Chapter 546
Chapter 545:
The air in the room turned toxic.
Behind Gaston, the heavy wooden door to the hallway had been propped open. His elite security team stood just outside the threshold, forming an impenetrable wall of dark suits that blocked anyone from intervening. Down the hall, cordoned off near the VIP elevator bank, a reporter from Page Six and a photographer waited — a looming, undeniable threat. The distant strobe of the camera flash reflected off the polished hospital floors, capturing the spectacle of Gaston’s dominance from afar.
Kieran’s pupils dilated. He saw the rhythmic flash strobing across the floor tiles. Pure, unadulterated terror flooded his weakened veins, a cold poison that paralyzed his vocal cords.
“Security,” Kieran choked out, his hands gripping the white bedsheets, knuckles turning bone-white. “Get him out of here p>
Gaston chuckled — a dark, resonant sound that filled every corner of the room. He placed the heavy silver rattle on Kieran’s chest. It landed with the cold, dead weight of a tombstone.
𝗥𝗲𝘢𝘥 𝗳𝘳𝗈m 𝘺о𝘂r рh𝘰ոе o𝗻
He reached back into the bag. This time he produced a small, leather-bound book with a gold-leaf title: On the Establishment of Legacies.
Gaston leaned down. He placed both hands on the metal bed rails, trapping Kieran in his space. The scent of Gaston’s cologne mingled with the sharp smell of hospital bleach.
He set the book gently on Kieran’s stomach.
“I want you to read this every single day,” Gaston whispered. His voice was no longer loud — it had dropped to a lethal, quiet hiss meant only for Kieran. “I want it to remind you that you will never, ever be able to give Jocelyn the life I can. You are nothing but a footnote in her history p>
Kieran’s psychological dam finally broke.
A raw, animalistic sound tore from his throat. He threw his weak arm out, trying to swat the book away. His hand struck Gaston’s solid forearm and bounced off uselessly.
Gaston didn’t even blink. He simply straightened up, adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit.
“Get well soon, Kieran,” he said loudly, making sure every word reached the reporter in the hallway.
Gaston turned his back on the bed and walked to the door. He stepped out into the hallway and stopped directly in front of the Page Six reporter, adjusting his crimson tie before offering the camera a perfect, devastatingly composed smile.
“Mr. Collins,” the reporter asked eagerly, shoving the microphone forward. “Do you have any comment on Kieran Douglas collapsing right after your pregnancy announcement p>
Gaston’s expression shifted into something resembling concern.
“It is a tragedy,” he said smoothly. “I honestly just think some men lack the basic psychological fortitude to handle the real world. It is sad that another man’s joy as a father could cause such a severe physical breakdown p>
The reporter’s eyes widened. “Are you saying Mr. Douglas is suffering from jealousy p>