Chapter 381
Lance spoke with such genuine warmth that no matter how much Elise tried to find fault, he handled it all with effortless grace.
By the end of the evening, even Elise couldn’t find a single thing to complain about, and the dinner concluded on a surprisingly harmonious note.
That night, Lance took care of Jasper again, while Camilla stayed in Elise’s room to keep her company.
Once they were alone, Elise took Camilla’s hand, still harboring worries that her daughter’s relationship might hit another rough patch.
Camilla offered endless words of comfort until, sometime in the early hours of the morning, Elise finally drifted off to sleep holding her tight.
The next morning, Susan arrived for work, and Elise invited her out for a walk. When Camilla stepped out of her bedroom, she heard Lance on the phone in the living room, his tone clipped and cold.
She caught fragments of the conversation, gathering that the call was from the Charles family at the hospital.
Dane had also returned. He walked quietly to Camilla’s side and murmured, “Tessa has called several times this morning, pressuring Lance to go to the hospital and see Sarah.
Sarah slit her wrists yesterday, and her condition probably isn’t looking too good right now.
Knowing Tessa’s personality, if Lance doesn’t show up soon, she’ll probably come knocking on our door p>
He phrased it diplomatically, but Camilla understood the underlying message perfectly: he wanted her to persuade Lance to visit the hospital.
“Is this what Darwin wants too?” Camilla asked. “Has he called today p>
Though she hadn’t interacted much with the Charles family, Camilla could tell that Lance was completely estranged from Tessa, but he still held a degree of respect for Darwin.
If Darwin wanted Lance to go back, Camilla would definitely urge him to do so.
“Darwin hasn’t called personally,” Dane replied. “But Tessa wouldn’t have harassed Lance all morning without Darwin’s tacit approval.
I heard Darwin is actually at the hospital right now p>
Downstairs, Lance hung up the phone and looked up in Camilla’s direction. She gave Dane a slight nod and walked straight down to Lance. “Do you have any plans for later p>
“Didn’t we agree? I’m spending these next few days with you and Jasper,” Lance said, not mentioning Tessa’s call at all. His voice was as gentle as ever, carrying a hint of absolute certainty. He looked at her closely. “Why the sudden question? Did you want to do something p>
“I need to make a trip to the hospital,” Camilla said. “Now that my mom is back, there are a few details I need to confirm with her attending physician. Do you want to come with me p>
Even though she didn’t mention Sarah, Lance frowned, his gaze turning somber with a flicker of suspicion.
“It’s just a minor errand,” Camilla added. “If you don’t feel like going, I can go by myself p>
“I’ll drive you.” Lance gave her a long, penetrating look. Even if she hadn’t spelled it out, they both silently understood her true motive.
Dane remained standing on the upper landing, watching them leave together before he pulled out his phone and made a call.
The car pulled up to the hospital entrance. Before they could even step through the sliding doors, Tessa intercepted them.
Dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, Tessa wore a scowl of deep-seated frustration. Standing in the middle of the bustling hospital lobby, she looked entirely out of place among the anxious families of patients.
Spotting Lance, she marched over, her heels clicking sharply against the tile. Her piercing gaze swept critically over Camilla first before snapping to Lance. “So, you finally decided to show up.
Lance, I wrote off your past rebellions as youthful ignorance.
But now Sarah has practically killed herself to prove her innocence to you, and you, as her brother, have absolutely nothing to say?
Do you have any idea what we went through last night? Even Darwin stayed here the entire time. Where the hell were you?
Lance, I swear… even if you don’t like Sarah, she’s still p>
“Are you quite finished, Tessa?” Lance cut her off abruptly, refusing to let her finish her tirade. “Since you know I don’t care for her, you should stop trying to force my hand p>
Tessa’s expression stiffened. When she spoke again, her voice had lost its sharp edge, taking on a slightly more pleading tone. “Lance, just go upstairs and see her.
She’s not doing well. Just consider it a favor to me—go up and say one word to her, please p>
“Anything involving Sarah makes you this desperate, doesn’t it?” Lance asked coldly.
Tessa furrowed her brow. “I honestly don’t know what your problem is. Sarah lost her family when she was little, and she’s always been frail. Isn’t it only right that I take extra care of her?
You’re perfectly healthy, Darwin dotes on you, and you’re a grown man. Why do you constantly have to pick fights with her over this?
Besides, she’s lying in a hospital bed right now because of your false accusations. Do you really feel no shame at all p>
“None,” Lance replied flatly.
That single word choked off whatever Tessa was about to say next.
Just then, the nearby elevator doors slid open. Sarah stepped out, her face deathly pale. A thick layer of gauze was wrapped heavily around her wrist, and her lips were bloodless from the loss of blood.