Heath hadter on bombarded Veronica with question marks, followed by a barrage of usatory


    messages.


    “As a mother, don’t you think you’re being heartless?”


    “Samuel just wanted to drink the soup you made.”


    He even sent a photo.


    In it, Samuely in a hospital bed. His cheeks were unnaturally flushed from the fever, and his brows were


    tightly furrowed. He was clearly in pain.


    Veronica felt her heart clench, and she stared at the picture for a long time.


    In the end, she held back the ache and worry in her chest. Her fingers hovered over the screen, and she


    chose to long–press the photo and delete it.


    She replied to Heath with a single message, then immediately exited the chat.


    At the hospital, three days had passed before Veronica finally replied. When Heath read her message, anger red in his eyes.


    She had vanished for three days, and when she finally responded, it was with something cold and


    detached.


    “I’m not a doctor. If he gets sick and craves chicken soup, make sure your chef has it ready ahead of time.


    Heath wondered if she really thought one careless sentence could undo everything.


    He felt his patience snap, <i>and </i>he immediately dialed her number.


    “Veronica, where are <i>you</i>?” he asked sharply.


    “At home,” she replied calmly.


    Heath went silent for <b>a </b>beat.


    The maid had been at Hillside Vi for three days straight, and not once had Veronica shown up. She was


    clearly lying.


    His fury deepened. “At home, <i>you </i>say? Do <i>you </i>remember you’re Samuel’s mother? He’s had a fever for three days, and you haven’t shown your face once. I’ve never seen a mother so heartless.”


    Veronica replied calmly, “<b>Mr. </b>Tate, I’m not a <i>doctor</i>. Maybe you should ask your son if he still remembers what he said–how much he hates me and never wants to see <b>me </b>again<b>.</b>”


    Heath frowned. “He’s a child. You can’t take his words that literally. Do you even understand? It’s because


    of you that his condition got worse.”


    Samuel’s fever had been unrelenting.


    Over the past three days in the hospital, the doctors tried every treatment they could. But every time he


    seemed to stabilize, the fever would spike again, worse than before.


    It wasn’t untilte one night, when Walter dropped by to deliver some documents, that the truth came out.


    Walter happened to see Samuel sneaking into the bathroom to take a cold shower while everyone was


    asleep.


    That was why his fever spiked again and worsened.


    Heath had wanted to scold him and ask why he would do something <i>so </i>reckless.


    But when he saw Samuel burning with fever, lying helpless in that hospital bed, he couldn’t bring himself


    to scold him.


    The only word Samuel kept mumbling was “Mom“.


    Eleanor had stepped in, gently pulling Heath aside. “Samuel just misses Veronica. No matter what has happened or how busy Veronica might be, she’s still their mother. It’s not right for her to go three days without even checking on Samuel.”


    It was all because of Veronica. If she hadn’t started acting so irrationallytely, Samuel wouldn’t have spiraled into such deep insecurity. He wouldn’t have been so desperate for attention that he’d resort to something as extreme as dousing himself in cold water.


    Veronica cleared the trash from her desk, forcing herself to breathe evenly. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m the viin here. I should stay far away from him so he doesn’t keep suffering because of me.”


    Heath’s patience finally snapped. His tone turned cold as he gave onest order. “You have one hour. Get to the private hospital. Otherwise, if you’re so done being Mrs. Tate, then I’ll make it official.”


    She had fought tooth and nail for this marriage, and Heath knew better than anyone that this title


    mattered to her.


    <b>ca </b>would understand.


    ond, he heard herugh, light and unbothered. “Sure. Just don’t keep Ms. Turner waiting.


    e flickered, <i>and </i>his voice tensed up. “You’re seriously picking this moment to get jealous over


    It was true that work had consumed himtely, and he hadn’t been paying enough attention to her.


    While they were in Shalton, Eleanor stepped in <b>to </b><b>care </b>for both Miriam and Samuel in an effort to get


    closer to them.


    Whatever her reasons were, none of them justified Veronica’s irrational behavior now.


    “Veronica, stop this nonsense. Try acting like an adult for once. Understand your ce–it’ll save you a lot


    of trouble,” he said, his voice sharp and low.


    Veronica’s chest tightened again, and the unbearable pressure built up once more. She felt relieved that the design draft had already been submitted.


    “Are you finished?” she asked.


    “What?<b>” </b>


    “I’m not going to see him. So do us both a favor and don’t waste another minute of your precious time. Go get back to work,” she said tly, then ended the call.


    The screen lit up again almost immediately with another call from Heath.


    But this time, she blocked him.


    The pressure in her chest lifted instantly.


    While scrolling through a sea of unread messages, her eyes spotted a new, unfamiliar chat.


    X had said, “I want some soup.”