Chapter 404 Can We Talk?
Joseph felt a sense of unease as Scarlet abruptly grabbed him and spoke frantically.
He was originally anxious for a while when a rush of realization hit him. He recalled Christopher mentioning yesterday that Zacharias‘ match had been arranged, and Scarlet seemed to have agreed, too.
In the midst of his confusion and Scarlet’s urgency, he had completely forgotten it. What’s going on? Something seems off.
Scarlet continued to be restless, and her voice grew increasingly desperate. “Bring that wretched Angela here! If something happens to Zacharias, let her make amends with her life!”
Her voice had become raspy, and her eyes were bloodshot red.
“Mom!” Joseph shouted suddenly as if trying to snap her out of it.
He gripped her arms tightly and stared into her somewhat dazed eyes. “Mom, Christopher said you agreed to the match arrangement before. Don’t you remember?”
He wanted to confirm the truth of Christopher’s words.
The rush back here, on top of Scarlet’s incessant questioning, caused his thoughts to go in various directions. His mind went blank, and he somehow forgot Christopher’s words.
Scarlet remained bewildered as if stuck in a trance. “I don’t know!”
She shook her head incessantly, and her already disheveled hair resembled a mop.
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Seeing her complexion turn paler by the second, he felt both worried and anxious. He knew pressing her for answers now wouldn’t get him anywhere. “Mom, please try to calm down,” he urged. “Please, just try to relax.”
But Scarlet couldn’t calm down at all.
She clung tightly to his arm; her face was drained of colors, and her body trembled uncontrollably. Still, she stubbornly gritted her teeth and insisted, “You’re not allowed to use Zacharias‘ kidney!”
Upon hearing this, he immediately made a promise. “Mom, I promise, even if the match is successful, I won’t let him donate.”
At his pledge, she suddenly passed out.
Joseph quickly called for a doctor, who reassured him that Scarlet had simply passed out from the shock and exhaustion, with no serious. consequences. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
As soon as the doctor exited the ward, Fanny burst in. “Joseph, what’s going on with Mom?” she asked anxiously, her face etched with concern.
Fanny was panting, and it seemed she had dashed over here in a panic.
With her already fragile health, her face was now deathly pale from the hurried run.
Upon seeing her looking so weak and vulnerable, Joseph felt a tug at his heartstrings.
“Don’t worry. Mom’s alright. But you need to take care of yourself. Your health isn’t fully back yet,” he assured her as he tidied her slightly messy hair.
Fanny stood there breathless as her eyes darted nervously. “Are you sure.
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Chapter 104 Can We Talk?
Mom’s okay? Maybe I should stay here with her,” she suggested.
Joseph shook his head firmly. Scarlet’s collapse had been too sudden, and he hadn’t had the chance to fill Fanny in on the kidney match.
He worried that if Scarlet let something slip, it would make Fanny distressed. Fanny is so kind–hearted. Knowing that Zacharias wants to donate his kidney to her will surely make her sad.
Fanny pursed her lips. Upon seeing his solemn expression, she didn’t insist on staying. She hesitated and said, “Then should we let Christopher take care of him? He has a day off today.”
Joseph’s expression darkened at the mention of Christopher’s name.
“No, absolutely not!” His sudden firmness startled her.
She timidly met his gaze, and uncertainty flooded her heart.
Upon seeing her wide–eyed and startled, he realized he needed to reassure her.
After persuading Fanny to leave, Joseph checked the time.
There were still twenty minutes until 2 o’clock, and the cethey had agreed upon was about twenty minutes away. Time was he needed to leave immediately to meet Angela.
ming out, and
Little did he know that as soon as he left the hospital, Fanny circled back.
She stepped into the ward and took a seat beside the unconscious Scarlet.
At two in the afternoon, after Jonathan took Angela to the coffee shop, Joseph hurried over.
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Angela had promised Jonathan could be by her side in her meeting with Joseph, so as soon as the agreed–upon time approached, Jonathan hurried back home to fetch her.
When Joseph entered the private room, Jonathan barely glanced at him, and his attention was still primarily focused on Angela.
He kept holding Angela’s soft hand, but he couldn’t play with it on the table like before, so he had to keep it under the table as Joseph had arrived.
“Sorry for being late,” Joseph apologized. He quickly checked the time and noted that it was exactly one minute past two.
His face looked terrible, and he seemed in a hurry. As soon as he arrived at the private room, he didn’t even sit down before speaking, and he even gasped for breath while looking a bit disheveled.
Jonathan remained silent. His stern expression clearly hinted at his displeasure with Joseph.
“Here, have some water,” Angela said calmly, and she nodded toward the glass on the table as a gentle prompt for Joseph to hydrate himself first.
Despite her attempt to free her hand from Jonathan’s firm grasp, she sensed his unease toward Joseph and decided to let him hold onto it.
She understood that Jonathan was sticking close out of concern for her.
During their journey here, she had assured him that she would handle everything carefully this time without leaving any loose ends.
In response, he refrained from interfering and obediently trusted her judgment.
When she thought about this, she cast a soft, affectionate glance at him.
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Her eyes were filled with warmth and a hint of a smile played on her lips.
Suddenly, he tightened his grip on her hand, and his arm naturally wrapped around her waist in a brief, protective embrace.
Angela shot him a playful glare in response.
Meanwhile, Joseph picked up the glass. His gaze briefly flickered over Angela’s face before inadvertently brushing past Jonathan by her side.
Though he wasn’t paying him much attention, Joseph’s mere presence seemed to exert an unspoken pressure on him.
His emotions churned within him, yet he was oblivious to the subtle exchange between the two. He stole a glance before bowing his head to sip his water and hoping to regain his composure.
Angela shot Jonathan a reproachful look. In response, he smiled faintly and released his grip on her waist.
Yet, his other hand continued to caress her delicate hand, treating it like it was a precious treasure.
Angela patiently waited for Joseph to speak while allowing Jonathan to play with her hand beneath the table.
Even before Joseph’s arrival, Jonathan had been holding and fidgeting with her hand, though not beneath the table.
Upon Joseph’s arrival, Angela didn’t withdraw her hand but allowed Jonathan to hold it.
After quenching his thirst with a sip of water, Joseph, who had rushed over from the hospital, albeit by Uber, still appeared hurried as he had jogged part of the way.
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Despite his sweat–drenched attire, he maintained his stature, though he looked slightly disheveled.
“Can we have a private chat?” he inquired.
With Jonathan in the room, he felt uneasy and disliked the feeling, especially with Jonathan’s watchful gaze, which made him carefully choose his words before speaking.
