Chapter 348 Martin's Agony over Patricia's Passing
With a personality like a powder keg, Ryan wasn't one to hide his feelings or endure in silence. Seeing Martin in such a state sent his anger skyrocketing. With a click, the bedroom light flicked on.
With a click, the bedroom light flicked on.
Shielding his eyes, Martin grumbled with irritation,. "Turn it off, shut off the light."
Ryan couldn't stand it anymore. He grabbed Martin by the collar, hauling him up from the couch.
Martin didn't resist; his body was limp, letting Ryan have his way.
"Little bro…"
Carter couldn't bear to see Martin like this and attempted to intervene. "Little bro…", only to be roared at by Ryan.
"Back off, Carter!"," Ryan barked, his eyes burning with a mix of sympathy and frustration, the kind you feel when someone you care about just doesn't get it.
"Do you even realize what you're doing, Martin? Look at yourself, man!. Patricia may be gone, but you've still got three kids who . They need you!"."
Upon hearing 'Patricia may be gone,' Martin's listless, indifferent facade cracked, and he suddenly became agitated.
"Patricia isn't dead! , Sshe's alive., Sshe didn't die…"
Angry, hHe tried to shake off Ryan's grip but found his body was too weak to make him budgeto muster any strength.
Seeing him so defeated, like someone who'd given up and was resigned to his fate, Ryan felt a piercing ache in his heart.
"Look at you; you can't even muster the strength to fight back!. Man, I get that Patricia's passing hit you hard, but we can't raise the dead. Are you going to just lay down and die with her?
What about Charles, Randy, and your little sweetheart, Fannie?"
"Do you want to drag them down with you?"
"? Charles has locked himself in his room for days, not eating or drinking, blaming himself for Patricia's death.
and Randy's the same, he's nearly cried cried himself blind; each blames himself for their mother's death..
And Fannie's , she's not doing any better herself. Big bro, you've got to snap out of it, at least for the kids' sake, if nothing else."
Martin, iIt was unclear if he Martin was taking in Ryan's words, but he suddenly began pounding on his chest with force.
"I know get everything you're saying, but... it just hurts... it really hurts... like someone ripped out my heart, leaving nothing but emptinessan empty husk..."
As he watched him pounding on his chest over and over again, Ryan's defenses crumbled, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled Martin into an embrace and broke down with him.
"Boss, I know it hurts like hell.... My heart is in pieces, too.... It's our fault for not being there for you. But you can't keep going on like this, man. You've gottagot to pull yourself together."
Carter's eyes glistened with tears, standing quietly aside, his chest aching with heaviness.
Martin sobbed like a child,. "You guys don't understand... I watched her fall right before my eyes... just like that, she was gone, and I was powerless to save her..."
Ever since that day, the image of Patricia plummeting down haunted him relentlessly.
It was seared into his memory, indelible and unshakable, like a scar.
Agony, guilt, self-reproach, confusion, helplessness...
"I thought getting drunk would erase that image, but... the more I drank, the clearer my mind got. I could even hear Patricia's cries for help in my ear..."
"She begged me to save her."
". She said she didn't want to die."
". She said she couldn't bear leaving me, leaving the kids..."
"... But I... I couldn't save her... couldn't..."
Ryan felt thea knot in his chest, growing larger with every tear Martin shed, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
He had come with the intention of consoling the boss.
But now, hisHe forgot his original purpose for coming forgottenas he, Ryan found himself weeping wept alongside Martin.
"Boss, I'm sorry... I can't help you... When you needed me the most, I was powerless... I'm so sorry..."
Carter stepped out and came back inreturned with several more liquor bottles of liquor, offering them to Ryan and Martin.
"I'm here with for you, and so is little the kidjunior. We're all gonnaLet's drink together..."
Ryan grabbed a bottle and nodded frantically,. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's drink!. I know you're hurting, and I want to remind you that you can always talk to me, to both of us. We might not be able tomay be unable to fix things, but we can listen..."
Instead of persuading Martin to stopThus, the two who came to console him joined him in his drinking.
Jade stood by the door, eavesdroppingr to their conversation, her face already streaked with tears. She turned away silently from her initial intention to intervene. Instead, she slipped into the neighboring study to collect her emotions and avoid spreading her gloom to Randy and Fannie.
Not to spread her gloom to Randy and Fannie, she slipped into the neighboring study to collect her emotions.
That's when her cell phone rang.
It was Alan on the line.
Hoping for news of Patricia, she quickly answered, pressing the phone to her ear.
"Alan, any word on Patricia?"
Alan paused, his voice hoarse with emotion. "No, Mrs. Garrett Madam and Charlotte... they're still missing. After three days of searching nonstop, we haven't even found a scrap of their clothing."
She knew this was likely, but hearing it confirmed was devastating. She tried to hold back the tears, but they broke through her defenses, erupting in sobs.
"Charlotte, that lunatic!! Her own death is one thing, but the agony she's put us through... If we ever find her, I swear I'll desecrate her remains and, make sure she finds no peace, even in death..."
Alan remained silent, letting her cry and, letting her rage.
It took a while, but Alan finally ventured as Jade's sobs quieted down, Alan finally ventured,. "How's the boss doing?"
Jade, whether he could see it or not, shook her head, stifling a sob. "Not good. Not good at all... The kids are in a bad waystate, too. I'm scared... I'm scared that something terrible will happen if things keep going like this, something terrible's going to happen."
"Every other time there was a crisis, Mr. GarrettLangley would be the rock, helpinged us search... But this time..." Alan's voice was strained, his sadness palpable, but he was holdingheld it in. "But this time..."
The rest of his thoughts remained unspoken.
But, but Jade understood.
This time, Martin wasn't taking part in the search.
Because deep Deep down, he knew better than anyone that a fall from the cliff meant Patricia stood no chance.
And it was precisely this knowledge that had him locking himself away, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
Jade's grip on her phone tightened. Fury and frustration coalesced into a storm within her. Fury at Charlotte's heartlessness, her complete disregard for kinship. Frustration at her own helplessness and her inability to make a difference.
Fury and frustration coalesced into a storm within her.
Fury at Charlotte's heartlessness, her complete disregard for kinship.
Frustration at her own helplessness, her inability to make a difference.
Seeing her silence, Alan pressed on,. "I'm counting on you to look after Mr. GarrettLangley and the kids. The great-grandparents have been asking questions; they can't find them and are growing suspicious. Let's keep this under wraps for now; I've locked down all information."
Jade nodded. "I understand. Thank you for all you're doing with the search."
"No thanks necessary."
After hanging up, Jade looked at the family picture on her desk—a portrait of five smiling faces. She clutched her mouth with both hands, fighting back the sobs, scared that her wails might affect the little ones. She swallowed the cries, forcing them into silent anguish.
Chapter349
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