Chapter 387 Felix in Critical Condition After Sudden Illness
Philip told himself it was nothing—just concern. He was only worried that Charles might be taken in by that cunning Emma.
Yes. That had to be it.
The thought settled in his mind like a stone in water, and Philip felt vindicated. He was right. No question about it.
From down the hall came the faint creak of a door. Charles's study, slightly ajar.
"Philip. Come in."
For a heartbeat, Philip froze. Had Charles seen his earlier blunder? Was he about to be dressed down? His first instinct was to bolt.
"Charles, I was… sleepwalking. I thought I saw Alexander heading into Catherine's room. I was just going to chase him out."
Alexander and Catherine were engaged. What was the problem? And now that Charles knew Quinn Couture was Catherine's brand, he trusted her implicitly. Catherine knew exactly what she wanted, and she would never do anything that could harm her own position.
If she trusted Alexander, Charles was willing to trust her choice.
"Come in," Charles said evenly. "Don't make me say it a third time."
In the Windsor family, Charles's word carried more weight than even Brandon's. He had raised most of them himself.
Philip slunk inside.
"Charles, I didn't mean to speak ill of Ms. Kate earlier. I know I was wrong. I'll apologize."
Charles regarded him with that cool, assessing gaze. He had heard every word earlier.
"Good. Don't let it happen again. Ms. Kate has proven herself more than capable of running her family. A Windsor does not speak carelessly, especially about women in positions of power."
With the Windsor name, they were already magnets for attention. If such words were repeated outside, it would be nothing short of slander. Emma, as a young woman, didn't deserve to be dragged into baseless gossip.
Charles's voice was sharper now, his expression edged with rare anger. "Half your allowance for the next six months will be withheld. The deducted amount goes to Catherine and Juniper. How you earn Ms. Kate's forgiveness is your problem."
"Understood."
Philip could command a courtroom and win impossible cases, but in front of Charles, he was still the boy who had to bow his head. The money wasn't the issue—it was the fact that Charles was disciplining him like a child.
Charles gestured toward a chair. "Sit."
"I'd rather not."
"Sit. And clean that foot before it gets infected."
Philip glanced down. The top of his foot was swollen and red. He obeyed, pulling the medical kit from the cabinet and disinfecting the wound.
"Now," Charles said, "tell me about the Gabriella case."
Philip hesitated. "Charles… is Gabriella your future wife?"
Charles's eyes went cold. Philip swallowed hard. "If she is, then it's a family matter. If she's not, it's client confidentiality, and I can't say."
Charles rubbed his brow, letting the comment slide. He opened a hidden compartment in his desk and tossed an envelope onto the table.
It was a wedding invitation, prepared years ago but never sent. Gabriella had left before the day could come.
Philip studied the photo, the names, the date—and it clicked. "Wait. Gabriella is the woman who turned you down? I always wondered who had the guts to walk away from someone like you."
"Philip. Do you want me to take more of your allowance?"
He flinched. Confidentiality suddenly didn't seem so important. "Gabriella's family is in trouble. She's trying to reclaim her father's estate so she can take care of her mother, then move abroad with her sister and never come back."
"I've met her mother," Philip went on. "She's the type who lives to undermine her daughters—classic narcissistic personality disorder.
"Gabriella's done well to get this far. She wants to break free from her mother, but she can't just abandon her. That's why she's after the inheritance."
Charles twirled a fountain pen between his long fingers. "Her mother's condition—could she be committed?"
"It's difficult. Narcissists are expert at hiding their illness. She'd fake being perfectly fine. Getting a psychiatric evaluation would be nearly impossible."
Charles's gaze sharpened. "Can it be done?"
Philip met that look and understood immediately. "I'll speak to George. And as a lawyer, I believe getting a mentally ill person the treatment they need is part of my duty."
Charles nodded, satisfied. "Good. Make it happen."
Philip agreed, then paused at the door to grin back. "Don't worry, Charles. I'm not letting Gabriella emigrate and leave you single forever."
"Get out."
Philip laughed all the way down the hall.
Charles switched off the lamp. Darkness swallowed the study, hiding the flicker of emotion on his face. He sat there, elbows on the desk, pressing his fingers to his temples.
"Charles, what are you doing?" he murmured to himself.
He had let the one person he should have cherished suffer alone, out of sight. His youthful love had been too light—light enough to make him arrogant, to believe he could control everything. And yet too heavy—heavy enough that, after all these years and all the people he had met, he still thought of no one else.
What he once called devotion now felt like a mirage—there, yet unreachable.
But he wanted to see it again. To hold it. To chase an illusion. To put the broken pieces back together.
The next morning at the Windsor Villa breakfast table.
Philip's eyes twitched when he saw Alexander strolling out of Catherine's room.
"Alexander," he said, "I heard you were climbing in through her window last night. I didn't know the chairman of the Howard Group was into rock climbing."
Alexander sat beside Catherine without missing a beat. "I like skydiving too. Want me to take you sometime?"
"No thanks," Philip said through clenched teeth. "Just… keep your distance. Catherine's young and impressionable. Don't corrupt her."
Aurora rolled her eyes. "Eat your breakfast and get to work."
Philip and Richard were the only ones left single in the house. Neither of them sought a partner, yet both cast envious glances at Catherine and Alexander's easy affection.
Marcus lowered his newspaper, his sharp gaze sweeping the table, memorizing every face—familiar or not. He seemed to come to a conclusion.
Annie's call broke the moment.
"Mr. Alexander Howard, Mr. Felix Howard has collapsed. He's in the ER right now!"
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