Chapter 277: So Angry He Could Spit Blood
“Mom, slow down. Let me help you.”
“Grandpa, be careful. Here, I’ll get the door for you.”
Abigail and Kaiya fussed over, deliberately stalling just long enough before letting everyone got in the car.
Meanwhile, Ashton, worried about his child, had already driven off ahead.
Abigail glanced at her watch.
By the time they got there, Ashton should already be fighting with Gemma.
Let it blow up.
The bigger, the better–until there’s no turning back.
The Doltons valued their reputation above all else.
Just one Gemma had already thrown them into chaos. They were reluctant to acknowledge her because they were still debating whether Charlotte
Dolton had gotten pregnant before marriage.
Now, throw in an illegitimate child of unknown origin? Ha. That’d be a real show.
If they wanted to claim one, they’d have to claim both.
Otherwise, a choice had to be made.
Abigail glanced at Jonathan and Madeline, then decided to stir the pot a little more.
“Dad, Mom, I know this might not be the best time, but I still want to say my piece.”
“Gemma and this nephew I’ve never met…
t… they’re both Doltons by blood.”
“If Gemma manages to save the child, why not just acknowledge them both? We could throw a banquet–shut everyone up in one go. What do you
think…?”
Jonathan cut her off immediately.
“Ridiculous!”
“Abigail, you’re usually the sensible one. What’s gotten into you today?”
Abigail lowered her head, looking a little embarrassed.
“I just want peace in the family. You and Mom aren’t in the best health, and S City is perfect for your recovery.”
“But because of all this, you’ve been delayed here for so long. I… I just hate seeing you go through this.”
Madeline, still anxious about her grandson, softened when she saw her adopted daughter looking so pitiful. She reached out and patted her gently.
“Good girl. In this family, you’re the only one who actually cares about us old folks.”
Jonathan let out a heavy sigh.
‘Gemma holds grudges. I doubt she’ll treat that child well.”
Kaiya caught Abigail’s glance and jumped in
“Grandpa, I don’t think she’d dare. She may be a little wild, but if she comes home and you guide her, she’ll learn.”
“If Cousin comes back safe this time, why not give her a chance?”
Jonathan let out a cold laugh.
“If she’s willing to admit her mistakes, to acknowledge what she’s done wrong, I’ll let it slide. I’ll even speak to the Wilsons about it.”
“But if she dares use my grandson’s life to threaten me? Ha. She must think I scare easy.”
Kaiya quickly forced a smile. “Grandpa, I believe Gemma won’t disappoint you.”
Then, she shot Abigail a look.
Abigail nodded in satisfaction.
Whether Gemma would disappoint them or not that wasn’t up to her,
Hospital.
Christine had already received responses from all the inedia outlets she contacted.
Gemma’s name was enough to generate buzz on its own.
Now, add to that her groundbreaking medical achievement?
Of course, they were all dying to cover it.
But the hospital had been keeping everything under wraps, refusing any interviews.
Setting
12.47
Chapter 277: So Angry He Could Spit Blood
Which only made the story more valuable.
Getting the exclusive scoop now was practically a golden ticket in the industry.
So, every journalist was pushing to be the first.
Now that they had firsthand information from the “person involved,” they were going to dig for every detail.
Christine shut off her phone and turned back toward the operating room.
This was a high–stakes gamble.
If Gemma wasn’t as skilled as the rumors claimed, her child might not make it.
But Christine trusted her instincts.
Gemma didn’t seem like someone who chased fame for the sake of it.
And from her previous investigations, she was sure Gemma had what it took to save Marcus.
She clasped her hands together.
“God, please, let the surgery be a success. Let my baby be safe and healthy.”
The words had barely left her lips when someone grabbed her wrist.
“Christine, what the hell is going on?”
Ashton stood there, panting, sweat dripping down his face.
It looked like he’d run all the way here.
His eyes were bloodshot, his grip so tight it fe
Christine froze for a second.
She hadn’t expected him back so soon.
like he was
Out to crush her wrist.
She thought he’d only realize the switch after the surgery.
Then it hit her–before Gemma started, there must have been multiple identity checks.
Dr. Green must have done one, too.
That meant they figured it out early enough for Ashton to rush back.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked completely clueless, then suddenly gasped, as if a terrible though,
“Tell me is something wrong with our baby?”
–
“Say something! Tell me!”
Ashton was momentarily thrown off by her reaction.
had just hit her. She gripped Ashton’s hand in return.
“Know what?!”
Tears welled up in Christine’s eyes as she trembled. “Didn’t you take the
baby with you? Why a
are you back? Tell me–what happened to our child?”
But he quickly snapped back. “You mean you didn’t know?”
Ashion staggered, nearly losing his balance.
His mind was spinning.
Last night, he had planned everything perfectly.
So how did it go wrong?
Unless-
One name flashed through his mind–Cassius.
That man had terrifying influence in N.L. City.
If anyone could secretly swap the baby back without anyone noticing, it was him.
He had been outplayed.
His chest tightened. His pulse raced.
“They knew all along. I was just the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind me.”
He gripped the wall, rage and panic surging through him, so intense he nearly coughed up blood.
Back then, he had hacked the hospital’s system, almost stopping Gemma from performing the surgery,
He had always treated her with cold indifference. She must have held a grudge,
Now, his child was in her hands.
God knows what she’d do.
“Who knew about our plan? What are you even talking about?”
Setting
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Chapter 277: So Angry He Could Spit Blood
Christine looked genuinely confused, full of fear and innocence.
“Christine, this is my fault. I failed to protect our child. Right now, in that operating room… that’s our real son.”
Ashton pulled her into his arms.
“But don’t worry. I swear, I’ll make Gemma pay for this. I’ll make her regret ever crossing us.”
Christine, however, let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Ashton hadn’t suspected her.
She was about to shed a few more tears to cement her role as the grieving mother when the doors to the operating room suddenly opened.
Her breath hitched. Instinctively, she shoved Ashton aside and rushed toward the door.
Seeing her like this, Ashton felt a mix of guilt and heartache.
But there was no time to comfort her. His child’s life was all that mattered.
“Where’s my baby?!”
A single nurse stepped out. The tension snapped.
Ashton’s mind went blank. Usually, when they sent out just one nurse first, it meant bad news. Life–threatening news.
“What happened to my child?! Tell me!”
In a frenzy, he grabbed the nurse by the collar, nearly lifting her off the ground.
Setting
