Chapter 630 Emilia
Meryl never expected to run into Felix while she was in the hospital for bed rest. After the recent car accident, he had steel rods in both legs, and his presence was a surprise. Chandler had left the room early that morning to go to work, leaving Meryl to follow the doctor’s orders and stay in bed. Boredom set in quickly, and just when she was starting to feel restless, the door swung open. Philip wheeled Felix in.
Meryl was bored, and Felix even more so. After all, she had only spent half a day in the hospital, while Felix had been confined there for a whole week. When he spotted her, excitement flickered in his eyes, but Meryl felt a wave of wariness and caution wash over her. She instinctively pulled the blanket up around her, and Felix noticed. He had watched the live stream from yesterday, and he knew she had won an award. Philip had gone out to grab breakfast and spotted Chandler coming out of the elevator. That connection led Felix to guess that Meryl must be in the hospital.
Felix said thoughtfully, “Looks like the lesson given to her wasn’t enough.”
Meryl caught the underlying threat in his tone. “What are you planning?”
“Since you’re stuck here, and your man seems hesitant to take action, I guess it’s up to me to step in.” Felix’s eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief, sending a chill down Meryl’s spine.
“Don’t even think about it! We’re not close enough for you to be offering your ‘help.’” Meryl was keenly aware of Chandler’s feelings and didn’t want him caught in the middle of a mess between her and Rachel. Felix was known for his reckless behavior, and she feared he might actually do something to Rachel, complicating everything further.
Felix laughed. “Wow, you’re still feeling sympathetic for the person who hurt you? Should I call you kind or just plain foolish? With that attitude, how do you expect to keep the baby safe?” He had little respect for Chandler. In his eyes, Chandler pretended to care about Meryl, yet here he was, letting Rachel off the hook while his wife was in the hospital. He mused, “If it were me, I would’ve kicked Rachel to the curb.”
Felix’s gaze drifted to an apple that had been sliced and left on the table, likely cut by Chandler just before he left. He casually picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth, his eyes scanning Meryl’s belly. “Consider this a little example for my future son.”
Meryl frowned, feeling offended. “Felix, what exactly do you want?” She thought, “It’s my child, not his. What’s wrong with him?”
Felix grinned. “I’m just saying I have my eye on you. Is that so hard to understand?”
Just then, Philip slipped into the room, whispering something to Felix. Felix’s expression shifted to one of eager anticipation. “Oh? Are you sure?”
Philip nodded, confirming the news. “Absolutely.”
Felix leaned in closer to Meryl, his voice dropping conspiratorially. “So, here’s some juicy gossip to pass the time: my brother Christopher’s fiancée was kidnapped last night.”
Meryl frowned and asked, “What’s that got to do with me?”
“I figured you might be bored in here, so why not share some interesting news?” The rift between Felix and his brothers was no secret. With Christopher and Emilia’s wedding just weeks away, Felix was more than eager to watch the drama unfold.
Philip sighed, “The kidnappers are probably after money. I heard they want the Clarke family to cough up 100 million for her release.”
Felix scoffed, saying, “The Clarke family can’t come up with that kind of cash. No way they could pull that off overnight.” The Clarke family was in the construction business, and in this economy, even the top players in that field struggled to maintain cash flow.
“What’s Christopher’s reaction?” Felix asked, intrigued.
“Emilia’s older brother came by this morning, hoping to get some funds from the Powell family. But Mr. Christopher Powell said they just bought a piece of land and don’t have much liquidity right now.”
Felix chuckled. “This is turning out to be quite the spectacle.” With Emilia kidnapped and urgently needing money for her ransom, it was surprising that Christopher remained so composed. Though their marriage was a business arrangement lacking emotional ties, Felix couldn’t help but feel a kinship with Christopher’s cold demeanor.
Philip chimed in, “Well, Mr. Keith Powell can’t afford to make…”
Felix nodded, thinking, “The old man loves to put on a show, so that’s not unexpected.”
Meryl, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly interested in the Powell family gossip. But when Emilia’s name came up, she recalled their connection. They had been classmates. During the time when Meryl was taken in by the Stone family, Lydia often tried to stir trouble between her and her classmates, leading to Meryl being isolated. Yet, Emilia had been the exception. Perhaps it was because she was spoiled by the Clarke family, but Emilia exuded a kind of confidence that made her unbothered by Lydia’s innocent facade. She often called out Lydia’s nonsense, and while everyone else turned their backs on Meryl, Emilia stood by her side. At first, Meryl thought Emilia was genuinely trying to help her, but she later realized that Emilia simply disliked Lydia. Now, hearing about Emilia’s kidnapping, Meryl felt a sense of obligation to help. With Malcolm sending some money over for Christmas, she thought maybe she could lend a hand to the Clarke family.
Meanwhile, Rachel was busy packing up her things in the dorm, urged by the orchestra to vacate quickly. With little money in her pocket and no idea where to go, she reluctantly called Chandler for help. When Chandler saw the incoming call, he tossed the phone to Walter. “Walter, take this. I’m in a meeting.”
Walter answered the call, “Ms. Morgan, Mr. Aniston is currently unavailable. Do you really think it’s appropriate to ask Mr. Aniston for a place to stay? He’s a married man, and arranging accommodations for you would look bad. Plus, you have a fiancé, don’t you?”
Rachel felt her blood boil at Walter’s words. She mused, “Fiancé? You mean to suggest I go to Felix? That’s a joke!” She shot back. “My brother…”
“Come on, Ms. Morgan. You know Mr. Aniston owes your brother a favor. So what does that have to do with you? Mr. Aniston made it clear: if you want him to help you, you need to apologize to Mrs. Aniston for what happened yesterday. Otherwise, forget it.”
Rachel had never had a good experience with Walter and hung up in frustration. Outside her room, the staff were pressing her to move out. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she thought, “Why is everyone treating me like this? My family’s fallen apart, I have no one left, and now even Chandler has turned his back on me.”
There was one option left: Christopher. But the thought of him made her stomach churn.
“There’s no way I’m letting Christopher find me a place to stay!” In the end, Rachel made a decision: she would go apologize to Meryl. “It’s just a matter of pride, right? It’s not worth much. If an apology can get Chandler to forgive me, then what’s the harm in saying I’m sorry?”