Chapter 191 He Wants to Confess Directly
Eudora raised an eyebrow, "Her background's that messy?"
"Let's just check on Bella first," Michael said, brushing it off as he hurried into the neurology inpatient building.
The moment they stepped in, a cacophony hit them; only folks with serious mental issues were kept here.
Michael's face tightened. He'd rushed over as soon as he heard about Bella's episode, but he was still a bit too late.
This place was no good for Bella. She was his sister, after all. Worry etched deep lines on his face as he made his way to her ward.
Inside, Bella was strapped to the bed, looking as pale as the sheets, her lips thin and colorless. Her eyes flickered when she saw them, and tears started streaming down her face.
"Bella!" Michael rushed over, fumbling with the knots that held her down.
But the knots were tricky, and the more he tried, the worse it got.
Just then, a doctor and nurse walked in. "Are you family? Don't untie her just yet. Let me explain her condition first..."
The doctor, holding a medical chart, was cut off by Michael's fierce glare. "Who gave you the right to tie her up? Is this how you treat patients?"
Michael's eyes were cold and threatening, his hand gripping the rope so tight his veins popped.
"Untie her now," Eudora demanded, then turned to Michael, "Stay with Bella, I'll handle the doctor."
She motioned for the doctor to follow her out.
Seeing Michael's stormy expression, the doctor quickly followed Eudora.
"Did you run tests on her?" At the end of the hallway, Eudora crossed her arms and asked.
The doctor nodded, "Yes, ma'am. She was extremely unstable when she came in yesterday, so we did a full workup. Blood tests showed she'd been injected with something over a long period."
"Thanks," Eudora said, her red lips curling into a slight smile. She patted the doctor's shoulder, "I don't see many dedicated doctors back home. Hand over her medical record and arrange for her discharge."
In a flash, the medical record was in her hands. The doctor hesitated, instinctively wanting to take it back.
But when he met Eudora's eyes, a chill ran down his spine like a cold blade.
Then she smiled again.
"Thanks," Eudora repeated, "Please arrange for her discharge."
The doctor nodded, "Alright, I'll get on it right away."
After the doctor left, Eudora skimmed through the medical record, flipped to the diagnosis page, and raised an eyebrow.
She ripped the diagnosis page into pieces and tossed it in the trash.
A few moments later, the nurses came out of the room, clearly having been shooed away by Michael.
Eudora walked in, placed the medical record on the bedside table, and sighed as she saw Bella crying in Michael's arms. "I just talked to the doctor. Their meds here are never as good as what we have abroad. Bella probably hasn't been taking her meds properly these past few days, which is why her episode seems so bad."
Michael just grunted in response.
"I've arranged for her discharge," Eudora added.
Michael calmed Bella down and lifted her in his arms, "I'll take you home. Eudora's here too; don't worry."
Bella, who hadn't slept all night, quickly felt drowsy in Michael's arms.
Eudora grabbed Bella's coat and followed Michael out of the hospital, getting into his car.
She took care of Bella in the back seat, and Bella fell asleep on her lap. "I've already contacted a top depression specialist from back home. He can come over tomorrow to give Bella private treatment."
Michael glanced at Bella through the rearview mirror. In just a few days, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight.
He regretted leaving Bella alone in Nightfall City.
He also noticed a handprint on Bella's face. He didn't know if she had been hit in the hospital or if something else had happened.
"Bella's treatment has always been handled by doctors abroad. Even after she came back, her medication was mailed from abroad. It has always been well-controlled. Why did you suddenly change doctors?" Eudora gently patted Bella's shoulder, her tone casual.
Michael sighed, "I did some research online. Bella's condition can't be treated with meds alone. It's best to have a doctor provide psychological counseling for a faster recovery."
"Then I'll contact Dr. Collins to see if he can come over for long-term psychological counseling and treatment for Bella," Eudora said, quickly typing on her phone.
In just a few minutes, she smiled, "Dr. Collins agreed. He's been treating Bella for years and knows her condition well. A new doctor might be too much for her."
"Thank you, Eudora," Michael said.
"Why are you being so polite with me? By the way, you should move somewhere closer to me. It'll be easier for me to help take care of Bella," Eudora suggested.
Since they got to Nightfall City before New Year’s, they’d been crashing at a hotel.
Michael was all in, and he’d already set up a place in Celestial Villas, the same neighborhood as Eudora.
After grabbing Bella’s stuff from the hotel, they headed straight to Celestial Villas. Michael carried the sleeping Bella upstairs and laid her on the bed.
Eudora followed, placing Bella’s coat down, taking off her shoes, and covering her with a blanket.
Just as she was about to leave, Michael suddenly grabbed her wrist.
He held her tightly by the waist, his desire clear in his eyes and his breathing quickening.
He couldn’t remember how many years he’d loved Eudora, only how she’d gradually made him fall for her over the years.
Now that she was finally back from abroad, he wanted to confess his feelings directly. "Eudora."
"Michael, don’t do this. Bella is still here," Eudora’s cheeks flushed as she tried to move away.
With Eudora in his arms, Michael almost lost control, eagerly lowering his head to kiss her lips.
Just as their lips touched, his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
"Go take the call outside, and don’t wake Bella," Eudora said, taking the chance to slip out of his embrace and pushing him out the door.
As he turned away, she quickly wiped her lips where he had touched, her cold expression showing a hint of disgust.
Michael glanced at the caller ID, took a deep breath, and answered, "What did you find out?"
"Mr. Astor, Miss Astor has been secretly manipulating the plagiarism incident involving Katniss these past few days. She hasn’t interacted with many people, but last night, she met Katniss at a club. The club staff wouldn’t reveal what happened, only mentioning some disputes," Samuel reported on Bella’s recent activities.
Although Michael had people around Bella, she refused to let them follow her.
As a result, no one knew what Bella was up to whenever she went out. After hearing about Bella’s incident, Michael immediately had Samuel investigate.
Michael tugged at his tie, his voice cold, "Katniss, what a Katniss!"
He was convinced that the handprint on Bella’s face was from Katniss.
"And what about the plagiarism issue with Katniss?" he asked.
Samuel reported in detail, "This morning, there was a major turnaround in the plagiarism case. Katniss presented substantial evidence and even took the teacher and senior professor to court. Now, her educational institution and online courses are widely known."
Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and said in a deep voice, "Got it. Keep tabs on Katniss and report everything she does to me."
He added with a warning tone, "If I find out you're hiding anything, there will be consequences."
"Understood, Mr. Astor." Samuel hung up, glancing at the surveillance footage from the club in his hand before tossing it into the trash.
As a competent assistant, he knew that showing Michael this footage would only stoke his anger toward Katniss.
Although Michael was aware of the situation, not seeing it firsthand would keep his anger in check.
Unable to hide the matter, Samuel had to balance the situation as best as he could.
After a long sigh, he got into his car and left.
Eudora could vaguely make out what was happening from Michael's phone call.
She sat down across from Michael, "Is Bella's sudden episode related to Katniss?"
"Last night, she met with Katniss, got slapped by her, and then had an episode," Michael said, rubbing his fingers, his gaze fierce.
Eudora paused and said, "I thought it didn't matter who Tristan married as long as it wasn't me. But seeing Bella, who I watched grow up and who is your sister, I have to help her. Michael, you know I don't have much influence in the Forbes family. I can't help you much."
"I understand," Michael's lips curled into a bitter yet grateful smile, "As long as you don't marry Tristan, it doesn't matter who he marries. But Bella likes Tristan, and as her brother, I need to ensure her happiness. You don't need to interfere; just knowing you understand my feelings is enough."
Eudora smiled, her eyes curving without the usual domineering air.
The dazzling light above her made Michael's throat tighten.
"I need to go pick up Aaron. Take good care of Bella. When Dr. Collins arrives tomorrow, I'll go with you to pick him up. Get some rest." Eudora stood up, grabbed her bag, waved to Michael, and left.
After returning from the hospital, Katniss took Matilda and Sophia to their new home, helped them move their pre-packed luggage, and went to the supermarket to buy some essentials.
She was so busy that she didn't check her Facebook notifications, which had pinged several times.
Her phone rang a few more times while she was carrying groceries out of the supermarket, but she couldn't answer.
It wasn't until she returned to her rented house and handed the groceries to Matilda that she checked her phone.
All the missed calls were from Tristan, and he had sent several Facebook messages. The first one was a simple sentence: [I'm back.]
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