Chapter 207

Brandon stared at the ring in disbelief, struggling to process what had just unfolded as he rested against the headboard.

A sharp pain suddenly twisted his stomach, and he found himself coughing blood right onto the wedding band.

His thoughts scattered, and almost instinctively, he tried to clean the ring, yet the red mark refused to fade.

The pain finally caught up with him, and while his body ached, his eyes drifted from the stained ring in his palm back to the bottle of perfume on the nightstand. Defeated, he shut his eyes, weighed down by misery.

...

Millie spent the evening by herself.

Once Myron and Brandon were gone, she settled into the recliner on the balcony, wrapped in the solitude of her empty home.

The night air felt cool against her skin.

She still wore the blue heart-shaped pendant around her neck.

Her fingers closed around the pendant as she recalled everything that had unfolded that day.

She remembered how Myron had looked at her, so open and sincere, and she couldn't forget the way Brandon had treated her, either.

Whatever battles Brandon was facing, she couldn't claim to understand them, but it was clear that their relationship could never return to what it once was.

All she could do now was build a future with Myron, Ari, and perhaps someday invite her mother into that picture,too.

Because Nicole held the legal role as Ari's adoptive mother, Millie was considered only a supporting guardian. Any official paperwork, including hospital records, would always name Nicole as Ari's mother to reflect her full legal responsibility.

From that point on, all future check-ins wvith the adoptive family would have to involve Nicole as well.

For this reason, Millie needed to make sure her mother stayed close

They didn't talk much, but with time, things between them-were starting fto get better.

Her mother...

Millie's gaze drifted to the pendant.

Did her mother ever think about her father these days?

Millie's eyes lowered, thoughtful.

Maybe it was only natural for old memories to fade; so many years had passed since her father left their lives.

It would be unfair to expect her mother to hold onto those memories forever.

Millie thought as long as she kept those moments alive in her own heart, that was enough.

And maybe, just maybe, Myron carried those memories with him as well.

That small hope brought a bit of comfort. Knowing there was someone else in the world who missed the same person made Millie feel less alone.

···

The hours crept by.

By morning, chaos had erupted at the Watson Group.

Brandon was nowhere to be found.

Word spread that he'd come down with something, and Derek was handling the company in his absence.

Gossip buzzed through the halls.

"Did you hear? Mr. Watson looked perfectly fine yesterday. What could've happened for him to get sick so suddenly? Maybe he's taken ill because he can't handle how determined Myron has been to win Millie's heart?"

"No one really knows for sure. Isn't he with Vivian these days? Millie's just his ex-wife."

"This kind of thing almost never happens. Even if Mr. Watson was sick before, he'd still manage the company from his bed or run meetings over the phone. But now? He's left everything up in the air."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. His grandfather has to step in to handle things for now."

"Oh wow. You don't think Mr. Watson's condition is serious, do you?"

"Let's not jump to scary conclusions."

...

High above in the Watson Group executive suite, Derek sat in his office with Norma nearby.

Eugene arrived to lend a hand with the company's affairs.

Derek looked over to Eugene, his tone quiet but urgent."Any word on how he's doing?"

Eugene answered right away, "Mr. Watson was taken to the hospital last night. After some tests, the doctors said his condition isn't life-threatening. He's just been under too much stress and has been drinking heavily,which made him cough up blood."

"With proper treatment, the doctors expect him to recover in no time," Eugene added, hoping to put Derek and Norma at ease.

Derek acknowledged the update with a small nod.

"Did he mention.what triggered it?" Derek pressed, unable to hide his concern.

Eugene let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

He'd been trying to get answers ever since the incident, but Brandon stayed silent, only insisting that he wanted to leave the hospital.

Eugene continued, "Mr. Watson wás adamant about being discharged. Right now, he's at Serenity Villa,and I've already arranged for a doctor to monitor his recovery there."

Serenity Villa?

That was the house Brandon once shared with Millie.

Derek and Norma traded a look, each silently acknowledging what the other was thinking.

They chose not to push Eugene any further.

"You can get back to your work now," Derek told him.

"Understood," Eugene said before quietly heading out and closing the office door behind him.

The room was silent, with just Derek and Norma left behind.

Norma finally broke the silence. "Derek, what's your take on all this? Do you think Millie has something to do with it?"

"Humph!" Derek gave a sharp scoff. "Brandon's keeping us in the dark, so your guess is as good as mine.lf this is about Millie, then honestly, he brought it on himself."

Norma hesitated, unsure if she should speak her mind.

After a pause, she went on, "Myron isn't exactly subtle about his feelings for Millie. If she says yes to him..."

Derek's eyes met Norma's, but he found no words, and a heavy silence settled over them once more.

Time slipped by until Derek finally exhaled, sounding weary."A∥we can do now is hope Brandon wakes up to his own mistakes. If he keeps refusing to change, my hands are tied."

Norma gave a quiet nod,agreeing with him.

Within the halls of Watson Group, most employees figured Brandon would bounce back in a day or two. At the very least, they expected a quick update or a virtual meeting.

But nothing happened.

Day after day went by, four in total, without a single message from Brandon.

Derek kept reassuring everyone that Brandon was just taking time to recover, while Eugene provided the shareholders with medical records to back up their claims. Still, uneasiness crept in.

"If he's really okay, then why not check in with us, even just through a video call or a message on the company platform?"

"What if his condition is actually much worse than they're letting on?"

"Honestly, if something happens to Mr. Watson, who's going to lead us? He's the one who turned this comnpany around."

···

Watson Group's stock price began to waver, reflecting the growing uncertainty.

Even after countless statements and making Brandon's medical records public, whispers of fake documents continued to spread.

On the fifth day of Brandon's absence, Millie was at the Elliott Group's jewelry store reviewing new merchandise when a crowd of reporters suddenly surrounded her, clearly waiting for this moment.

They wasted no time, shouting questions all at once.

"Miss Bennett, do you have any idea where Mr. Watson has been these last few days?"

"Miss Bennett, is it true that Mr. Watson's illness has something to do with you?"

"Have you visited Mr. Watson at all, Miss Bennett? How's his condition now? Can you give us an update on his condition?"

Although security quickly stepped in to pull the reporters away from Millie, plenty of curious eyes still followed her every move.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, Millie could feel a dull ache building behind her tempes.

She'd heard about Brandon's heálth scare the very day it happened, but stepping in was never on her agenda.

She had spelled things out for Brandon long before, and that night, she'd only made her feelings more clearer.

Despite her efforts to stay out of sight these past few days, even going so far as to disguise herself, she stilf couldn't avoid the reporters who seemed to be everywhere.

Millie realized that staying silent would only invite more chaos and attention.

The pendant rested coolly against her chest beneath her blouse, its touch somehow soothing her nerves.

She knew it was time to face the press and make her position clear.