Chapter 21
That day, Howard had knelt with his head resting on Megan’s shoulder. Normally calm and composed, he broke down completely. Silent tears streamed down his face, soaking through her clothes.
Megan gently ran her fingers through his hair and patted his back, soothing him. Back then, she had said, “Don’t be scared, Howie.
“Didn’t the rest of the family say your grandfather might recover if we married for good luck? I’ll go home with you. And even if he… you’ll still have me,
Howie.”
Her scent lingered in his memory–it was the only thing that stayed with him from that sorrowful year.
“Howie…” He could still hear Megan calling his name–in happiness, in sadness, in shyness, in tenderness. And most recently, he remembered the desperate way she had called to him from the stairwell. His brow furrowed. A sudden fear clawed at his chest.
“Howard,” Alyssa called again.
She squeezed his hand tightly. “What’s wrong?”
Howard looked at her pale, sickly face. Snapping back to reality, he turned away and shut his eyes.
“It’s nothing,” he said. Pulling his hand from her grasp, he started the engine.
“Selena’s with her. She’ll be alright.” His voice was calm as he focused on the road ahead. With practiced ease, he steered the Aston Martin out of the parking lot and onto the highway. “I’ll drive you home.”
Alyssa smiled. “Okay.”
At the hospital, the emergency room was in chaos. Selena waited outside, nerves fraying with every passing second.
Though she was a gynecologist who had performed many surgeries, she was far too shaken to step in herself. Thankfully, she had used her connections to stock up on blood in advance.
But after so much blood loss… could Megan’s child still be saved? She wasn’t sure how Megan was faring.
Selena’s mind was a tangled mess. She no longer trusted her own judgment. All she could do was wait.
When footsteps echoed in the hall, she looked up and saw her brother, Shaun Lowe.
“Shaun!” Selena threw herself into his arms, breaking down all over again.
“Shaun, it’s my fault Meg ended up like this.” Her voice cracked with guilt. “What should I do?”
Shaun sighed, patting Selena’s back. “I heard what happened on my way here, Calm down. I’ll go in and check on her. Lena, even if you can’t trust the others, can’t you at least trust me?”
The Lowe family was a family of doctors. As the eldest son, Shaun was a prodigy. Though gynecology wasn’t his specialty, his skills extended across many disciplines.
Selena nodded through her tears. Wiping her tears away, she urged, “Hurry, Shaun!”
Shaun gave her a reassuring smile and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks. Then, after changing into his uniform and disinfecting, he entered the emergency room. Almost immediately, one of the machines began shrilling.
“The patient’s heart rate just dropped! Prepare the defibrillator!”
“Go and find the patient’s family. We need their signature on the critical illness notice!”
The room erupted in frantic chaos.
Meanwhile, Howard pulled the Aston Martin to a stop outside Alyssa’s home. Inside the car, Alyssa studied his profile in silence.
Howard had always been good at hiding his emotions. Nothing ever showed on his face. Even in the fiercest market competition, no one could see through him.
It was Howard who had led Larson Group with a sharp strategy during its pivotal transformation. He had turned it from a traditional business into a modern, tech–driven corporation.
Under his leadership, Larson Group had risen to the top and become a powerful conglomerate. Howard’s capabilities were undeniable.
