia and Gloria watched him intently, holding their breath. But there was no sound.
“Still nothing…” he murmured inwardly as he lowered his gaze in disappointment. He then wondered, “I was sure I felt my vocal cords and Adam’s apple moving when I coughed earlier. Why isn’t it working now?”
Amelia and Gloria felt just as disappointed, but they understood that the patient’s emotional well-being was even more important. They both quickly masked their disappointment, smiling gently as they reassured him, “It’s alright. Just take it slow.”
Their forced cheerfulness only made Landon feel worse. However, being the resilient type, he quickly adjusted his mood and asked Amelia, “Are you disappointed?”
She replied, “Recovery is always a process. It takes time. Some patients in a vegetative state never regain consciousness. But look at you–you’re aware and can even move your hand. That’s already amazing.” Her tone was so warm and reassuring it could calm anyone.
Landon felt a bit better, and he opened up more, saying inwardly, “Don’t worry. My uncle won’t bother you again these next few days.”
“Mm.” Amelia nodded. Although she had no idea what he had done, she didn’t care to ask. When Landon Kingsley took action, it was never something ordinary. What concerned her more now was the Edwards family’s stock holdings.
Gloria, unable to hear Landon’s inner thoughts and only hearing Amelia’s voice, sighed silently. She thought, “Amy really has such patience.”
Before long, Wesley burst into the room with medicine in hand, shouting, “Amelia, can you be a little more restrained? What? Were you celibate in your past life–oh…”
The moment he spotted Gloria, his voice trailed off. She glared at him sharply and snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
“M–Mrs. Gloria…” Wesley deflated instantly, stammering. “What I meant was…Landon’s body is still recovering, so…uh, that kind of thing should be avoided for now.”
Amelia’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment. She couldn’t exactly tell Gloria that she hadn’t even touched Landon like that.
“What is wrong with him?” Amelia thought, utterly mortified. “Although…I did go through life without sleeping with anyone before, but come on, like I’d force myself on someone in a vegetative state.”
“He was doing just fine last time I came here. How did he suddenly become so weak?” Wesley raised his voice, glaring at Amelia in frustration.
“How can you blame anyone for Landon’s poor health?” Gloria snatched the medicine from Wesley’s hands and promptly dismissed him. “You can leave now.” Wesley, panting and drenched in sweat, fell silent, completely speechless at her blunt dismissal.
In the end, it was Amelia who stepped in to mediate. “Since Dr. Harrington is already here, why not have him check on Landon?”
Wesley quickly chimed in, “Yeah. Let me check on Landon.”
Gloria, unimpressed, urged, “Hurry up then.”
“Yes,” Wesley muttered.
Under Gloria’s stern glare, Wesley dared not retort to Amelia anymore. After completing a round of examinations, he grinned sheepishly and announced. “Landon is quite healthy, actually.”
Gloria wasted no time in responding, “Then you can leave now.” She really knew how to discard people once they’d served their purpose. Amelia couldn’t help laughing as she looked at Wesley, who was clearly frustrated but scared to speak.
Wesley shot Amelia a sharp look before discreetly motioning her to follow him. She stepped outside with him and asked, “Dr. Harrington, is there anything else you need to tell me?”
Blushing slightly, he hesitated, trying to phrase his words carefully. “I understand Mrs. Gloria’s intentions in wanting you to marry Landon. But he’s still in a vegetative state, so please don’t take advantage of him. You don’t have to go to extremes to have children.”
He sighed inwardly, “Ugh, discussing this with a woman… It’s really embarrassing.”
“Actually, we haven’t done anything,” Amelia said plainly.
“Huh?” Wesley froze in place. “Y–You mean, you two aren’t…”
Amelia shook her head and added, “No. I’m not so heartless as to force myself on a man who can’t even move.”
Wesley blinked in disbelief, thoroughly embarrassed. “So I was wrong this whole time? As a doctor, does this count as a professional misjudgment?” he thought.
“But Gloria must not know about this, got it?” Amelia gave him a sharp side glance.
Wesley nodded furiously. “Got it. I swear, I won’t say a word.”
He reflected, “Everyone’s been saying Amelia dumped her ex–boyfriend to marry Landon just so she could have a kid and become Mrs. Kingsley. They even gossip about how shameless she is, throwing herself at men and all that nonsense.
“But now that I think about it, I was way off. How could I believe those rumors? Amelia’s selfless, really. She’s willing to take the blame and protect Landon’s reputation. I should treat her better from now on.”
The three–day deadline had passed, and Aaron personally went to the hospital to remind Walter about his debt. “Mr. Edwards, about the money you owe Kingsley Group…”
“I don’t have any money,” Walter replied, lying lifelessly on the hospital bed, completely defeated.
He sighed inwardly, “I tried to play smart, but I ended up shooting myself in the foot. Now, I’m like a fish on their chopping block.
“That’s 100 million dollars debt. Even if I sold everything I owned, I couldn’t pay it back. The only thing I can do now is…play dead. What are they gonna do anyway? Kill me? No matter what, I’m still the father of Landon’s wife.”
Aaron smiled faintly, “In that case, we’ll have to take legal action then.”
Walter, unbothered and shameless, sneered, “Go back and tell Amelia that if she really dares to sue me, I’ll die right here and now.”
Aaron remained calm. “There’s no need for that. Before I came here, Mrs. Kingsley already told me to remind you that your choices–any of them, including what you do with your life–have nothing to do with her.”
“She… She’s utterly rebellious.” Walter sat up in a fury, but the movement pulled at the fresh scabs on his back, causing him to grimace in pain.
He huffed, “That ungrateful brat–is she trying to drive me to my grave? She’ll be struck by heaven’s wrath, I swear.”
Aaron said calmly, “Mr. Edwards, this was Kingsley Group’s decision. It has nothing to do with Mrs. Kingsley.”
Walter sneered, “Isn’t Kingsley Group in her hands now?” He had no patience for Aaron’s sly, diplomatic games. Grabbing the water bottle from his bedside table, Walter hurled it at him.
Aaron sidestepped effortlessly, brushing off his jacket with practiced composure before heading for the door. As he left, he offered a measured warning. “Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Kingsley is merely a figurehead. She has no real authority in Kingsley Group.”
Walter gritted his teeth and snapped, “Get out.” After sending Aaron away, Walter was left with an aching back, a pounding headache, and every part his body felt like it was on fire.
“A figurehead? Amelia really has no power? I don’t believe it… Not even for a second,” Walter grumbled inwardly. But suddenly, his face turned pale. Clutching his chest, he let out a strangled gasp. “Ah…it hurts…”
Sandra, who had just finished her discharge paperwork from the maternity ward and come to check on Walter, was scared by the scene. Panicking, she slammed the emergency button while shouting, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Walter gasped, “My chest hurts…” But before he could say more, he collapsed, unconscious.
The ward descended into chaos. Shortly after, Amelia’s phone buzzed with a new message. The text read: [Dad had a heart attack because of you. If anything happens to him, I’ll dig up your mom’s grave.]