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    “How are you feeling?” Ryan asked as he walked in, his tone a mix of awkwardness and genuine concern. “If anything’s wrong, my estate has the finest doctors-”


    “The care here is better than yours,” May shot back, not missing a beat.


    Ryan ignored her and stepped closer to the bed.


    But before he could reach it, Reba rose and blocked his path, her expression cold and unwavering. “Leave.”


    Ryan didn’t want to get into it with Reba. “I just need a word with your mother,” Ryan insisted.


    Reba didn’t budge. “She doesn’t want to hear it.”


    Ryan turned to Amelia, but she wouldn’t even spare him a nce. <fncda3> Read full story at find[?]ovel</fncda3>


    “It’ste, Mr. Guzman,” Jeffrey said, stepping beside Reba, his phone now silenced. “You wouldn’t want tomorrow’s headlines to read ‘Guzman Group CEO Escorted from Hospital, would you?”


    Ryan was speechless. He stared at Jeffrey, feeling even less patience for “his daughter’s man“.


    Jeffrey’s lips curved faintly. “After you.”


    Ryan’s gaze lingered on Amelia. She was so close, yetpletely out of reach. Swallowing his pride, he turned back to Jeffrey. “Since we’re both here, we should talk.”


    “Alright,” Jeffrey replied without any hesitation.


    “I’lle see you tomorrow,” Ryan told Amelia, not caring whether she actually wanted to see him or not. With that, he walked out of the room with Jeffrey.


    <b>***** </b>


    At the end of the hallway, Ryan stared at the young, sharp Jeffrey and came straight out with it. “Reba is my daughter.”


    Jeffrey didn’t bat an eye.


    “The more you try to block my people from getting a DNA test, the more obvious it bes,” Ryan replied, his tone unwavering. “She was born inte August. Amelia and Richard got married in May.”


    “So?” Jeffrey fired back, unmoved.


    “So she’s my daughter,” Ryan stated, leaving no room for doubt.


    “If you were really sure, you wouldn’t be ying these mind games,” Jeffrey shrugged. “Is she your kid? I couldn’t say. But I do know her mother doesn’t exactly have warm feelings toward you.”


    Ryan just stared,pletely thrown off.


    10:45 Wed, Oct <b>1 </b>


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    Jeffrey’s phone buzzed again with another call.


    Ryan caught the name on the screen and threw a jab right back. “And what about you? Like you’re any better?<b>” </b>


    Jeffrey fell silent, caught off guard.


    Back in the hospital room, Amelia was gradually adjusting to being awake. Her words came slowly at first, but now she was forming short sentences. Bit by bit, she was reiming her strength.


    “Don’t worry. I won’t let him set foot in here again,” Reba promised. As far as she was concerned, Ryan didn’t deserve a chance, not after everything he’d done to Amelia. The mere thought of him turned her stomach.


    Amelia reached out, gently ruffling Reba’s hair.


    Reba looked up at her, searching her mother’s eyes for reassurance.


    Then, out of nowhere, Amelia suddenly blurted out, “He’s your real father.”


    May rose from her chair in shock. All this time she’d been told to keep it quiet, and now Amelia had just dropped it, just like that.


    “I already figured,” Reba replied, hardly missing a beat, before her expression softened back into calm resolve. “But you’re my family. You’ve always been both my mom and my dad. No one else matters.”


    Amelia’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She was nothing like the tough woman who’d just told Ryan to get lost.


    “No way… Seriously?” May mumbled, a little crestfallen. “When did you figure it out?”


    “After you exined his history with Mom,” Reba said simply. She didn’t hold back. “If he were just some random guy who hurt her, you wouldn’t have been so scared of me talking to him, right?”


    May had tried so hard to keep Reba away from Ryan. Reba’s first assumption was that May thought Ryan was trouble, a bad influence who would only hurt her.


    But when she finally met him, he was kind, caring, and nothing like the viin she’d been warned about. If he wasn’t a bad guy, then only one other possibility made sense: Ryan was her real father.


    May ground her teeth. “Seriously, why couldn’t you just tell me earlier? I was worried sick over here.”


    Reba gave a cheeky look. “Well, you never asked, did you?”


    May shot a mock re at Amelia and huffed, “I see where she gets it from. You two owe me big time for all the emotional distress.”


    “Thank you,” Amelia replied honestly, her words soft but heartfelt.


    “Yeah, yeah,” May retorted, her tone full of familiar sass. “Stop being so nice–you’re freaking me out.”


    Amelia just smiled. Some things, thankfully, never changed.


    10:45 <b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b>1


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    Reba wrapped her arms around Amelia’s, her voice sweet and a little needy. “Mom, can I sleep with you tonight?”


    Amelia gently ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. She took a slow breath, focusing to form the words. as clearly as she could. “Of course you can.”


    Reba’s heart felt full. In that moment, everything felt safe and right.


    “You’ve been through so much these past few days,” Amelia murmured, brushing Reba’s bangs aside. Her words came slowly, carefully, but her touch was overflowing with tenderness. “When I’m better, we’ll go away together. Just you and me.”


    Reba was stunned for a moment, slowly sitting up straighter as she looked at her mom, shock and disbelief flickering deep in her eyes.


    Once she was sure the cameras were off, Amelia let her guard downpletely. “Everything you told me at noon, every day… I heard it all. I just couldn’t answer you. I couldn’t give you anything back.”


    She knew about Jeffrey hurting Reba. She knew how much her daughter had been carrying and how hard Reba’d been fighting.


    Amelia had wanted nothing more than to wake up, to hold her, and to tell her she wasn’t alone. But she’d been trapped, stuck in the dark and unable to find her way out.


    “If you want to leave, I’ll go with you,” Amelia murmured, slowly wrapping her hand around Reba’s. Her words came out halting but firm. “Anywhere in the world, just say the word.”


    Reba leaned into her mother’s embrace, soaking in the warmth andfort of having her back. There was no better feeling in the world.


    What none of them realized was that Jeffrey had been leaning quietly against the wall outside the entire time, hearing every word they said. His deep, unreadable eyes were clouded by everything he’d overheard.


    Andrea’s name shed on his phone screen again, but with the sound off, Jeffrey didn’t notice a thing.


    After standing there for more than five minutes pretending nothing happened, he finally walked into the room. “Mr. Guzman has left. I’m right upstairs, so if you need anything, just let me know.”


    “It’s all handled here. Go and get some rest,” Reba replied, her tone as steady and reassuring as ever.


    Jeffrey’s eyes rested on Reba. ‘Even when she’s thinking about leaving, she’s still acting concerned. Is she just trying to make me rx and let her slip away?‘ he wondered.


    “I’m sticking around in case anything urgentes up,” Jeffrey said, collecting himself and casting a nce at Amelia. “You keep your mompany. I’ll handle the rest.”


    Reba knew he wouldn’t budge, so she just smiled and said, “Thanks.”


    “My pleasure,” Jeffrey replied, lightly flicking her forehead in the same familiar, indulgent way. “You two get some rest. I’m heading upstairs to talk to the doctor.”


    <b>10:46 </b>Wed, <b>Oct </b><b>1 </b>


    “Okay,” Reba replied.


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    Jeffrey left, and as he stepped through the door, any trace of warmth vanished from his face<i>. </i>Now his eyes simmered with icy cold.


    Timothy was startled by the chill in Jeffrey’s presence when he walked into the office, and he spoke extra cautiously, “Mr. Jeffrey?”


    ‘Did something happen to Amelia? Or is there some new trouble?‘ Timothy wondered to himself.


    “How long before Amelia can walk and move around like a normal person?” Jeffrey asked, his words crisp and straight to the point.


    “About a month,” Timothy replied honestly. “Her joints and muscles have been regrly exercised by the nursing staff. At this stage, she just needs to get used to coordinating her movements again.”


    Jeffrey simply replied, “Got it.”


    In a month’s time, the divorce application will be automatically withdrawn from the system. Even if Reba tried to leave, legally, she would still be his wife. No matter what she did, there was no way out. She was bound to him for good.