Chapter 300: A Mother–Son Relationship in Ruins
“I know you could’ve handled it just fine without him stepping in. He just didn’t want you working overtime, that’s all.” Robin scratched his head.
No wonder he was still single. Stuff like this? He’d never come up with it in a million years.
Meanwhile, Cassius made it look effortless–like he was born knowing how to say this kind of thing.
Robin shuddered. Just hearing it made his skin crawl.
Gemma, on the other hand, caught the meaning right away.
“I won’t hold it against him for meddling. Don’t worry.”
Robin let out a long sigh. “… Guess I don’t need to say the rest, then.”
His face twisted into a look of pure defeat.
“If I’d known it’d go down like this, I wouldn’t have wasted my time memorizing that whole speech. Nearly killed me.”
Gemma laughed–completely unapologetic.
Robin, “…”
yout
You two are so cruel.
At the Hospital.
Madeline sat up in bed as the nurse handed her today’s meds.
Once she’d taken them, the nurse carefully adjusted her blankets before slipping out of the room.
Finally, the silence broke.
“The director made himself pretty clear just now. If we want to take legal action against Gemma, we’ll have to go through the proper channels. The hospital will cooperate fully.”
Ashton didn’t look happy.
Ever since he arrived in N.L. City and crossed paths with Gemma, nothing had gone right for him.
He’d even ended up in jail, his reputation in shambles.
The only silver lining? The kid’s condition had stabilized.
But that had nothing to do with Gemma.
She was only in the spotlight because of her ties to Cassius. The hospital was just sucking up to her, calling her the lead surgeon.
Meanwhile, real medical geniuses were being overlooked.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
As long as Gemma was still around, he’d never be able to hold his head up again.
And the worst part? It was like she had some kind of divine protection–no one could touch her.
Madeline gritted her teeth.
“The plan was simple–bring her back, hand her over to Margaret, and be done with it.”
“She’s fucking slipperier than a damn greased pig!”
Ashton sighed.
He’d love nothing more than to get his hands on her and make her pay.
“Mom, do you have any other ideas?”
Madeline pressed her fingers to her temple.
‘No.”
Ashton exhaled heavily.
“If I’d known it’d be like this, I wouldn’t have come looking for her in the first place.”
Madeline scoffed.
“No use crying over spilled milk.”
Just as Ashton was about to argue, the door swung open.
His temper flared–until he saw Abigail step in.
She smiled. “Oh, Ash, you’re here too.”
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Chapter 300: A Mother–Son Relationship in Ruins
Ashton nodded. “What are you doing here?”
Abigail glanced at Madeline. “Mom’s sick. I know you wanted us to take shifts, but I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“Don’t worry, though–I’m just here to help.”
“This doesn’t count toward my shift. When it’s my turn, I’ll still be here.”
She came on her own. No hidden agenda.
Ashton waved a hand dismissively.
“I’m not blaming you. It’s just… after everything, we barely just got out of that holding cell. Mom’s not doing great. Rotating shifts lets everyone get
some rest.
“Mm. Abigail walked over, poured a glass of water, and gently helped Madeline drink.
She was considerate. Thoughtful.
Madeline already looked better.
“Nothing beats having a good daughter,” she sighed.
Ashton, “..
Abigail finally spoke up.
“Mom, Ash, I know what’s been on your mind.”
“But Gemma is Charlotte’s daughter. She’s still part of the Doltons.”
“Are we really going to cut her off completely?”
“She grew up without proper guidance–it’s no surprise she’s a little… difficult.”
Madeline slammed her fist on the bed.
“Difficult?! She’s completely out of control!”
Abigail gently patted her back, soothing her. “Mom, it’s okay. She’s still young–she just needs the right guidance.”
“How abou this? Let’s hold a press conference and publicly acknowledge her as family.”
“If she realizes we mean her no harm, she might come back on her own.”
Madeline’s expression darkened.
“Not a chance!”
The last thing she wanted was to be associated with Gemma.
But Ashton suddenly chuckled.
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”
Madeline frowned. “Are you seriously falling for Abigail’s nonsense?”
Ashton took a step closer.
“Think about it, Mom. If we officially recognize her, we can use that status to keep her in check.”
“If she cares about her public image, she won’t dare disrespect you in front of the media.”
“And while we’re at it, we’ll make one thing crystal clear–she’s a Wilson now.”
“Meaning, when it comes to marriage, her family’s opinion matters.”
“If we put that out there, then Marcus will finally have a rightful place in the family.”
Madeline’s expression softened.
Abigail lowered her gaze. “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just didn’t want Charlotte’s daughter to be left out in the cold.”
“Besides the Wilsons aren’t all that great. Wouldn’t it be better if Gemma stayed with us? We could find her a nice husband–someone willing to join our family instead.”
“The Doltons have options. I’m sure we could find someone she’d like.”
Ashton didn’t catch the implication, but Madeline’s eyes lit up.
A live in husband?
Perfect.
With Gemma stuck in their house, they’d have complete control over her.
She turned to Ashton.
“Alright. Go take care of it. Abigail will stay here with me.”
Ashton nodded and was about to leave when Abigail stepped in front of him.
“Ash wait. If you’re heading back, give this to Christine.”
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Chapter 300: A Mother Son Relationship in Ruins
She held out a diamond necklace.
A massive stone. Expensive.
Ashton hesitated.
“Wasn’t this a birthday gift from that master jeweler? Why are you giving it away?”
Abigail lowered her head.
“Kaiya got herself into trouble with Christine. Mom was furious and went to confront her.”
“Kaiya’s just a kid–she acted on impulse. Talk to Christine, will you? Ask her to let it go.”
“If she agrees, I’ll personally bring Kaiya over to apologize.”
Ashton hesitated.
“That’s not necessary. Christine never even mentioned it.”
Still, he didn’t return the necklace.
The moment Madeline heard Christine’s name, her temper exploded. She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Ashton.
He barely dodged. “Mom, what the hell?!”
Madeline’s voice was ice–cold. “I told you–as long as I’m alive, I will NEVER accept Christinel”
Give the necklace back to Abigail!”
“That bitch can’t touch anything that belongs to the Doltons!”
Ashton’s face darkened.
“Mom, Christine’s been through a lot. She-”
Madeline cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand. “I don’t care. As long as I’m breathing, it’s her or me! You decide.”
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