Chapter 1273: Chapter 1268: Seizing the Opportunity
Evander Lancaster put away the report and got up to leave the office, walking towards Willow Lancaster’s hospital room.
Willow Lancaster lay on the hospital bed with her eyes closed, whether asleep or unwilling to communicate with her mother was unclear.
Seeing Evander Lancaster come in, Catherine Taylor, who was keeping watch by the bed, stood up. Her face had noticeably thinned.
"Evander, what’s up?"
"Nothing, just came to check," Evander Lancaster walked in but didn’t close the door.
Standing by the bed, he looked at the closed-eyed Willow Lancaster and softly asked, "How’s Willow’s mood?"
Catherine Taylor sat back down, sighed, and said, "She’s eating on time, but has become much more silent."
"Hmm, it was all too sudden, such a huge blow for her." Evander nodded and then casually asked, "How many years have you and my third uncle been married?"
Catherine Taylor looked again at her daughter on the bed and sighed, "Willow is twenty-two years old now, and my third uncle and I have been married for twenty-two years. I brought Willow with me when I married him."
"Did you and my third uncle ever plan to have a son after Willow?"
"How could we not," Catherine Taylor forced a bitter smile, reached over to smooth her daughter’s hair, then sat back and said, "But the heavens only granted us this one child. Ever since Willow was born, I haven’t been pregnant again."
Evander Lancaster’s brow furrowed ever so slightly, and he turned to Catherine Taylor, "Did you and my third uncle try any measures?"
"No," Catherine Taylor sighed, the curve of her lips showing helplessness, "Your third uncle dreams of having a son to inherit his business. Why would he consider taking measures?"
Evander Lancaster...
His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as a bold idea formed in his mind.
Continuing to chat casually, "Hasn’t my third uncle mentioned divorce anymore?"
Catherine Taylor sighed helplessly, "I promised him that after Willow is discharged from the hospital, I’ll go through the formalities with him."
Evander Lancaster nodded, not continuing this topic, "Well, you take care, I’ll go check on other patients."
Back in the office, Evander Lancaster called his third uncle Gabriel Lancaster, "Uncle Gabriel, the test report is out. When you have time, come and pick it up."
"Humph! So, is Willow not my daughter? Just tell me the result!" Gabriel Lancaster’s displeased voice came over the phone, and Evander Lancaster glanced down at the report under his fingertip, smiling, "Uncle Gabriel, it’s best if you come get it yourself. I’m just a doctor, not a messenger."
"Got it!" Gabriel Lancaster agreed impatiently, then hung up the phone.
Putting away the phone, Evander Lancaster’s fingers played unconsciously as he squinted slightly.
After work, he returned to his apartment, still a mess. He called the cleaner and found Sophia Hamilton’s mobile phone, then left the house again.
Going to the mall, he bought a lot of supplements, then went to the supermarket for groceries, placed them on the back seat, and drove to Sophia Hamilton’s house.
As dinner time approached, Juliana Lancaster was in the kitchen preparing the meal, having bought fish and an old hen—dishes Sophia had specifically requested. The mother busied in the kitchen while her daughter lay on the sofa, flipping bored through TV channels.
The doctor had advised, during this period, to rest and avoid cold foods, or the baby really wouldn’t survive.
The doorbell rang. Sophia Hamilton put down the remote and got up from the sofa, shuffling over in her slippers. She looked through the door viewer and, seeing the man outside, huffed in displeasure, although the corners of her lips involuntarily lifted.
Clearly seeing Evander Lancaster standing at the door, Sophia Hamilton stepped back deliberately and asked, "Who is it?"
"It’s me," Evander Lancaster pursed his lips, worried Sophia Hamilton wouldn’t open the door for him, and added, "I came to bring you your phone."
With an excuse, Sophia Hamilton’s hand had just grasped the door knob when Juliana Lancaster walked out of the kitchen, "Sophia, who’s outside?"
Sophia Hamilton...
Feeling guilty, she looked at her mother, "Evander Lancaster came to bring my phone."
"You go to your room." Juliana Lancaster instructed sternly, her expression turning cold.
Sophia Hamilton’s grip on the door knob tightened, reluctantly making her way toward her bedroom.
Watching her daughter enter the bedroom, Juliana Lancaster opened the door, gripping the handrail and positioning her whole body in the doorway, coolly asking Evander Lancaster, "What are you doing here?"
Evander Lancaster...
The voice earlier was clearly Sophia Hamilton’s, but he hadn’t expected Juliana Lancaster to open the door. He hesitated for a moment before responding with a smile, "Auntie, I bought some supplements for Sophia."
"No need, I can take care of my own daughter," Juliana Lancaster said coldly, holding the door handle with no intent of letting Evander inside.
Evander knew that any parent would be upset at their daughter’s miscarriage, so he continued to speak humbly and with a smile, "Auntie, let me in first, I..."
"Evander, our Sophia already said you two have broken up, so it’s inappropriate for you to come to our house," Juliana Lancaster interrupted before Evander could finish, looking at him coldly without intention of yielding.
"Auntie, listen to me, Sophia and I haven’t broken up; it’s a misunderstanding." Seeing how resolute Juliana was, Evander hurriedly explained, holding several shopping bags, one containing turtle, a hefty supplement prepared to make soup and nourish Sophia.
"Evander, I don’t care if it’s a misunderstanding. Since Sophia decided to break up with you, don’t come by anymore. We can’t keep up with your Lancaster family!"
Upon finishing, Juliana was about to shut the door, but Evander quickly got his foot in. Even if Juliana was angry, she wouldn’t deliberately pinch his foot; after all, even if she tried to forcefully close the door, it wouldn’t budge.
Juliana, holding the door handle, looked coldly at Evander, who, with a troubled expression, pleaded sincerely, "Auntie, please let me in. Even if Sophia and I have broken up, we can still be friends. Sophia lost a child because of me; let me do something for her to make up for it at least."
Just as Juliana was about to refuse again, the neighbor across the hall came out with a trash bag. A woman in her sixties saw Evander laden with bags at the door and said enviously, "Sister, your son-in-law is really filial, always buying you lots of gifts."
"Oh, Miss Zhang, heading out?" Juliana quickly put on a smile, afraid the neighbor would overhear about her daughter’s abortion. Though society is open nowadays, such matters are still best kept private.
"Mm, going to toss the trash and then off for square dancing." The elderly woman locked her door while Evander seized the opportunity during Juliana’s chat with her to quickly slip in.
Juliana, concerned about appearances, couldn’t act out in front of the neighbor and could only watch as Evander took advantage of the situation.
