Chapter 322 One Lie Begets Many More to Vover It Up
The next morning, Jerry got Steven to bring breakfast to the ward.
After Elissa and I finished eating, a nurse came in to change her dressing.
Elissa didn't want me to watch, saying, "You're pregnant now, and getting upset can mess with the baby's development. Be good and don't watch."
"Alright." I couldn't argue with her. Just then, Madison called me, so I stepped out of the ward.
"Hope, where are you? I came by your place, but Ellen said you weren't home."
I suddenly remembered Madison had mentioned she'd drop by when she had time.
But I didn't expect this whole mess to happen before she got here.
I didn't want her to worry, so I thought about lying, but then I realized one lie would need a bunch more to cover it up.
Besides, with the Ortiz family's connections, Neil would definitely fill her in once he found out.
When Madison found out, she'd be pissed that I lied to her. So, I decided to spill the truth. "I'm at the Hammer family's hospital."
Half an hour later, Madison showed up at the hospital.
She and Juniper were lugging a bunch of stuff. Probably to avoid being recognized and causing a scene, she was dressed down, wearing a mask and sunglasses.
I noticed some patients giving her curious looks, so I quickly ushered her into the ward. "Mom, I told you there's no need to come all the way here. I'm really fine."
"As your mother, must I wait until you're in danger to come see you?" Madison took off her mask, and then pulled me around to check me out.
Seeing that I was indeed fine, Madison let out a sigh of relief. "Things wouldn't be peaceful during this time. I told you to stay home as much as possible, and if you had to go out, to take more bodyguards."
"I did." I pulled Madison to sit down. "But I can't prevent everything."
I explained the whole situation to her. Anger flashed in Madison's eyes, she snapped, "Larry is as stupid as ever!"
"I couldn't be bothered with trash like him, but now he's trying to kill you for money. Is he out of his mind? Don't worry. I'll take care of him," Madison said as she was fuming.
I didn't want Madison to get mixed up with Larry because of me and add more trouble.
I said, "Jerry will handle it, so don't bother with Larry. You don't need the headache of dealing with him and Skylar."
"Don't worry, Neil will help me. I don't need to do it myself," said Madison.
She immediately called Neil as she said to me, "We can't put everything on Jerry. His father is also a problem. Let Neil help."
This time, I didn't stop her because I thought she had a point.
No matter how capable Jerry was, he couldn't handle everything at once. And Neil wasn't an outsider.
This way, Jerry could have some relief, and things could be handled more smoothly.
After finishing the call with Neil, Madison added, "By the way, if you're fine, don't stay in the hospital all the time. Being pregnant, the hospital germs could mess with your immune system."
"I was thinking the same." Elissa came out of the bathroom and, hearing this, chimed in, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on things. I need to stay in the hospital until my stitches are removed anyway."
Madison gestured for Elissa to sit down. "Elissa, thank you. Is there anything you like? How about the new Hermes bag this year? It suits your style."
Elissa was flattered and quickly declined, "Madison, it's nothing. If I were in danger, Hope would protect me without hesitation."
Madison disagreed, "That's a separate matter. We'll talk about that if it happens. This time, I must thank you. Whatever you like, just let me know."
Elissa thought for a moment. What she liked but didn't have was probably Francis.
However, she wasn't the type to dwell on things. If Francis truly got back with his first love, she wouldn't have chased after him.
Elissa smiled lightly. "Can't think of anything right now. How about we keep it in mind for later?"
"Of course," Madison agreed easily, then turned to me. "I'm gonna check on Claire. Don't worry. I haven't interacted with her much, so I shouldn't upset her. Maybe she'll remember me."
I nodded. "Promise me you'll keep me in the loop about Claire, no matter what happens? I can handle it."
"You can handle it?" Madison poked my forehead. "I asked Jerry on the way here. He wouldn't dare lie to me. But you didn't tell me you were sent to the emergency room last night."
I touched my nose, feeling a bit guilty. I had left that part out when I was telling her the truth earlier.
Even though I was standing here perfectly fine now, Madison must have been worried.
In my view, if she got too worried, she might not agree to let me stay in the hospital.
Madison was already busy, and I didn't want her to put extra effort into dealing with my issues.
Claire's situation shouldn't be Madison's responsibility either. Madison didn't marry Larry, so she wasn't even an ex-wife, and Claire wasn't her mother-in-law.
"I was wrong." I pouted. "I promise there won't be a next time."
"There better not be." Madison patted my head. "Alright, don't worry. I won't hide anything from you. Can I go see her now?"
"Of course." I escorted Madison to the ward door and made a gesture of invitation.
Madison gave me a playful glare.
She was already beautiful, and that look made her even more stunning. No wonder she remained a star in the entertainment industry for so long.
After Madison left the ward, I was puzzled. "Why do you think Larry would cheat with someone like Skylar, who is inferior to my mom in every way?"
Elissa was munching on the fruit Madison had brought. Hearing my question, she tapped the fork on the table and said, "Men always believe the grass is greener on the other side and will go to great lengths to taste it."
She continued, "Skylar falls short compared to Madison in every aspect, but she's far better at putting on a façade. Even if she thinks Larry is a fool, she'll still cater to him."
Elissa added, "Men love to be admired and flattered. Madison is beautiful, but she just can't flatter a man in the same way."
That was true. After chatting for a while, I became curious about Elissa's relationship with Francis. "You can flirt, but you're not the type to flatter against your will. How did you pursue Francis?"
Elissa forked a piece of fruit and stuffed it into my mouth. "I don't really want to talk about him."
I chewed. "Alright, let's not talk about it."
After a few seconds, Elissa sighed and said, "I can't bring myself to ruin someone else's relationship."
I asked, "Do you really like Francis that much?"
The ward suddenly became quiet.
It took Elissa a long time to speak, and after much inner struggle, she finally admitted, "Hearing that Francis had a first love hurt me more than finding out Ivan was married."
At the Hammer Group, the executives were currently in a meeting in the spacious conference room.
When Austin walked in, he saw Jerry sitting in his usual seat. The shareholders and executives all had their heads down.
"Mr. Hammer, you are here? Have a seat." Jerry had a casual smile on his lips and pointed to a seat next to him.
The entire conference room was silent; no one dared to speak.
Just ten minutes before Austin arrived, everyone had received enough evidence to incriminate them. They all knew that with Jerry's return, the Hammer Group would inevitably change hands.
But Austin was stubborn and unwilling to relinquish control. Although he acknowledged Jerry's abilities, he couldn't stand Jerry's arrogance.
Austin had also done some shady things. If he didn't keep a tight grip on the Hammer Group, he feared Jerry would kick him out one day.
Austin said, "You're just the acting CEO. I hold the most shares and am the real CEO of the Hammer Group."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
