Chapter 193: Chapter 193: She’s Amazing
Shane Grant remained unconscious all night.
The next morning, Zeke Walton went to see him again, bringing the business proposal Cecelia Archer had worked all night to prepare. Shane had finally regained consciousness.
The assistant left the room. Zeke looked at the weakened Shane, his face filled with guilt.
"You’re finally awake! You scared me to death. Shane, I’m so sorry..."
The doctor had scheduled Shane Grant for stomach surgery. He hadn’t had a single drop of water all day yesterday and had to continue fasting today. Shane’s voice, normally soft and low, was now so faint you had to lean in close to hear him.
"Why are you apologizing?"
Zeke looked at him sheepishly. "I heard about the international airport project. It’s all my fault..."
Shane Grant hadn’t expected him to take the blame.
He’d initially been a bit suspicious about Zeke’s motives for getting close to him, but now, he seemed to be just a genuinely kind and innocent young man.
"There’s no need to apologize. It has nothing to do with you."
He weakly raised a hand and patted Zeke’s shoulder, just as he always did.
"There are no undefeated generals in business. Investment mistakes happen all the time. I made the decision myself. I’m a grown man; I’m not so childish that I can’t take responsibility for my own actions."
Zeke’s heart warmed, and a new layer of admiration colored his gaze.
"But..."
"No buts. What’s done is done."
Shane Grant weakly closed his eyes for a moment.
"So you rushed over to see me first thing in the morning just to apologize?"
"I came yesterday, too. I did want to apologize, but there’s something more important."
Zeke sat down in front of him and handed over the document Cecelia Archer had prepared.
"Take a look at this first."
Shane Grant took it and read for a few minutes. Zeke could clearly see surprise and admiration in his eyes.
"How did you get this? Where did it come from? Did you make it?"
’He wished he’d been the one to make it.’
The thought that Cecelia Archer, a supposedly delicate woman, could come up with all this while he couldn’t left Zeke feeling a little defeated.
"It wasn’t me. It was Cecelia Archer. Do you think it’s feasible?"
"Cecelia Archer?"
The admiration in Shane Grant’s eyes deepened.
Ever since he’d known Cecelia Archer, he’d never seen her hold a proper job. He only knew she was skilled in medicine; he had no idea her business acumen was so sharp.
This proposal covered an incredible breadth of knowledge. Either she was an expert in everything, or she’d had to look up a massive amount of information on short notice. It must have been incredibly difficult for her.
"To be honest, I still haven’t completely given up on the international airport project. The real bidding hasn’t started yet, so it’s not a given that the Vaughn Group will be the final winner. But I’m just too short on cash right now... I spent the last few days in Corvane running around to banks for a loan, but with Damien Vaughn pulling strings behind the scenes... The only way out right now is to raise funds, and Cecelia Archer’s idea is exactly what I was thinking. I can’t believe she already put together a proposal before I could even start."
Whether it was because he saw a glimmer of hope for victory, or because he felt comforted by someone standing firmly behind him at a time like this, Shane Grant’s mood visibly improved.
Seeing him happy, Zeke felt happy too.
"As long as it’s useful, her all-nighter wasn’t for nothing."
"Since it’s useful, we’ll get started right away. Time is tight, we can’t afford any delays. You just rest up and wait for our good news."
With that, an excited Zeke stood up to leave, but Shane Grant grabbed his arm.
"’We’? What do you mean? You and Cecelia Archer are going to carry out this plan?"
"Yeah. You’re not well right now, and we’re both free..."
"No!"
Shane Grant’s voice suddenly rose, the force of it sending a sharp pain through his chest. He winced instinctively.
"Shane!"
Zeke quickly sat back down to support him. "Don’t get worked up. We can talk this out. Why not? Are you afraid we’ll mess it up? Don’t you trust us?"
That really wasn’t the reason.
Looking at Zeke, whose face was full of innocent concern for him, Shane Grant really wanted to call him a fool.
"As far as I know, you and Damien Vaughn grew up together. Your families have been friends for generations. Now that our fight has reached this point, it’s obvious to anyone with eyes. For you to abandon your childhood friend to help me at a time like this..."
’So he’s worried about me!’
Zeke shook his head decisively. "I don’t care if he’s my childhood friend or what! Damien used me in this matter, and he’s been pulling dirty tricks on you behind your back. That’s dishonorable and unjust. He’s lucky I haven’t exposed him to the media. Why would I care about any of that other stuff?"
"Don’t worry, I would never side with him just because I’ve known him longer! I stand for fairness and justice! In this situation, I see you as the victim, so I’m sticking with you!"
Shane Grant also shook his head. "I already told you, investment mistakes are normal in the business world. There’s no victim here. I don’t need your help, and besides, you can’t help. Let’s drop it."
Zeke was speechless.
Shane Grant continued, "And it’s even more out of the question for Cecelia Archer. You know what just happened to her. It’s not just the Vaughn Family watching her; if the Bells find out she’s not dead, they won’t let her go either. And besides, there’s Candy. She can’t take that risk."
’This one can’t do it, that one’s not allowed... then who’s supposed to handle this?’
Zeke looked at him worriedly. "Doesn’t Cecelia Archer have a new identity now? As long as she keeps a low profile, what are the chances she’ll be discovered?"
"Ever since Candy came back from the hospital and started taking the medicine you brought back yourself, her condition has basically stabilized. She isn’t having surgery anytime soon, so there’s no danger for her to stay at home."
He made a compelling case, but Shane Grant still refused to let Cecelia Archer take the risk.
He threw back the covers and tried to get out of bed.
"Enough talk. I’ll handle this myself. I don’t need you two."
"Go home. And don’t contact me again unless it’s important."
"If the international airport project succeeds, I’ll still be Shane Grant. And if you still want to be my friend, I’ll welcome you anytime. But if it fails... Zeke, you’re a grown man now. You need to think more about your own future."
’He’s going to handle it himself? Does that mean he’s checking out of the hospital?’
Zeke shot up and blocked his path.
"No! You can’t leave the hospital! The doctor said your stomach has severe erosion and you need surgery, or it could turn into cancer!"
"I promise I won’t let Cecelia Archer go! I won’t let her put herself in danger! Now lie back down!"
Shane Grant was about the same height as him, and their eyes met. Shane Grant’s gaze was deep as he stared at him.
"The Grant Group doesn’t have much time. I don’t trust anyone else to handle this. I have to go myself. Move, Zeke."
"Don’t worry. I’ll come back for the surgery as soon as this is taken care of. I won’t let myself die that easily."
Zeke’s eyes reddened, but he adamantly refused to move.
"Once you get into social situations, you’ll have to drink. With your body in this state, how many glasses do you think you can handle? Stop trying to be a hero, Shane!"
"If you don’t trust me, then appoint someone you do trust to go. Either way, you’re not leaving here today."
Shane Grant was in a hurry to leave and didn’t want to waste time arguing. He reached out and pushed him.
"There’s no one left to trust. After a scandal like this, everyone in the company looks like a spy for the Vaughn Group. I can’t just stand by and watch the company collapse. Move."
Comments