Chapter 102: Unspoken Affections and Fearful Admissions
Daphne's gaze fell upon the neatly bandaged wound, her voice filled with concern. "How much do I owe for this?""No need... it's on the house," they hastily replied.The hospital was a subsidiary of the Hill Group, and the doctors had toiled tirelessly to earn their licenses. They had inadvertently eavesdropped on enough of the previous conversation to understand the dire consequences if Daphne decided to sue - their careers would be in ruins.Austin's eyes narrowed at the sight of the bandage gracing Daisy's neck, his hand pausing mid-air in his pocket. "What happened to her neck?" he asked, his voice laced with worry."The moment Mrs. Lancelot threatened our lives and commanded us to stay away, Daisy's neck was sliced," the assistant recounted succinctly. "Later, when the bodyguard disarmed her, it resulted in another minor cut."Austin felt a heavy weight pressed down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. "What were you doing? I told you to be careful!" The mere thought of what could have happened if the weaponhad cut any deeper was unbearable. The potential fate of Daisy was too horrifying to contemplate.The assistant remained silent, offering no excuses. In situations like these, their only option was to withstand their CEO’s fury.“There’s no point in pretending anymore.” Daisy’s eyes had lost their usual sparkle and she looked at Austin as if he were a stranger. “You’d be happy if I were dead, wouldn’t you?”For the first time, Austin felt a profound unease, his voice deepening. “I just wanted you to have an abortion. I never intended to hurt you.”Daisy's gaze was frigid. As if an abortion wasn’t harmful enough?“Whether you believe me or not, I was doing it for your own good,” Austin knew he had to clear the misunderstanding before it was too late. “If you go through with this pregnancy, it could pose a risk to your life.”Why else would he have insisted on it?Even if the child was from another man, it wasn’t as if he'd ever acknowledge it.Daphne noticed that Daisy wanted nothing to do with Austin. Rising to defend her friend, she retorted, “If you genuinely cared about her, you wouldn’t have forced her to get an abortion.”“What business is it of yours?” Austin was irritated by her interference. “If anything happens to Daisy after this, I won’t let you off easily.”“Austin.” Charles' voice carried a intimidating authority, his handsome features hardened with a warning.Silenced, Austin had nothing to say.Would he be in this predicament if it weren’t for your wife?“Daisy cares about her own body more than you ever could,” Daphne was convinced that Austin had lost his senses. “You claim the baby puts her at risk. Who told you that?”“Of course, the doctor did.”“Which doctor?”Austin remained silent at the question.It was then that Daisy spoke up, her tone devoid of sarcasm, “Kaitlyn, right?”Austin looked at her, taken aback. How did she know?“Daphne, let’s go.” Daisy had seen the confirmation in his eyes and felt a sudden pang in her heart.Kaitlyn had been Austin’s childhood friend, and they were close. Ever since Daisy had married Austin, Kaitlyn had been nothing but trouble. She also worked at the hospital where Daisy went for her prenatal checkups, just not in obstetrics.“Alright.” Daphne escorted Daisy away.As they walked past Aubrey, Daisy's expression softened, expressing her gratitude. “Aubrey, thank you for calling Daphne over. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”“Sure thing,” Aubrey replied generously.“Thank you,” Daphne added. Without that call, she wouldn't have arrived in time, and Daisy might have been rushed into surgery.Aubrey smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, “You’re welcome.”
Daphne gave a slight nod and continued to lead Daisy past Austin and Charles towards the exit.Just then, Charles grabbed her arm. “Wait.”Daphne's brow furrowed slightly. Her first thought was that Charles intended to aid Austin in stopping her and Daisy, so she regarded him with a somewhat icy stare."Here are the keys to the car," Charles tossed her the keys, his expression as indifferent as ever. " Pick me up at the office the day after tomorrow. I won't be free to go through the divorce with you until the afternoon."Caught off guard, Daphne accepted the keys. "Okay."She climbed into the car, settling Daisy in the backseat. Throughout all this, Austin didn't get a chance to utter a word. It was only after Daphne had driven away that he lashed out at Charles. “You're not still holding a grudge over me letting Daphne hitch a ride with Evan yesterday morning, are you?""What do you mean?" Charles asked, puzzled by the question."Daisy's my wife, and you let Daphne take her away. Is that appropriate?" Austin was genuinely upset, unable to comprehend Charles's reasoning.Hearing this, Charles responded with barely parted lips. "I let Daphne take Daisy for your own good."Austin let out a frustrated laugh. "Oh really? Explain to me how this is for my good.""If you force her to terminate the pregnancy, Daisy will resent you for the rest of her life," Charles reasoned, a rare display of sensibility. "You care about her, don't you?"Those last words made Austin stiffen. Charles hadn't forgotten Austin's antics in the booth—spraying perfume and applying lipstick to himself.If Austin didn’t care about Daisy, he wouldn’t have done such foolish things."I have no idea what you're talking about," Austin averted his gaze."No matter whose child it is, Daisy is still its mother," Charles reminded him. "Even if it's for her own good, you should consult with her, not make decisions on her behalf.""Why are you being so irritating today?" Austin frowned with annoyance. "You're all about lecturing me, but what about you? Why don't you admit that leaving Daphne for your crush was wrong?"Charles remained silent."Aren't you afraid Daphne will resent you forever?""I don’t have feelings for her.""Heh.""What?""Want to make a bet?" Austin proposed, his eyes sharp and his tone edgy."I'm not interested," Charles dismissed him.“Is it a lack of interest or courage?” Austin taunted, knowing well how to hit where it hurts. “Falling for someone and not admitting it, I've never seen anyone more twisted than you.”Charles's eyes turned icy. "I've said it, I don't like her.""Right, right, you don't like her," Austin replied, pretending to agree, though his tone lacked conviction. "But you still got mad at me just because she caught a ride with Evan. And you were on edge the first time you met him.""When will you start being honest with yourself, Charles?""If you truly didn't like her, nothing she did would get a rise out of you. Think about how many times you’ve lost your temper or argued with her since you brought up divorce."Austin’s words struck Charles to the core. And if he was suffering, he wasn't about to let Austin off easy.
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