Chapter 40 Aren't You Afraid of Retribution?

Wesley returned to the car to find Eleanor was indeed sound asleep.

She was draped in Aaron's overcoat, her delicate features nestled into a small bundle just beneath the coat's black collar. Her cheeks were a tender shade of blush against the dark fabric, breathing softly, the epitome of tranquility.

Despite his efforts to keep noise to a minimum, the car's ignition still disturbed her slumber.

Wesley, with his keen ears, noticed she was awake. "Sorry Miss Patterson, didn't mean to wake you," he apologized.

Eleanor shrugged off the overcoat. Aaron hadn't come back, and it hit her—he wasn't going to.

With Vincent evidently his fiancée, Aaron had obligations to consider.

Despite the odds being stacked against her, Eleanor wasn't ready to let Vincent trample over her without a fight. She wouldn't feel content without at least trying to break their engagement.

She exhaled a resigned breath. "No worries, just drive me home, please."

They left People's Hospital in the rearview as Wesley drove away. Eleanor's phone jingled to life with Grayson's ringtone.

Grayson was days away from his trip to Russia for the world championship, swamped with preparations, which explained their lack of recent communication.

Answering the call, before she could even greet him, Grayson's angry tirade burst through. "You've really got some nerve, Eleanor!"

Baffled, she replied, "What are you talking about?"

His anger was palpable, as if he could jump through the phone to shake some sense into her. "Weren't you bullied at a hotel by someone with the Firth recently?"

So that was it.

She had thought he was angry about something to do with Edward, but apparently, Edward hadn't spilled the beans.

She had asked Edward to keep the incident with Manager Huang a secret, and now that it was out, she felt guilty. "That's all in the past," she deflected.

"Is that because I haven't been attentive enough?" he fired back.

"Not at all."

"That's exactly it!"

Holding her forehead, she hadn't yet figured out how to appease Grayson's mood. "So, what do you want to do, hit me?"

"I'd like to, but I don't have the time!" Grayson scoffed.

"What would satisfy you then, Second Young MasterMr. Davis?" she asked tentatively.

"Haven't decided," he snapped.

Eleanor lost her patience. "Can't we just have a normal conversation?"

Grayson's face might have turned blue with fury; it'd been a long time since she'd called him that. "So you mess up and you think you're in the right?"

Capitulating immediately, she replied, "Nope, I'm the one in the wrong, okay? I just didn't want to distract you with trivial matters."
Grayson pursed his lips, holding back the words he originally intended to say—Manager Firth had been beaten by Aaron and expelled from Nan City, blacklisted in the industry like a stray dog wandering the streets. Just the other day, he got into an accident and narrowly escaped death, now paralyzed from a high spinal injury.

The last one to die was Peter, and this time Manager Firth in a traffic accident.

Separately, the incidents may not raise eyebrows, but linked together, both involving Eleanor, Grayson sensed something sinister at play.

He kept silent not to alarm Eleanor, thinking of her being bullied deflated his anger. "I'm training, not trying to save the galaxy. So what if I'm distracted? And since when are you an outsider? You're my brother!"

Eleanor was immune to Grayson’s view of her, "Alright, alright, my mistake. I'll inform you first thing next time."

"Don't jinx yourself!"

Eleanor quickly corrected herself, "Alright, revered Young Mr. Davis, I'm wrong, don't hold this against me."

"Okay, have you been drinking?" Grayson asked, suspicious.

The two knew each other too well. Grayson knew exactly what Eleanor was like drunk—more talkative, pliable, and easily coaxed unless someone pushed her too far.

After giving her a few words of advice, Grayson hung up.

...

Waking from a nap, Vincent couldn't help smiling upon seeing Aaron in her hospital room.

See, she could keep Aaron around without breaking a sweat.

She shifted, angling herself just right. Her hospital gown was loose, revealing a delicate clavicle and a smooth shoulder, along with the enticing curve just below her collarbone.

"Aaron, have you not slept all night?"

Aaron glanced over with an impassive face, his gaze settling on hers, "Feeling better?"

"Much better." Knowing not to overdo it, she sat up and casually pulled her slipping gown back into place, her fingers tensing as if she were heartbreakingly frail.

"Ashton will come by for a detailed check-up in a bit."

He stood up and started unbuttoning his cuffs. Blake entered with a bag containing fresh clothes for Aaron to change into. Having spent the night on the couch in his suit, it was now creased. Aaron, with his mild obsession for cleanliness, couldn't bear to wear it another day.

With the bathroom door shut behind Aaron, Vincent slowly rose from her bed.

Stiff from lying down for so long, she played with her hair while flexing her limbs. The hospital room had a balcony outside. She opened the door to get some fresh air.

Conversations floated over from nearby, the voice familiar. Eleanor turned her head instinctively, catching sight of Eleanor.
Just the other day, Eleanor had a scare, and Aaron had arranged for someone to take care of Victoria and transferred himself to Ashton Hospital. Victoria was discharged yesterday, but she left her wallet there with all her important IDs inside, so Eleanor had come specially to collect it.

Eleanor thanked the nurse when, in a glance, she locked eyes with Vincent.

Vincent sneered. "Like a bad penny, you keep turning up. Why do you follow me wherever I go?"

"You just have terrible timing when it comes to getting sick," Eleanor retorted without mercy, stuffing the wallet into her backpack and heaving a sigh, her voice tinged with significance, "Next time you want to come down with something, pick a better day, so you don't run into me again."

Her words were a thinly veiled jab at Vincent for feigning illness, and Vincent shot back darkly, "I don't have your talent for making men's heads turn with the slightest effort."

Eleanor chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Vincent was about to flare up when she caught Aaron approaching out of the corner of her eye.

She stepped closer to Eleanor, voice low and venomous: "Like mother, like daughter! I had lined up a couple of guys for your mom to star in an X-rated flick. It's a shame you found her first because, with her still-charming allure, that video would have sold like hotcakes."

Her laugh was full of smug arrogance, and Eleanor trembled with heartache recalling her mother's distressed and terrified appearance.

Lifting her hand, she slapped Vincent across the face with a resounding smack!

"You're someone's child too. Aren't you afraid of karma?"

Vincent clutched her face, eyes brimming with tears, "I know Grayson and Edward are both backing you, and Edward would do anything for you. But having powerful friends doesn't give you the right to hit me!"

Mention of Grayson was one thing; he was on her side, after all. However, dragging Edward into it just infuriated Eleanor further. "This has nothing to do with Edward."

To any onlooker, Eleanor seemed to be defending Edward.

Vincent, still holding her cheek, gave Eleanor a spiteful smile.

Eleanor paused, sensing something was off, and when she saw Aaron approaching from the side, she realized it was a trap.

"Aaron!" Vincent cried, tears streaming down as she threw herself into Aaron's arms.

With sobs she explained, "I only said Edward isn't right for her. She got drunk last night, and Edward didn't even pick her up. I didn't know she liked Edward so much. Which word did I say wrong that made her angry? Aaron, I really didn't mean it."

Aaron, supporting Vincent, wore a look of stony coldness.