Chapter 935
"Phaedra's situation is really heartbreaking. Such a young kid dealing with trigeminal neuralgia. The pain is so intense, even adults struggle with it. But Phaedra, she's so brave and thoughtful. She doesn't want her mom to worry, so she keeps quiet about the pain, even when her little face goes pale."
Lillian was shocked. She hadn't realized Phaedra was going through something so severe at such a young age.
"Is it serious?" she asked, her concern evident.
The chief, however, seemed at ease and smiled as he replied, "She's already had surgery. It was done by a top specialist. Her recovery is going really well. Kids bounce back quickly. She'll be okay."
Lillian felt a wave of relief and added, "Thank you so much for taking care of her, Doctor. And please, keep my visit and questions private."
"Of course, Ms. Kelly. You can count on it."
Meanwhile, Ambrose was in the CEO's office of the Kelly Group, facing Kenneth.
Kenneth's face was grim with anger. He had always taken good care of himself, with not a wrinkle in sight, his skin fair and smooth. With his gold-rimmed glasses, he looked every bit the distinguished, handsome gentleman, the kind that young women might find charming.
But in just the past ten days, since the Lawson family scandal, Kenneth seemed to have aged a decade. His hair was no longer dyed, with gray roots showing, and wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes. The deep furrow between his brows was particularly noticeable, reflecting his troubled life.
He was filled with suppressed rage, his whole demeanor agitated. The past few days had been a nightmare for him. The media in Seaspring Valley City, newspapers, and local video forums were all abuzz with discussions and insults directed at him.
Videos of him staunchly supporting the Lawson family at the Kelly Group's shareholders' meeting were everywhere, accompanied by derogatory terms like "traitor" and "toxic son-in-law."
He was being vilified online, and despite spending a lot of money, he couldn't quell the negative comments. He had been summoned by the police multiple times, though they had no evidence linking him to Ruby's crimes.
He hadn't committed those crimes, but the repeated investigations had left him exhausted. The worst part was that with the Lawson family ruined, he had completely alienated the Kelly family.
Oberon and Ambrose were determined to see him gone. Back at the company, he faced constant obstacles. Everyone knew he was on the Kelly family's blacklist, and it was only a matter of time before he was finished. People were eager to kick him while he was down.
Even high-ranking officials openly mocked and made things difficult for him, and even the regular employees of the Kelly Group dared to ridicule him to his face.
His projects were at a standstill, and he couldn't stay at the Kelly Group. When he went out to negotiate business, those who used to flatter him now either avoided him or met him with sarcasm.
Kenneth knew that Oberon and Ambrose wanted to drive him out of Seaspring Valley City. But how could he accept that?
He had enjoyed a life of luxury for so many years. Leaving the Kelly Group would mean an uncertain future. Even if he left Seaspring Valley City, the Kelly family might still come after him with even harsher methods.
He thought his only hope now was Lillian. After all, he was her biological father. If Lillian could forgive him and speak on his behalf, given Oberon and Ambrose's affection for her, everything could be resolved.
He had been trying to contact Lillian every day, but she never answered his calls. She had blocked him on all social media platforms, like Facebook.
The reason he was sitting here now was to ask Ambrose about Lillian's whereabouts. Lillian's movements were completely secret.
Kenneth guessed that Lillian was in Miracalia, especially since Jackson was also not in Seaspring Valley City. But when he tried to use his connections in Miracalia to find out where Lillian was, he learned that she wasn't at the Frane Mansion, and no one knew where she was.
Seeing Ambrose's face soften into a smile as he received a message on Facebook, Kenneth guessed it was from Lillian. He stood up, slightly agitated. "Ambrose, is that Lillian? Let me talk to her, just for a few minutes!"
His eyes were red, and he looked like a desperate father longing to reconnect with his daughter. But Ambrose saw through his intentions.
Ambrose's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he ignored Kenneth. He opened a drawer, took out a Bluetooth earpiece, and put it on before playing Lillian's voice message.
Hearing that Lillian was trying to set him up on a blind date in Miracalia made him laugh. He thought to himself that at thirty, he was hardly old for a man, especially one successful in his career. But it seemed his family was overly concerned about his marital status.
Kenneth noticed Ambrose's good mood and knocked on the table to get his attention. Ambrose took off the earpiece and looked at him.
"Ambrose, give me Lillian's new number. Let me talk to her. She is my daughter; we're blood relatives! Even if she misunderstands me now and won't forgive me, there are things I need to say to her. By keeping us apart, you're preventing us from resolving our issues. If you truly care about Lillian, you should let her have her father's love..."
Ambrose cut him off sharply. "Enough!"
Ambrose was usually calm and composed, rarely showing such anger. Kenneth fell silent, his chest heaving.
"Kenneth, Lillian has been back for months. She's a kind-hearted person, just like Aunt Ophelia. She treats me, someone with no blood relation to her, like a real brother, always thinking of me. You're her biological father. If you had shown her even a bit of genuine care in these past months, your relationship wouldn't be so strained."
Kenneth's face turned pale, his eyes red. "You're right. I regret it. I was deceived by Ruby. I was blinded by greed. I owe Lillian. I want to make it up to her. I..."
Ambrose nodded and asked, "Do you really want to make amends?"
Kenneth's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised his hand, even making a gesture as if to swear. "Of course! I can swear!"
His expression was solemn and sincere, filled with remorse. He thought Ambrose wouldn't let him swear, but to his surprise, Ambrose didn't stop him and instead raised an intrigued eyebrow.
"Why not swear? Make it serious, make it dramatic. Maybe then I'll actually believe you."
Kenneth struggled to maintain his expression but found himself in a difficult position. He took a deep breath and began, "I, Kenneth, swear that I truly want to love my only daughter, Lillian, and make up for the lost fatherly love. If I speak even one false word, may I be struck down by lightning and die a horrible death!"
He scoffed internally, thinking that such dramatic consequences were unlikely to happen.
Ambrose nodded, seemingly convinced. Just as Kenneth lowered his hand, Ambrose pushed a share transfer agreement towards him.
"Sign this agreement, and I'll believe you. I'll arrange for you to meet Lillian."
Ambrose pointed to the agreement. Kenneth looked down and felt a wave of dizziness, his throat tightening. It was a share transfer agreement, stating that he voluntarily transferred his 6% of Kelly Group shares to his only daughter, Lillian, effective immediately.
Ambrose handed him a pen, but Kenneth didn't take it. How could he sign it? His urgent desire to see Lillian and seek her forgiveness was to maintain his current status, improve his reputation, and secure his position and benefits in the company. Signing this agreement would leave him with nothing.
His face turned extremely grim, and Ambrose's expression was full of mockery. "What's wrong? Didn't you just swear to make amends to Lillian? Are you really that unwilling to part with these shares?"
Kenneth forced a dry smile and waved his hand. "No, of course not. It's just that Lillian is my only daughter. These shares will naturally go to her when I'm old. What's the point of transferring them now? Besides, holding these shares and working in the company is also for Lillian's benefit, isn't it?"
Kenneth's reasoning seemed sound, but Ambrose's mocking expression was almost tangible. "Mr. Castillo, your true intentions are clear. It's impressive you can keep up the act."
Kenneth's expression stiffened, and he frowned. "I'm telling the truth. I'm thinking of Lillian. I'm her biological father. How could I not protect her? I know if I leave the company, Lillian's dreams and aspirations will not be focused on the company. She wants to return to the stage. Without me, you'd have no checks and balances in the Kelly Group. It would become your personal domain. So, for her sake, I must endure and stay!"
He slammed the table and stood up, declaring, "I won't sign this agreement!"
He turned to leave, and Ambrose watched his retreating figure with amusement. Kenneth seemed to fear that if he walked too slowly, Ambrose might force him to sign the agreement.
With such limited ability, he dared to come before Ambrose and swear to make amends to Lillian?
Ambrose called out coldly to Kenneth's back, "Kenneth, sometimes you have to believe in karma. Swearing can be quite effective. These shares were left by Aunt Ophelia. She didn't just leave them for you; she left them for her only bloodline, Lillian. She trusted you to treat her and her only child well. But what have you done all these years? Holding onto these shares, don't you feel guilty? Don't you have nightmares?"
Kenneth didn't want to hear any more, but his feet felt rooted to the spot. He couldn't move.
When Ambrose finished speaking, Kenneth didn't respond and walked away even faster. His steps were unsteady, his face pale, and his back drenched in cold sweat.
As he exited the office, he stumbled, and two secretaries happened to pass by. One instinctively reached out to steady him. "Mr. Castillo, are you okay? You look unwell."
Kenneth took a deep breath, shook his head, and hurried away. Behind him, he heard their conversation.
"Why did you help him? He's a traitor, a toxic son-in-law. He's about to be kicked out of the Kelly Group. If Mr. Kelly sees you helping him, he might think you sympathize with him."
"I would never sympathize with such scum. I didn't realize who it was. I couldn't just let go after helping him. Look at his face; maybe he's really sick."
"Who knows? Maybe his bad deeds are catching up with him."
Kenneth clenched his fists tightly, his face livid. The Kelly Group had always had a good corporate culture and atmosphere. Any rumors or negative influences were usually managed and quelled. But now, the entire company was abuzz with his scandal, growing worse by the day. Some even spread the outrageous rumor that he and Ruby had poisoned Ophelia.
No one was stopping it. Kenneth knew this was Oberon and Ambrose putting pressure on him. Ambrose's presentation of the share transfer agreement today was clear in its intent. They were forcing him to sell his shares and leave the Kelly Group and Seaspring Valley City. They were telling him there was no place for him here anymore.
In the CEO's office, Ambrose watched Kenneth leave before picking up his phone to reply to Lillian's voice message. "I don't have time for dating right now. How about this: you come back and take over the family business. I'll do whatever you and Grandpa want. You can set me up with seven or eight girls a day, and I'll cooperate."
As he sent the message, Lillian was standing outside Phaedra's hospital room. Seeing the little girl in person, more lively and real than in photos, she noticed how much Phaedra's features resembled Ambrose's.
Lillian thought Ambrose didn't seem like an irresponsible jerk. So what was going on?
She was peeking through the window when Calliope, holding Phaedra, seemed to sense something and looked in her direction.
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