Chapter 253
I kept hoping for a miracle, praying that Richard would make it back to us alive.
It seemed like the threats to my life had subsided, so why not let bygones be bygones? Our children, in both lives, didn’t make it, a sign that Max and I were never meant to be, our bond too frail, our fate too flimsy. I couldn’t bear the thought of him sacrificing his destined fortune for me again in this lifetime.
“I can’t agree to this p>
Max’s eyes brimmed with tears in an instant. Touching his cheek, I teased, “No wonder Claude thinks you’re hopeless when in love p>
I kept my tone light, fully aware that sorrow wouldn’t help us now. Inside, I was utterly bereft.
“Claire, I don’t agree p>
“You know I won’t change my mind once it’s made up p>
No sooner had I spoken than Max stood up, “As you wish p>
He left without looking back, leaving me to wonder if he had always intended to leave or if my words had driven him away.
But then Helen walked in and said, “Mr. Hilton mentioned you had a miscarriage. He asked me to look after you p>
Helen adored Max, yet she knew her place by his side was the best she could hope for.
Obediently, she followed Max’s orders to care for me.
“I’d love some ginger wine chicken from the outskirts, could you prepare some for me p>
Immediately, a servant appeared with the dish, “Mr. Hilton had us prepare this to warm you up p>
Max, always so considerate, and here I was, pushing him away.
But I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt because of my selfish wish to save the people at the orphanage.
My vendetta against Hannah had endangered Richard and resulted in the loss of Max’s child due to overwhelming grief.
I felt like I was bringing bad luck everywhere I went.
Spending a month recuperating at Evergreen Health Center, I witnessed the ebb and flow of patients, each
battling their own ailments, elevating
the center’s reputation.
I then established a dual system: one for the wealthy, charged a fair price, and another for the poor, funded by the profits derived from the wealthy patients’ fees.
For the orphanage girls, lacking in education, I founded a medical school, offering them nursing knowledge and further studies for those interested.
Six months passed in such tranquility.
From the news, I learned that Max had reclaimed the Hilton Group, grooming Claude as his successor.
That’s Max for you, loyal to a fault. Even when Claude sought to usurp him, Max chose to nurture him, knowing Claude could never outmaneuver him. Max’s strategic depth was profound.
Even the lab explosion was a calculated move by Max and Richard.
I found out from Tracey in prison, who had intended to kill me. Forewarned by Richard, they had joined forces to save everyone at the orphanage, using the fallout
between Max and Richard as a ruse
to tower Hannah’s guard and rescue everyone.
Though fulfilling my deepest wish, the memory of it all left me in anguish.
Lying in a rocking chair with a book, I eventually dozed off. I woke slightly when someone covered me with a blanket and planted a kiss on my forehead.
I knew who it was, but I couldn’t bear to face him upon waking.