Chapter 803 Finally Seeing Him, Clayton Is Not Dead!
In the ambulance, Alvina lay there, broken and in pain. Her whole body hurt so much that she felt numb, but there was still one thing on her mind.
She opened her palm for Grant to see.
Her body was covered in blood, but strangely, her palm was clean, with two sets of numbers clearly written on it.
One was Grant's.
The other was Natalie's, a number Grant would remember for the rest of his life.
His heart trembled, and his voice shook, "Mom."
Alvina couldn't speak.
She trembled, her pale lips moving slightly, looking at Grant with sorrowful eyes... She was on the brink of death.
The doctor, aware of Grant's situation from the tabloids, patted his shoulder and said, "Give it a try. Maybe she'll come."
A glimmer of hope appeared in Alvina's eyes.
"I'll call! Mom... I'll call right now."
Grant held Alvina's hand, his palm instantly stained red with her blood... Even in her final moments, Alvina worried about dirtying Grant's hand and tried to pull away slightly.
Grant held on tightly.
He quickly dialed Natalie's number, and after a few rings, she answered.
The situation was urgent, so Grant didn't beat around the bush.
He spoke in a low voice, "Natalie, my mother was in a serious car accident... She wants to see you and Haven. Can you come?"
Natalie hesitated for a moment.
Grant knew it would be difficult for her because it involved Haven's parentage, so he added, "She doesn't have much time left, Natalie... I'm begging you."
They had loved each other in their youth, then faced awkwardness.
Now, they were at peace.
Natalie didn't think for long before agreeing. She asked for the location.
Grant gave her the hospital address and hung up. He leaned down to hold Alvina.
He had heard that people nearing death would feel cold all over.
Because they were moving to another world.
His lips touched Alvina's ear, his voice hoarse, "Mom, Natalie is on her way to the hospital... Please hold on!"
A faint smile appeared on Alvina's lips.
She suddenly found a bit of strength.
The ambulance slowly started, heading towards the hospital.
Alvina's eyes were filled with sadness as she looked at Grant... She was already in the final stages of life.
She had so much she wanted to say to Grant, but she didn't know where to start.
Later, she became more and more dazed.
In her final moments, she forgot about Natalie and Haven...
She went back to the beginning, to when her husband was still alive. It wasn't perfect, but there were moments of happiness.
As Alvina was dying, she called Grant's name.
A soft, low call, and she passed away in Grant's arms.
In the end, she didn't get to see Natalie or Haven, and she left this world.
The doctors and nurses were silent.
Grant held Alvina, crying uncontrollably.
Half an hour later, Natalie arrived at the hospital with Haven. Alvina was already covered with a white sheet.
Grant sat quietly by her side.
At the door, his secretary saw Natalie and quickly approached her, whispering, "Ms. Devereux, please comfort Mr. McCall. He hasn't said a word for a long time."
Natalie nodded slightly.
She held Haven and walked in. Grant heard the footsteps and guessed it was her. He spoke in a low voice, "Natalie, she's gone."
Natalie's throat felt tight.
She wanted to say something comforting, but the words wouldn't come out.
Between her and Grant... there were only distant memories from their youth and that night on the island.
They were practically strangers now.
The white surroundings made Haven uncomfortable.
She squirmed in Natalie's arms, calling out, "Mommy, Mommy."
Natalie held her and bowed to Alvina, telling Haven, "This is a grandma we know."
Haven couldn't see the person.
She lay in Natalie's arms, her big eyes looking around... At just over a year old, she didn't understand life and death.
Natalie handed Haven to Grant.
She herself mourned Alvina for a while. The deceased was gone, and the past was gone with her. Natalie didn't want to bring it up again.
She straightened up and looked at Grant.
He was holding Haven. It was his first time holding her, and he wasn't very skilled... But Haven was quite well-behaved in his arms, staring at him with big eyes.
Grant held her tightly.
His face pressed against Haven's warm cheek, bringing him back to reality... Haven played with his buttons, making sounds he couldn't understand.
Grant was reluctant to let go.
But this wasn't a good place. He handed Haven back to Natalie... They stood face to face, and he looked at Natalie, his voice hoarse.
"Natalie, thank you for bringing Haven."
"My mother always thought about Haven."
Natalie didn't respond.
Some things were understood but left unsaid, to be buried in the heart forever.
At the door, Grant's secretary listened.
She could hardly believe it.
At that moment, a doctor approached and spoke to Grant's secretary.
The secretary knocked on the door and said softly, "Mr. McCall, a doctor wants to talk to you. He says he was Mrs. McCall's attending physician."
Attending physician?
Grant was stunned. Before he could react, the doctor had already entered.
He looked at Alvina, covered with a white sheet, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Mr. McCall, my colleague mentioned your mother's case, and I remembered she was my patient."
The doctor took a test report from his pocket and handed it to Grant.
"Your mother had a serious illness. She might not have had the chance to tell you... She had late-stage liver cancer."
The doctor left after speaking.
He might have intended to comfort Grant.
But Grant held the report, his fingers trembling. He wasn't stupid. He knew his mother well... The car accident wasn't an accident.
It was intentional.
To bring him and Natalie together, his mother chose to end her own life.
At that moment, Grant was in immense pain.
He clutched the paper, pacing back and forth, finally looking at Alvina lying on the hospital bed and asking in a choked voice, "Why?"
Why didn't she cherish her life? Why didn't she tell him?
Didn't she know that what she did was meaningless?
His relationship with Natalie had long been beyond their parents' issues... They had grown too far apart to turn back.
But Alvina's secrets would stay buried in his heart.
He couldn't tell Natalie.
Let her believe his mother died in an accident... Natalie didn't know his pain.
Though she had distanced herself from him, she could empathize... She stayed with him for a while before leaving.
Outside the hospital, reporters surrounded them, their flashlights aimed at Natalie and Haven.
The cameras flashed incessantly.
Microphones were thrust in Natalie's face, asking about her relationship with Grant.
"Ms. Devereux, you were the first to arrive after Mr. McCall's mother passed away. Does this mean you and Mr. McCall are getting back together?"
"Is it true that your daughter is Mr. McCall's biological child?"
Natalie pushed the microphones away, covering Haven's face with one hand.
A female reporter, unwilling to give up, tried to move her hand to photograph Haven's face.
Natalie slapped the camera away.
The reporter started to make a scene, her voice sharp, "Just because you're rich, you think you can do whatever you want?"
If Gavin were here, he would have dealt with her!
Natalie gave her a cold look, about to react, when Grant came out...
He shielded Natalie, blocking the view of others. The female reporter continued to cause trouble.
Grant stomped on her camera, breaking it.
The scene fell silent...
Grant looked at the crowd, his voice steady, "Natalie and I were college classmates and first loves. It's normal for her to visit after my mother's death. Please report the truth."
He did long for Natalie, to form a family with her and acknowledge Haven.
But he wanted their relationship to be clean, without Natalie bearing the stigma of infidelity. Even if it meant Haven would forever bear the surname Percy, he would accept it.
Natalie could sense his feelings.
She wasn't untouched. She thought, 'If only we could have been calm and reasonable when we reunited, we wouldn't have ended up here. But life doesn't offer "if onlys."'
At that moment, she was grateful he left room for her and Haven.
Grant escorted them to the car.
Natalie drove herself. She placed Haven in the car seat and stood up.
Grant stood beside her, his gaze unreadable.
Natalie said softly, "Thank you for earlier."
Grant didn't explain much. His eyes fell on Haven, and after a long time, he said in a low voice, "I won't invite you to the funeral. It's not good for Haven."
Natalie was married to Clayton. If she attended, it would be hard to explain.
The child would be labeled illegitimate.
Natalie nodded and said, "Okay."
As she opened the driver's door, she looked at Grant, sincerely saying, "My condolences. Take care."
In the sunlight, Grant quietly watched her.
He knew that today he was not only saying goodbye to his mother but also to Natalie and their past.
It felt absurd, but this absurdity was bought with his mother's life. Who could he blame?
He suddenly understood why Natalie loved Clayton.
Because Clayton respected her, understood her.
Didn't make things difficult for her!
And he, unable to give her happiness, refused to let go.
He had mocked her, used Clara to provoke her, and after their intimate encounter, forced her to take medicine... Just to see her break, to see if she cared about him.
His love was twisted and pathetic.
But that wasn't what women wanted. Women wanted a love like Clayton's, open and honest, spoken aloud.
Grant realized this too late.
He suddenly opened the car door, holding Haven close to his chest.
While the child was still young, before she understood, he whispered, "Daddy will watch you grow up!"
But maybe, only from afar.
Haven liked his buttons, playing with them... On the other side, Natalie watched quietly, her eyes moist.
What she didn't know was that from a distance, another pair of eyes was quietly watching her!
That person watched for a long time, then pulled up the hood of a black sweatshirt, covering his face, and turned away... He thought, maybe Natalie still loved Grant.
He thought, maybe Haven needed her biological father more.
After a while, Natalie got in the car and drove away.
In the back seat, Haven babbled incomprehensibly, adorably.
Natalie felt a pang in her heart. Though she had had conflicts with Alvina, a living person had died...
At a red light, she stopped the car.
Just as she was about to check on Haven, she stared into the rearview mirror.
There was a tall figure, dressed in black, black hoodie, black jeans.
The hood was pulled tight.
The person suddenly looked up.
That face, it was Clayton... She wouldn't mistake him!
But in a blink, Clayton turned into an alley.
Natalie couldn't get out because Haven was in the car. She couldn't drive after him, blocked by cars in front and behind.
She could only watch Clayton disappear from her sight, from her world.
Behind her, horns blared.
The light had turned green.
As Natalie started the car, she realized she was crying... Tears streaming down her face.
She laughed and cried.
Clayton wasn't dead. He really wasn't dead! He had always been by her side.
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