Chapter 188: Felt Guilty
"You should go." Wendy knew that Michael was a busy man. She had not expected that he would hand all his work off to his assistant in order to spend time with her at the hospital.
Before this, she had urged Michael to go to work as usual. There was no need for him to spend all his time with her as there were nurses and caretakers at the hospital.
Furthermore, she was healthy and only her vision was impaired.
Zess, Grandmother and Jill would sometimes visit her and Wendy did not feel bored in the hospital.
Jake and Leah finished school early in the day and they would too, look for her immediately after school.
However, Michael had insisted that he was not busy at work and that there was nothing that needed his attention at the company.
"You really don’t have to stay and take care of me all the time," Wendy said to Michael, "I know the room really well by now and can move around by myself without any problem. There are nurses here and I will call for them if I need help. I feel bad that you have not been going to work!"
Wendy’s words made Michael turn around and walk back to her.
Standing in front of Wendy, Michael looked at her with eyes that were filled with sadness and despair.
In front of others, Michael was unflappable and composed. They would never have the opportunity to see such a look in his eyes. It was only in front of Wendy that he let down his guard and showed his gentler and more tender side.
Michael held Wendy’s hand in silence for a few seconds before finally asking, "If you ever have to go up against your father in a business capacity, what would you do?"
Since Anthony had decided to help Christian, Mr. Nathan would not be the only customer they would be fighting over.
There was no way to avoid the confrontation between Michael and his father.
When that happened the news of their enmity would spread like wildfire.
"I haven’t had a father since I was young and can’t really understand your feelings now." Wendy gave Michael’s hand a tiny reassuring squeeze, then smiled and said, "If it’s your father’s fault for driving you into a corner, don’t be afraid to fight back. However, he is still your father, so you have to make sure you leave him a way out. Once you give in, people will expect you to give in every time."
She had no idea what happened, but for Michael to ask her a question like this, his father must have gone too far.
"I got it." Michael seemed to have made up his mind after listening to Wendy’s advice.
In the past, his mother had been too tolerant and given in to his father one too many times, which was how things ended up the way they were now.
"Go attend to your matters. You don’t have to worry about me." Wendy let go of Michael’s hand and flashed him a smile.
At the instant when Wendy let go of his hand, Michael stretched out his arm and pulled her into his embrace. He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.
Wendy felt a fleeting cool touch on her lips and her heartbeat sped up.
Michael’s lips did not linger on hers, he let her go immediately after that. However, when he looked at her face, he saw she was blushing becomingly.
Already feeling much better, Micheal reached out and caressed her cheek. He couldn’t help but tease her, "Wendy, your face is so red!"
Flustered, Wendy reached out and slapped his hand away angrily. Stamping her feet, she huffed, "Scram!"
He took advantage of her and still teased her about it after!
Why was her heart beating so quickly then?
"Yes madam!" Michael grinned.
Despite saying he would leave, Michael held Wendy’s arm and accompanied her back to the room. He then called for the doctor and made arrangements for him to arrange for the best nurses to watch over Wendy. Having set his mind at ease, only then did Michael finally leave the hospital.
***
Michael saw Anthony the moment he arrived at the private dining room in the hotel.
Anthony was at this moment engrossed in conversation with Mr. Nathan.
"Let us take the goods off your hands! Don’t you have confidence in DR’s sales capability?" asked Anthony with a smile. "I was your father’s friend. Don’t you remember? When you were young, I carried you and you even came to my house for my birthday party."
"I remember. I was still just a little boy then. I remembered I was greedy and wanted to get more cakes, but I was too short and had to tiptoe to reach the cake. In the end, I toppled the entire display platter. I got flustered and ended up toppling the champagne tower behind me as well. I was so scared I hid at home for days after that! It’s hilarious when I think back on it." Mr Nathan laughed uproariously. "I still hear mentions of you from my father’s mouth. Even though my father is already retired, he will still help out with major company events. He would always reminisce about your prowess in the business world in your youth."
"You flatter me. Your father is a real genius and I have always admired him. He’s the best in his field!" returned Anthony.
These words were all superficial and no one actually knew how much truth they carried. However, superficial banter was reserved only for those who were of use to oneself.
When Michael heard the conversation between Mr. Nathan and Anthony, his heart sank.
It meant Mr. Nathan was interested in cooperating with Anthony.
When Mr. York saw Michael, he immediately stood up. "Mr. Lucas..."
At this time, both Anthony and Mr. Nathan noticed Michael and their smiles turned awkward.
Anthony averted his eyes completely, He did not dare look straight at his son. In fact, he felt guilty.
He had not intended to help Christian at first. After Michael had ousted him from MC, he had retired. For the past few years, he had gone travelling with Lily and concentrated simply on enjoying life.
When Anthony heard about Christian’s arrest, he had been worried about his son.
However, he had no intention of helping either one. After all, he had done Michael wrong.
Unfortunately, Lily had cried and pleaded with Anthony. She first made sure he was comfortable and in a good mood before asking him to help Christian. When Anthony refused, she would break down in tears and threaten to kill herself.
It was a given that Anthony loved Lily, otherwise he would not have kept her by his side for so many years, never ending things with her despite his family’s disapproval. Ultimately, he had given in and agreed to help Christian.
Anthony had known then that it was inevitable he would have to go up against Michael. However, now that the time had come, he felt even guiltier toward Michael.
"Mr. Nathan, didn’t we agree upon all the terms last night? I even gave in and ceded another percentage point of profits to you. Why did you change your mind when it was time to sign the contract?" Micheal’s tone was cold. "If others were to find out that you went back on your word, I’m afraid it would reflect badly on your reputation."
"Well..." Mr. Nathan was indeed feeling a little guilty, but since he had already decided to switch sides, he could only say, "Mr. Lucas, we have not signed the contract yet, have we? Technically, I am only doing what I think will be best for my company. We will work with the party who can offer us greater benefits. After all, I am representing my company and need to think of my shareholders’ interests, right?"
Mr. Nathan could not afford to offend Michael. MC was the biggest commercial entity in Lake City and regardless of whether he would be working with Michael, he could not let relations between them sour.
