Chapter 1184

Margaret offered no rebuttal, tears streaming down her face. She was speechless; he was right. She had made the final call. Yet, she could do nothing to change it. Had she foreseen the consequences, she wouldn't have urged him to fight for the Russell family. Perhaps then, none of this would have transpired.

Initially, when Hugo suggested relinquishing the Russell family to Alexander, Margaret had been unhappy, even arguing with him. Now, regret was futile. If only she had heeded his advice, she wouldn't have indulged her son so blindly. Things might have ended differently. But time, alas, could not be reversed. Her suffering was a deserved punishment.

Celine entered, rushing to shove Ralph aside in shock. "What are you doing here?! Haven't you caused enough damage?!"

"Enough damage?" Ralph sneered. "She hurt me! You're an accomplice! Why pretend to be virtuous? You encouraged the DNA test! None of this would have happened without you!"

Celine's face fell. Her lips trembled before she muttered, "I didn't tell you to oust Alexander from the Russell family. This is your fault. Don't blame others."

"Haha, fine! I'll take the blame while you play the good Samaritan." He laughed, tears welling in his eyes. "So this is my sister. Wonderful!"

"Ralph..."

Margaret's distress triggered the alarm on her monitor. Celine intervened swiftly. "Leave. You're provoking her. Are you trying to kill her?"

He remained motionless, gritting his teeth, fists clenched, as the old woman reached for him. Margaret strained to touch him, but he didn't move. Though close, the distance felt insurmountable.

Soon, doctors arrived, and Ralph left without looking back.

When Alexander arrived at the hospital, Margaret was still in a coma. Her emotional turmoil, exacerbated by Ralph's provocation, had severely deteriorated her health. Doctors warned that her organs were failing and that they should prepare for the worst.

"Prepare for the worst."

Alexander understood. Yet, the possibility of his grandmother's imminent death was agonizing. He gazed at her through the ICU window. She had aged dramatically in just a few days; her hair was completely white, her wrinkles deepened. Who would have believed that, not long ago, she was actively seeking flaws in Alexander to aid Ralph in securing the secret handbook? Life's unpredictability was stark—safe one moment, imperiled the next.

Standing outside the door, Alexander felt a warm hand in his. Lily looked up at him. He offered a reassuring smile, but the underlying fatigue was evident. She knew he wasn't okay.

"Grandma will be fine," she comforted him.