CHAPTER 133
The car drove off from the King Corporation headquarters.
Ronald glanced at the rearview mirror and cautiously asked, “Mr. King, are we…going to the hospital?”
Xander remained silent and merely gave Ronald a cold stare.
Ronald gulped, shut his mouth, and focused on driving.
He wasn’t sure whether Xander was heading to the hospital purely for Arianna’s sake or if it was just to fulfil Grandma King’s wishes.
When it came to other matters, Ronald could usually guess what was on his boss’s mind, but it was impossible to do so when it involved Arianna.
One moment, he thought Xander cared about Arianna; the next, he felt that Xander couldn’t care less. It swung back and forth like a pendulum, leaving him perpetually uncertain.
In all fairness, his repeated interactions with Arianna left the impression that she was a rather good person.
At least she was more respectable than that flirtatious and shallow Piper.
Additionally, she had to deal with awful parents and a sick younger brother. Her circumstances were quite pitiable, and many of her actions seemed unavoidable.
It ignited an instinctive desire to help her.
As these thoughts swirled in Ronald's mind, he decided to take a subtle approach. With a quiet, deliberate motion, he reached out his hand and turned on the radio.
He kept his eyes on the road but hoped that the music would convey the message he couldn't voice aloud. The soft click of the dial was followed by the smooth, melodic strains of a love song, filling the car with a gentle, emotional atmosphere.
A melodious tune began playing…
Loving the right girl,
Waiting to meet her...
Then the conversation won’t be so cold,
…
When you love someone,
Make sure your kisses are full of warmth,
And when you embrace them, hold them close and tight...
Ronald glanced in the rearview mirror, gauging Xander's reaction. The lyrics, poignant and heartfelt, spoke of love, closeness, and the importance of being there for the ones you care about. Ronald hoped Xander would pick up on the unspoken suggestion.
As he drove, he kept glancing at Xander's expression in the rearview mirror. The deep frown on Xander’s face made Ronald break into a cold sweat. Just as Ronald was about to switch off the radio, Xander’s face returned to its usual inscrutable calm as he turned to gaze out the window.
Ronald secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his boss wasn’t entirely averse to the idea.
There might still be a glimmer of hope!
About an hour later, the car pulled into the hospital’s underground parking lot.
Xander got out and walked to the elevator. Once he reached the right floor, he made his way through the familiar hallway to the ICU entrance.
He knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, he heard footsteps from inside. The door opened.
Xander looked at the woman standing there, his gaze darkening slightly as he asked, "Are you Charlie’s nurse?"
The nurse was stunned to see Xander’s striking face. Her mind went blank for a moment, but she snapped back to her senses when she heard his question. She looked up with a smile and replied,
“Yes, I’m the nurse Ms. Johnson hired to take care of Charlie. Who are you?”
Xander’s voice remained solemn. “Her husband.”
“What?” The nurse exclaimed in surprise. “Ms Johnson has a husband?”
Xander’s handsome face turned sullen.
The nurse, noticing his reaction, quickly explained, “I’m sorry. When Ms. Johnson hired me, she never mentioned having other family members. I thought it was just the two of them, relying solely on each other. She seemed so desperate that I quoted her the lowest possible rate…”
No other family members…
Xander’s lips thinned into a line, and he interrupted the nurse coldly. “Where is she?”
He had been told that she was constantly watching over Charlie in the hospital.
“Oh, Ms. Johnson had something to deal with and isn’t around right now,” the nurse answered truthfully.
‘Something to deal with?’ What could be more important than her baby brother? Was she not supposed to care for Charlie like he was the apple of her eye?
Xander furrowed his brows. “When did she say she would be back?”
The nurse sensed the growing cold and dangerous aura emanating from Xander and didn’t dare to make any idle chatter. She immediately shared what she knew,
“Ms. Johnson mentioned that she wasn’t sure what time she’d be back tonight. There’s also a chance she might not return.”
If she neither returned to the hospital nor went back to the villa, where else could Arianna have gone?
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Xander picked up the call and answered,
“Yes.”
Zach’s voice came through the other end,
"Hey, Xander, Jonny and I are hanging out at our usual spot. Why don't you come over for a drink?"
Xander hung up, glanced at the nurse beside him, and walked away without a word.
The car exited the hospital grounds and, half an hour later, pulled up outside a clubhouse owned by the King Group.
As Xander prepared to step out of the car, he glanced through the window and spotted Arianna walking out of the five-star hotel across the street.
Beside her was a man, and they appeared engrossed in lively conversation, exuding the air of a happy young couple.
