In the hospital room, Sophia was hooked up to a respirator, looking pale as a ghost. Vanessa stood by her bed, tears streaming down her face. She heard footsteps behind her and almost lost her balance.

Theodore reached out to steady her, only letting go once she was okay.

The heart monitor beeped every now and then. Vanessa covered her face, sobbing, “I thought she’d be around longer, that she’d see me get married, have kids, teach them to write like she taught me. I thought we’d grow old together.” Theodore just looked down, staying quiet.

Life could be so fragile, gone in the blink of an eye, leaving those left behind with endless regrets. Vanessa choked up, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have been so stubborn. I wouldn’t have gone to Nyxonia, and I wouldn’t have stayed away for three years.”

“Vanessa,” Theodore said, “Yesterday’s gone. No matter how much you blame yourself, it won’t change anything. Cherish the time you have left with Sophia, and don’t upset her anymore.” Vanessa looked at him through her tears. “Theodore, can you help me take care of my mom?”

Theodore frowned, his usually distant look getting even colder. “The hospital has doctors and nurses. They’ll take good care of Sophia.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected Theodore to be so cold. She clenched her fists. “But they aren’t you.”

What she needed wasn’t a doctor, but a rock to lean on.

“Vanessa, you seem to forget that I’m a CEO, not a doctor. I don’t treat illnesses,” Theodore said flatly. “And if you and James can’t handle it, I’ll hire a professional caregiver for Sophia.” Vanessa’s fingers stiffened. Was Theodore planning to just ignore them?

How could he be so heartless?

Vanessa called, “Theodore.”

“It’s getting late, and Sophia’s still asleep. I won’t disturb her,” Theodore said, turning to leave the room.

Vanessa’s gaze turned icy. She looked at his back with resentment and said, “Do you know how much Mom likes you?”

Theodore’s hand paused on the doorknob. He turned to look at Vanessa, his voice cold. “Vanessa, you can’t keep calling in favors forever.”

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her. Vanessa felt a chill all over. She watched Theodore leave, feeling completely lost.

Vanessa knew she couldn’t use Sophia’s illness to keep Theodore around anymore.

Vanessa bit her lip hard, letting out a near-desperate wail.

She thought, ‘Theodore, don’t push me! You know I love you, so you trample on my feelings. I can’t bear to hurt you, but I hate the woman who stole your heart. If I can’t have you, I won’t let you have Phoebe either.’ Outside, Phoebe was still staring at a picture of Patrick on her phone when a teasing voice suddenly sounded in her ear. “Is Patrick more handsome than me? You keep staring at his photo.”

Phoebe’s scalp tingled. She quickly turned off her screen and stood up. “You’re out so soon.”

Theodore raised an eyebrow, “If I didn’t come out quickly, should I stay in there for a holiday? Let’s go home.”

“Alright.” Phoebe glanced at the closed hospital room door and met Vanessa’s resentful gaze through the small window. She was momentarily stunned.

Theodore asked, “What are you looking at?”

Phoebe quickly looked away and hurried to catch up with Theodore. “You sure it’s cool to leave Sophia like this?”

Phoebe thought he’d at least wait until Sophia woke up before bailing.

Theodore replied, “Yeah, let’s bounce.”

They stepped into the elevator, and Theodore hit the button for their floor. “So, why were you checking out Patrick’s photo just now?”

Phoebe shrugged. “Oh, he was trending ’cause he buttoned his shirt wrong.”

Theodore raised an eyebrow. “Is he an idiot? How does a grown man mess up buttoning his shirt? That’s just embarrassing.”

Phoebe shot him a sidelong glance. “You can ask him yourself. But his fans are all over it, saying he’s cute and they wanna be the button he messed up. Some even posted pics of themselves doing the same. Might start a trend.” “Tomorrow, I’ll have security check. Anyone who buttons their shirt wrong on purpose won’t get into the company,” Theodore said.

Phoebe stifled a laugh. “That’s fashion, a trend your buddy Patrick is leading.”

Seeing Theodore’s exasperated look, Phoebe suddenly remembered something. “Last night, you brought me back from the bar. Who took Cindy home?” she asked. Theodore replied, “Patrick.”

Phoebe’s heart skipped a beat. “Really, Patrick? When did he and Cindy hook up? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“How would I know how they got together?” Theodore had zero interest in other people’s love lives, especially since Patrick switched partners like he changed socks. Theodore had already forgotten the name and face of Patrick’s last fling, only remembering she was different from Cindy.

Phoebe glared at him. “Patrick and Cindy are dating, and you kept it from me. What if he messes with Cindy?”

Theodore suddenly remembered the last time Phoebe ghosted him. When he went to Cindy’s place to find her, Patrick had been called back from a film set by a single call from Cindy. Theodore said, “It’s not clear who bullied whom.”

Phoebe thought of Cindy’s attitude that morning and figured Theodore had a point.

Phoebe looked down at her phone, pulling up Patrick’s profile. She had to admit, Patrick was a big deal in the entertainment world.

Patrick had been discovered by a talent scout as a teenager and became a child star.

In his first movie, Patrick’s screen time was just a few minutes, but his acting blew everyone away.

He had a soft, adorable look and was once voted the cutest child star. Later, Patrick starred in many big-budget films, and his career took off.

But at 22, Patrick publicly announced his relationship, causing chaos at his agency. Many fans were heartbroken, with some even contemplating suicide.

“Who was Patrick’s first love? Why can’t I find any pics of her?” Phoebe asked Theodore, who was silently driving.

Theodore replied, “I don’t know.”

Phoebe looked at Theodore with a mix of frustration and disbelief. How could he be so clueless? How did Patrick even become friends with him?

Phoebe went back to her phone, scrolling through more info. She found out that at 24, Patrick had been injured on set due to a premature explosion, causing him to suffer temporary blindness.

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