Chapter 78: The Man You Love Most
“Is this for me?” Summer asked.
Fraser arched a refined brow, set aside the crab-cracking tool, and reached for a damp towel. With unhurried grace, he wiped his fingers clean. Then, extending his smooth, jade-like fingers, he gently brushed away a tiny speck of food at the corner of Summer’s lips. A trace of indulgence flickered in his deep, entrancing eyes as he gazed at her in silence.
“Summer, you need to get used to this. You’re my girlfriend, alright?”
Summer blinked, then used her fork to sample the crab meat. It was fresh, succulent, and subtly sweet. Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. It was Trevor’s sister, Bethany Larson. Bethany had been her classmate, and once upon a time, they were quite close. She had even played wingwoman, helping Summer pursue Trevor. But after Bethany left for her studies abroad, their contact dwindled.
The phone kept ringing. Summer’s gaze flickered subtly toward the man across from her. His dark, inscrutable eyes reflected the opulent glow of the chandelier, making it impossible to decipher his thoughts. She swiftly declined the call. Almost instantly, the phone rang again.
Fraser lounged against the couch, his long fingers tapping idly against his knee. His voice was casual, laced with amusement. “Not answering?”
Summer pressed her lips together, steeled herself, and picked up the call. A frantic female voice burst through the receiver. “Summer, Trevor is sick. Can you come see him?”
Bethany’s voice was loud. Seated right beside her, Fraser caught every word with ease. Summer lifted a hand instinctively, as if to block the sound, but it was a futile gesture. The grand, lavishly adorned living room was eerily silent, save for the two of them.
She lowered her voice. “Bethany, I don’t have time right now.”
Havenbrook. Finished.
She hadn’t expected to come back and immediately hear that Trevor had collapsed at work and been rushed to the hospital. Even more surprising was that he had forbidden the doctors from informing the Larson family. Aside from a handful of close friends, only Bethany knew. The doctor’s diagnosis was severe migraines and a perforated stomach ulcer, the consequences of relentless overwork and erratic eating habits.
Just then, a nurse exited the room after adjusting an IV drip. Bethany peered through the slight gap in the door. Inside, Trevor lay pale and motionless on the hospital bed. His long fingers clutched his abdomen, brows tightly knit in pain. Even in his weakened state, his sharp, chiseled features remained. But there was an unfamiliar vulnerability to him now.
Back then, even the slightest discomfort would have Summer fussing over him, treating him like a fragile treasure, tending to his every need with unwavering devotion. Yet now, as Bethany entered the hospital room earlier, she saw only Bobby and Caleb. Summer was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s Summer? Trevor, you’re in the hospital, why isn’t she here?”
Bobby let out a disdainful scoff. “Summer? She’s breaking up with Trevor.”
Bethany was incredulous. Summer had loved Trevor with a fervor that bordered on recklessness. She would have laid down her life for him. And Bethany had even been one of the people who brought them together.
“That’s impossible.”
Bobby exhaled sharply, his tone dripping with derision. “Why not? She’s secured her place in the Stewart family, hasn’t she? And who do you think she relied on to get there? Trevor’s fiancée status. But now? She’s all high and mighty, throwing tantrums at every turn, thinking she can control him.”
Trevor’s frown deepened. His breathing was labored as he rasped out, “Shut up.”
Bethany refused to believe them. That was why she had stepped out to make this call.
The air in the villa turned ice-cold. Fraser leaned back against the chair, lowering his gaze. A slow, knowing chuckle escaped his lips. The man she loves most? That woman must be delusional.
Summer cleared her throat, lifting her eyes cautiously. Fraser had barely moved, yet an inexplicable chill ran down her spine. Her grip tightened around the phone as she spoke with deliberate clarity. “Bethany, Trevor and I are over. He’s in the hospital, but the doctors will take care of him. That’s all. We’ll talk another time.”
Without hesitation, she ended the call. Any longer, and she was sure the very air around her would crystallize into ice. “Hello? Summer? Summer!” Bethany called into the receiver, but the line was already dead. Determined, she dialed again.