Chapter 372 Make Xavier Feel Guilty for a Lifetime
Grace felt a strange fluttering in her chest, a disquiet she couldn't quite place.
It was like her heart was adrift, leaving a hollow ache behind.
She grabbed the blanket tight and put her other hand on her stomach.
Then she picked up her phone and called Mason.
It took forever for Mason to pick up. "Ms. Lewis," he finally said.
"Mason, so sorry to bother you this late," Grace said.
"It's okay, Ms. Lewis," Mason replied.
"I was trying to reach Xavier, but he didn't pick up. Is he still busy?" Grace asked.
Mason hesitated for a second before saying, "Yeah, Mr. Montgomery is still tied up. His phone might be dead. I saw him a bit ago, but now I'm caught up with something else."
Mason wasn't exactly lying; he had seen Xavier at the hospital not too long ago before getting busy with other stuff.
Xavier had told Mason not to tell Grace what was going on, so Mason kept quiet about it.
Mason wondered if Grace calling this late meant she sensed something was off.
"Good to know. Thanks." Grace hung up, feeling a bit better.
She got out of bed, went to get a glass of water, but the glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
Grace quickly grabbed a broom to clean up the mess, then went back to bed, but she couldn't sleep.
At four in the morning, Stephanie and Xavier were still outside the ICU.
A doctor came out and said Joseph had woken up, but he was still in bad shape. They wanted a family member to go in, talk to him, and give him some hope.
Stephanie changed into isolation gear and went into the ward, asking everyone else to leave. She wanted to be alone with Joseph.
Joseph lay there, hooked up to all sorts of machines.
His eyes were barely open, just enough to see Stephanie.
When he saw her, his hand moved a bit, like he was trying to reach for her.
Stephanie took his hand. "Grandpa."
Joseph's mouth moved like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
He was actually calling for Stephanie.
"Grandpa." Stephanie's voice was calm, not like the sobbing mess she was in front of Xavier earlier. Her eyes were even cold. "If you die, I'll be completely alone. Do you want that? You took a bullet for Xavier, you're his hero. Whatever you say now, he'll listen. Grandpa, please, I'm begging you, bring us together."
Joseph looked at Stephanie, tears streaming down his face and soaking into the white pillow.
Stephanie knelt down in front of Joseph, still holding his hand.
She kept her voice low so only she and Joseph could hear. "Grandpa, I'm begging you. This is a golden opportunity, my only chance. If you speak up, Xavier will agree!"
Stephanie started crying, but her tears weren't for Joseph's injury. They were for her desire to be with Xavier, pleading with Joseph to make it happen.
Seeing Stephanie like this, Joseph felt a deep ache in his heart.
Stephanie was his precious treasure. He had always wanted to help her, but he thought the chances were slim, so he had advised her to give up.
He didn't want to give her false hope, fearing she'd be crushed in the end.
"Stephanie, tonight..." Joseph struggled to speak, his voice barely a whisper. "The shooting... it was your doing..."
Stephanie was shocked. "Grandpa, you..."
She hadn't expected Joseph to figure it out. But the cat was out of the bag now.
"Grandpa, I don't get what you're saying. You always said I was your favorite, but I don't feel your love. Isn't love about giving me what I want? And I want Xavier." Stephanie's eyes welled up as she continued, "I know you don't have much time left. If you really care about me, don't recover. Let Xavier marry me out of guilt. I'll be so grateful, Grandpa. I'll always remember you. Think of it as the last thing you do for me. When you go, Mom and Dad will be grateful, too."
Joseph just looked at her, tears streaming down his face.
Stephanie wanted to know if Joseph's reaction meant he agreed or not.
She had come this far; maybe this was her only shot.
Her original plan had been to kill Joseph, making Xavier feel guilty. Now, Joseph had taken a bullet for her, clearly to fulfill her intentions.
No matter what, there was no turning back for her.
She loved Joseph dearly, but he was old and couldn't be with her forever. He could leave at any moment.
Only Xavier could stay with her forever.
And now, with Grace in the picture, she felt a huge sense of urgency. If Xavier married Grace, she'd have no chance.
She might as well use Joseph one more time to get what she wanted.
Stephanie whimpered, "Grandpa, I really love him. If he doesn't marry me, I'll kill myself and join you, Mom, and Dad. Then we'll all be together again. Don't you want that?”
Joseph's heart ached. Stephanie was the only child of the Park family. Despite his disappointment and heartbreak, he couldn't let down his wife, son, and daughter-in-law.
"Call Xavier in," Joseph said with difficulty.
Stephanie quickly wiped her tears and said, "Okay!"
She let go of Joseph's hands without looking back, without any hesitation, and quickly went to find Xavier.
Joseph watched her leave, tears streaming down his face.
Joseph had been strong all his life, running a huge company and making waves in the business world. But today, he cried so sorrowfully.
His heart was already weak, and now it was beating erratically due to his emotional turmoil.
He wondered if the dying could feel anything as they departed. It seemed to him that his wife was waving to him, telling him that he could finally be free.
He saw his son and daughter-in-law, reproaching him for failing Stephanie. He was so tired, but he couldn't rest yet. Stephanie needed him.
Joseph had seen through the ruse; the attackers were mere scapegoats sent by Stephanie. Understanding Stephanie's true intentions, he had leaped behind Xavier to shield him from the bullet.
He couldn't let Stephanie suffer, even if it meant wronging Xavier. He hoped Xavier wouldn't blame him.
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