Chapter 585 Alienation
Cordelia sat in the waiting room, her brow furrowing deeply.
She turned to the bodyguard beside her and asked, "Who's that with Michael? Looks like a woman. When did she get in there? Who let her in?"
The bodyguard looked just as surprised. "She wasn't there a minute ago. Maybe she slipped in when Mr. Stewart arrived?"
Cordelia's face twisted with anger. "It must be! He kept me busy with his mind games! Distracted me so someone else could sneak in! Who else could it be? It has to be Elizabeth!"
Her chest heaved with fury as she stood up quickly, yanked open the door, and stormed into the hallway.
Juan was sitting there, looking at her calmly. "Cordelia, why are you out here? Weren't you supposed to be watching over Michael?"
Cordelia let out a cold laugh. "Mr. Stewart! Out of respect for your friendship with my father, I address you formally. But do you really see me as your niece?"
She pointed angrily towards the hospital room. "Since when did Elizabeth become so close to you? You'd rather help her than me?"
Juan's face showed a hint of helplessness. "Cordelia, I had no choice. Before Michael fell into a coma, he asked me to take care of Elizabeth. I couldn't refuse him. If he wakes up and Elizabeth complains that I mistreated her, Michael wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."
Cordelia snorted lightly. "Mr. Stewart, aren't you afraid that I won't want anything to do with you?"
Juan smiled. "Cordelia, you're being foolish. Why did you poison your own father? He was your greatest support in this world. With him gone, his enemies will come after you. Who will you rely on then? Who will help you?"
Cordelia's eyes widened. She seemed to have not considered this consequence, and suddenly lost her confidence, her voice trembling.
"Michael! Michael can help me! And Zander! Zander won't abandon me!"
Juan shook his head gently. "Poor Cordelia, you don't understand men at all. To men, career and ambition are far more important than women."
"Michael, for instance, if he has a woman he wants to help, it would be Elizabeth, not you. Now, let's talk about Zander."
He paused deliberately to catch Cordelia's attention.
Cordelia, waiting for him to continue, couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Stewart, what's wrong with Zander?"
Juan cleared his throat. "Cordelia, are you sure Zander loves you for who you are, and not for your status?"
Cordelia stood there, stunned. How could she know what Zander truly thought?
On the day Gerald died, even though she said those heart-wrenching words to Zander, deep down, she believed Zander loved her.
She relied on Zander's affection to act recklessly in front of him.
Juan saw her dazed expression and shook his head lightly, continuing, "Cordelia, you're a girl, a naive girl, who doesn't understand men's minds. As the adopted son of the Murphy family, Zander has been loyal and dedicated to your father. Because he doesn't have Murphy blood, he has to prove himself to earn your father's and your favor. You probably haven't noticed, but Zander's eyes are filled with desire and ambition. He shows immense affection for you to ensure your father marries you to him. Once you marry him, he will have everything the Murphy family owns!"
Cordelia sank into a chair, her head bowed in deep thought.
Since childhood, Zander had always been by her side, taking care of her and protecting her.
She knew, despite sharing the same last name, he wasn't truly part of the Murphy family. She ordered him around, and he never complained or lost his temper.
In Cordelia's mind, Zander's loyalty and devotion were unquestionable.
Even when she cruelly cursed him that day, it was merely a way to vent her fear and anger.
She had poisoned her own father, and her helplessness had no outlet.
Michael wouldn't care about her feelings.
Juan continued to stoke the fire. "Cordelia, you need to be careful and make sure you have enough protection around you. You're the sole heir of the Murphy family now. If something happens to you, the entire estate will fall into someone else's hands."
Cordelia seemed not to hear, shaking her head lightly. "No, Zander won't betray me. Mr. Stewart, stop talking."
Juan didn't respond.
Today, he had successfully planted a seed of doubt in Cordelia's heart, driving a wedge between her and Zander's once unbreakable bond.
No matter how hard Zander tried in the future, Cordelia would never trust him as she once did.
Juan's lips curled slightly, then his face returned to a calm expression.
"Cordelia, Michael is still in a coma, and you're pregnant. You shouldn't overexert yourself. Think about it, if you collapse, how will you wait for Michael to wake up?"
Cordelia, hearing Michael's name, seemed to snap back to reality. She glanced at him in the hospital room and said softly, "Michael won't leave me."
Juan asked, "Do you want him to wake up?"
Cordelia's head shot up. "Of course!"
Juan spoke seriously. "Cordelia, you're pregnant and staying here every day won't help Michael recover. Why don't you go home and rest? Let Elizabeth stay here. She can take care of him and be involved in his treatment; after all, she's a doctor."
Cordelia refused. "No! I want to stay here and watch over him every day!"
Juan scratched his head. "Watching him like this won't wake him up!"
Cordelia stubbornly said, "But I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up!"
Juan scoffed. "When he wakes up, won't the first people he sees be the doctors and nurses?"
Cordelia pouted. "I just don't want him to see Elizabeth first!"
Juan tried to reason with her. "Cordelia, you should know that Michael's heart has always belonged to Elizabeth. Even though you're pregnant, his heart isn't with you. Why force him to stay? You can't keep him. When he wakes up, whether he sees Elizabeth or not, he won't stay here."
Cordelia lowered her head, gently touching her still-flat stomach, and said slowly, "Mr. Stewart, do you think if Michael knew the baby I'm carrying is his, he would still leave?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
