The shrill ringtone pierced the tense silence inside the car.
Lyria answered, her expression shifting from worry to alarm as she listened.
"Turn the car around. Head to City Hospital!"
"What happened?" Kael Renforth's voice was laced with concern.
"It's Grandma. She's been hospitalized."
Though Lady Catherine Denvair had always been in good health despite her age, minor ailments were inevitable. The call had come from Celeste Denvair, who had taken over household responsibilities after Eldrin Denvair was expelled from the family.
Celeste's tone on the phone was heavy with urgency.
Moments later, Lyria explained the situation.
Eldrin, not long after being ousted, had fallen into disgrace. Desperate and shameless, he returned to the family estate, demanding that Lady Catherine reinstate him. When she refused, his anger erupted, and he pressured her to relinquish control of several family enterprises.
It was this confrontation that had driven the elderly woman into the hospital.
Kael tightened his grip on the wheel, his jaw clenched. He glanced at Lyria's anxious expression and silently pressed the accelerator, speeding toward the hospital.
At the Port Avallon Central Hospital, on the top floor of the intensive care unit, the air was thick with unease.
Lady Catherine Denvair lay on the hospital bed, pale and frail, her body connected to a myriad of medical instruments. Around her stood members of the Denvair family, each wearing expressions of worry—or guilt.
When Lyria and Kael entered, a cold scoff broke the silence.
"Lyria!" Celine rushed over, grabbing her sister's hand. She spared Kael a scornful glance. "Why did you bring him?"
Lyria ignored the remark, her focus unshaken. "How is Grandma?"
Celine could only shake her head helplessly.
Kael's gaze swept across the room. In one corner, Eldrin Denvair sat unapologetically, his posture smug and unrepentant. Celeste, in stark contrast, was busy organizing paperwork and coordinating with hospital staff.
As the attending physician entered, the family swarmed him.
"Doctor, how is she?"
"When will she regain consciousness?"
The doctor sighed deeply, his voice steady but grim. "The situation is critical. Lady Catherine is elderly and vulnerable. The stress has taken a severe toll on her body. We've done everything we can, but her recovery now depends entirely on her will to fight."
He turned to leave, leaving behind a stunned silence.
"What?!" The doctor's words struck the room like a thunderclap. The thought of losing Lady Catherine was unthinkable. Only this morning, she had been vibrant and alert—how had things taken such a drastic turn?
Eldrin leapt to his feet, grabbing the doctor's arm. "You must be mistaken! She was fine earlier! Check again!"
The doctor, visibly exhausted after a long day, shook him off. "I've already explained the situation. If you think you know better, you're welcome to try."
"How dare you speak to me like that!" Eldrin's voice rose in indignation. "I'll file a complaint against you! She was awake when she arrived, and now she's unconscious. This is your fault!"
Celeste intervened, her patience wearing thin. "Eldrin, enough! You're embarrassing yourself—and us." She turned to the doctor apologetically. "I'm so sorry. Please, don't mind him."
The doctor, accustomed to such scenes, took the opportunity to leave.
Eldrin, however, wasn't done. "What now? Are we just going to stand here and do nothing? Clearly, someone here is to blame for this!"
Celeste's composure cracked. "Blame? If you hadn't returned and thrown your tantrum, she wouldn't be in this state! Look in the mirror before you point fingers!"
Eldrin scoffed, undeterred. His eyes settled on Kael.
"This is his fault!" Eldrin pointed accusingly. "Everything was fine until he came into our lives. He's a curse on this family! It's because of him that Mother is lying in that bed. If you want someone to blame, blame him!"
Kael's expression didn't waver as he stared down Eldrin with cold indifference.
A pest, Kael thought. Were it not for the fact that Eldrin carried the Denvair name, Kael would have had him erased from existence with a single command.
But Kael didn't act. Instead, he chose the most fitting punishment for such a man: complete disregard.