Chapter 176

Natalie didn’t hold back any longer. With a bright smile, she replied, “Alright, I’ll call you Maurice then.”

“That sounds nice, but one day, I want you to call me something even more special,” Maurice said, a gentle smile spreading across his face as his gaze lingered on her stunning features.

Natalie felt a flicker in her eyes. The question had crossed her mind multiple times, but she decided that calling him Maurice was just fine.

“Natalie, let’s go. I’ve made reservations for us, so the timing is perfect,” Maurice said as he stepped forward. He gracefully opened the car door, inviting her inside.

Meanwhile, Luna had been assigned to another car, leaving only Natalie and Maurice in the front together.

As the car pulled away, Easton sat in a nearby vehicle, a dark cloud hanging over him. He watched Natalie and Maurice leave, her cheerful laughter echoing in his mind. She had never smiled at him like that.

During the six months when he couldn’t move, she had always encouraged him with that bright smile. But back then, he hadn’t noticed how lively and radiant she could be.

His hand tightened on his knee, the memory of her laughter gnawing at him long after Maurice’s car disappeared from view.

In the car, Xavier felt the atmosphere was heavy, so intense that he didn’t dare to break the silence.

Finally, after a long pause, he asked, “Mr. Garcia, are we going home?”

That pulled Easton back to reality, his voice rough as he replied, “Follow them.”

“Oh…” Xavier hesitated. He thought, “Shouldn’t we just go home and let this play out? It’s bedtime for beauty sleep, after all. Even guys need their rest to stay young.”

Easton frowned, his voice still gravelly, “I said follow them.”

Xavier mumbled under his breath, “You know, when Ms. Shawn was home, you refused to come back for dinner every night. Now you’re chasing after her?”

Just then, Easton’s expression soured even more. He leaned back, his lips pressed tight, a storm brewing within him as frustration threatened to boil over.

At the hospital, Nick had just woken up, staring blankly around, bewildered.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Jennifer sat beside him, her worry evident in her voice.

Because of her oversight, Wendy hadn’t been affected. This morning, she’d learned that Wendy had refused to take her father’s tonics because they tasted terrible, leading to her plans falling apart.

Hearing his daughter’s words, Nick turned to face Jennifer. “Who are you?” he asked, bewildered.

Jennifer’s heart dropped. “Dad, what’s going on? You don’t even recognize me?”

His gaze darted outside the window. “Who am I? Why can’t I remember anything?” he wondered.

In a rush, Jennifer pulled out her phone to call Wendy, but then the phone rang from the doorway. She spun around to see Wendy walking in.

“Mom, what happened to Dad? Why doesn’t he know who I am?” Panic gripped her; this was not a time for such things to happen.

Wendy’s face mirrored her confusion as she looked at Nick, wondering if he truly didn’t recognize them or was just pretending. She thought, “Is the medication affecting him? No, I need to be extra careful now!”

Wendy looked at Nick with a heart full of worry. “When your dad passed out, he hit his head on the coffee table. We should have the hospital do a full check-up on him.”

Jennifer was anxious. “Mom, let’s get him checked out now. He doesn’t even recognize me.”

“Okay. Your grandparents heard about your dad’s condition, and they’ve come to stay with us. You should go take care of them while I make arrangements for a care worker to help your dad,” Wendy said.

Jennifer paused, surprised. She wondered, “Why are those two old folks coming here? They’ve been so picky their whole lives! If it weren’t for the trouble they caused Wendy, I wouldn’t even acknowledge them."

“Mom, you know I can’t handle them,” Jennifer said, frustration bubbling up.

Work was piling up for her, especially with a project of Lucy’s that had hit a snag. Even though it was signed, production was stuck. Plus, she was about to start filming again in just a few days.

Wendy’s eyes darted. “What are we going to do? You know how hard your grandparents can be. If they’re left alone, they’ll throw a fit—you know how they are.”

“Mom, we have a housekeeper. Don’t worry about it. Just take care of Dad, okay?” Jennifer stood up and headed for the door.

It was late, and Easton hadn’t even called. It felt like he was slipping away from her. She needed to make him see how much he mattered to her.

Watching Jennifer leave, Wendy shook her head slightly. She had been too blinded to see through Jennifer’s careless tricks before.

Sometimes, no matter how long one had known someone, they just couldn’t see the latter’s true self. She had lived with Nick for over twenty years and still hadn’t figured him out completely.

Wendy urged Nick to lie back down, and he complied. A flicker of bitterness crossed her eyes as she spoke. “Nick, your parents are here. You didn’t send them living expenses last month, and now look—there’s chaos in the house.

“You better get better soon. You were always the most filial son, right? If this keeps up, you’ll need to sell your company to take care of them.”

“No way,” Nick shot back, sitting upright suddenly. His expression shifted, revealing unease. While it seemed to Wendy like the business wasn’t thriving, he knew the truth—everything was being given to his other son and his mistress.

“Is it possible that Wendy is scheming against me? Does she know something I don’t?” he wondered.

Wendy could see that Nick was putting on an act. It looked like he was starting to have doubts about her too.

She said, “Nick, how could you be so shameless? You don’t even recognize your own daughter, but you remember your company just fine. Are you seriously sick, or are you pretending?

“If you’re fine, then you should go take care of your parents. I’ve done that for over 20 years, and I’m exhausted. At my age, I shouldn’t be running around doing what your mom demands.

“You’re my husband and the dad of my children. If you cared about me, you wouldn’t let your mom boss me around like that.

"The company is barely getting by. If it keeps going downhill, I honestly don’t know what we’ll do, and don’t even get me started on your lazy sons,”

She added. “You got your own business to run thanks to my family, but you’ve made it a total mess.

“I’ve dedicated my whole life to keeping this family afloat. And yet your mother says I’m ungrateful for cutting her off. If it weren’t for me, would you all even have a decent life!”

“Honestly, I’m so tired. I can’t do this anymore. You’ll need to manage things on your own." With that, Wendy stormed off, anger radiating from her.

Nick watched her go, contemplating her words. She seems to be right. I’ve really put everything on her shoulders all these years. But respecting my parents is just an obligation, isn’t it?’ he thought to himself.

Nick glanced at his private part, feeling a deep sense of regret. The doctor had warned him about his medication, saying he couldn’t afford to act the way he used to. He felt kind of lost.

“But what just happened to me? I didn’t recognize Jennifer for a moment. Am I really sick?” he wondered. His memory was fading, and he kept seeing things that weren’t there.

He slapped his face hard, the sting snapping him back to reality. “No, this isn’t a dream. But why am I having these hallucinations?” he thought, confused.