<b>Chapter </b><b>11 </b>


    Walter blinked in surprise. Heath was actually showing concern for Veronica.


    In all these years, it had never happened before.


    He heard that there had been an attack at the hospital a couple of days ago, and Veronica had nearly been stabbed. Could it be that Heath felt guilty?


    Walter didn’t have time to dwell on it.


    On the other end of the line, Heath said calmly, “Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn’t die out there.”


    Walter understood what he meant immediately. If anything happened to Veronica and it were to be reported by the press, it would bring trouble to the Tate family.


    Tate Group was in the middle of a major expansion in Jouver. A single scandal–especially one involving a woman–could do serious reputational damage.


    Even though Heath and Veronica were secretly married, the elite social circles were particrly sensitive


    to matters like this. One slip, and rivalpanies would use it as leverage.


    Walter knew then that Heath wasn’t acting out of guilt, and it definitely wasn’t out of affection. He was being calctive.


    That realization brought Walter some relief. He had backed Eleanor all these years, and clearly, that


    decision was still the right one.


    “Understood, Mr. Tate.”


    He made ns to visit the hospital himself and arrange Veronica’s transfer. Veronica had been devoted to Heath for years, so a small gesture now might earn him a favor down the road.


    As he prepared to leave, the front desk called his line.


    “Mr. Caldwell, we just received a local express parcel for Mr. Tate. It was sent from Eastfield District. The


    sender’sst name is Dolton. Should we deliver it to your office?”


    “No need. Just have <b>it </b>filed in the archive room,” Walter said without much thought.


    As <b>Tate </b>Group continued its expansion across Jouver, smaller firms kept flooding the office with unsolicited partnership proposals, hoping to catch a break.


    He didn’t give the package a second thought and left for the hospital.


    But when he arrived<b>, </b><b>the </b>front desk informed him that Veronica had already been discharged the day before<b>. </b>


    Walter frowned slightly.


    Chapter <b>11 </b>


    That was unlike her. Normally, Veronica would notify Heath of any ns, even something as small as leaving the house.


    He was surprised she hadn’t informed Heath about her discharge from the hospital.


    Still, if she had been discharged, it probably meant she was recovering well enough.


    In that moment, Walter made a judgment call and didn’t bother reporting it to Heath.


    <i>2/2 </i>


    At Jouver Private Medical Center, Veronica stepped into the elevator with a food container and a neatly folded suit jacket in hand. She was headed to the top floor, where the exclusive VIP suites were located.


    Before going up, she had even asked one of the nurses about the daily cost of the room. Ashton had saved her life. After thinking it over, she decided the only thing she could do for now was to cover the


    medical bills.


    “Miss, the tenth floor is reserved for ck card patients. Everything’s already covered,” a nurse informed


    her.


    It meant even if she wanted to pay, she couldn’t.


    Disappointment flickered across Veronica’s face.


    As the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out, only to be mmed into by a woman walking too fast from the opposite direction. The soup sloshed violently in the container, nearly spilling.


    “Are you blind or just reckless?” the woman snapped before pausing in surprise. “Wait… Veronica?”


    Veronica narrowed her eyes slightly.


    The woman wore a white dress with a plunging neckline, clearly tailored to entuate her figure. Her hair was pulled into a sleek topknot, and her face was done up in minimalist makeup that aimed for elegance but came off as trying too hard.


    <b>It </b>was Kate Dawson. She was technically her uncle Stewart Dolton’s stepdaughter, though everyone in the family knew the truth–Kate was born out of an affair.


    Stewart’s first wife<b>, </b>Valerie Carpenter<b>, </b>had passed away when Calvin was just 15. Six monthster,


    Stewart had married Kate’s mother, Tabitha Dawson, and moved her into the family home.


    Their grandfather had been so enraged by the scandal that he had ended up <b>in </b>the hospital for half a year.


    <b>Chapter </b>12