Chapter 164: Sickness

Priscilla could hardly believe Clark had the nerve to shout at her. In a fit of fury, she slapped him. “You ungrateful wretch! You dare defy me?” she screamed.

Clark’s eyes darkened, his rage boiling. But his self-restraint, ingrained and deeply rooted, prevented him from retaliating as he had when Isolde scolded Prudence. He could not lash out at his stepmother as he had with her. The slap and venomous words, however, would be seared into his memory.

Geoffrey, witnessing the slap, was horrified. His face paled, and he turned to Clark. “Clark, come to the study. I need to speak with you.”

Clark’s rage simmered, and with a clenched jaw, he nodded. “Yes, Father.”

Priscilla, watching him leave with Geoffrey, was overwhelmed by bitterness and sorrow. With a loud thud, she collapsed at Prudence’s feet, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mother, how can you stand by and watch Geoffrey trample on us? Even the son of a concubine is more capable than your own flesh and blood! How could you lose to a lowly concubine’s child?”

Prudence’s body stiffened. For a moment, she looked like an old woman, her face sagging, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and despair. In one glance, she seemed to age a decade. The hatred in her eyes surfaced, thick and poisonous. Concubines. She had spent her whole life fighting them—when young, she fought concubines; in middle age, their sons and daughters-in-law; and now, in her old age, she was crushed under the weight of a concubine’s bloodline. She had spent her life trying to stay on top, but now she was being pushed lower and lower, helpless. Even her obedient bastard son, her grandson, had turned against her. The fury in her eyes grew darker, colder.

“Get Xavier,” she ordered Priscilla, her voice icy. “And tell the shop to lower the prices. Sell it quickly.”

She slowly stood, her body heavy as if weighed down by the world. She could no longer stay in this house. This family had been completely overtaken by the bastard. As the legitimate matriarch, there was no place for her here.

The cold wind greeted her as she stepped outside, her body swaying, unsteady. Her vision blurred, and then everything went black. Prudence had collapsed, her illness striking like an avalanche. A series of doctors were called, but they couldn’t determine the cause of her sickness. All they could say was that her liver was congested, and there was a stagnation of blood and energy. It could be serious or not—no one could tell.

At first, Geoffrey thought it was just the result of her anger and stress. But after several days of her being unable to get out of bed, he became worried. A doctor, in a low voice, said, “Geoffrey, Prudence’s condition is not good.”

“How serious is it? What’s wrong with her?” Geoffrey asked, his heart sinking.

The doctor grimaced. “Her pulse is sluggish, her liver is failing to store blood, her complexion is yellow, and her body is swollen. It’s a liver disease. If this continues, she may not have much longer.”

Geoffrey was struck dumb. He stammered, “Are there any medicines that could help?”

The doctor shook his head. “I can prescribe some medicines to ease her pain, but I’m afraid they won’t do much. You should start preparing for her end. She doesn’t have long.”

“Please, doctor, do everything you can,” Geoffrey implored.

The doctor gave a solemn nod. “I will have the medicine delivered. Two doses a day. Let’s see if it can reduce the swelling. If not, there’s nothing more I can do.”

With that, the doctor left.

Geoffrey stood there, his heart heavy. Despite the tension between them over the years, he couldn’t deny that Prudence had been a significant figure in his life. As a young man, he had sensed her favoritism toward her own children, but that had been natural. A mother would always love her own more. But aside from that, she had always been a good stepmother. She had always done what was expected of her. Now, she was dying? The thought sank into Geoffrey’s heart like a stone.

He walked slowly to Blesertin, the family home, where Prudence lay bedridden, her body swollen and pale. Priscilla and Matilda were there, tending to her.

When Geoffrey entered, Prudence looked at him weakly, her voice hoarse. “What did the doctor say?”

Geoffrey approached her bedside and bowed. “Mother, the doctor says it’s just liver congestion. With proper care, you should recover in a few months.”

Prudence let out a long, heavy sigh, her face filled with exhaustion. “Don’t lie to me. I know my own body. I don’t have much time left.”

Priscilla, wiping away her tears, tried to console her. “Don’t say that. You have many years ahead of you. You’ll see Braden return, and you’ll see him build a future.”

“Braden…” Prudence murmured, her eyes distant. “If I could just see him one last time, I could die in peace.”

Priscilla broke down. “But he’s in prison, how can he come back? If you truly want to see him, maybe Geoffrey can talk to Tyler and get permission to let you see him for a moment?”

Prudence wept bitterly, her voice filled with regret. “When Pablo came, he promised to save Braden. But in the end, Braden’s fate was sealed by his own actions. He didn’t deserve Pablo’s mercy.”

Priscilla sobbed, “I’ll go to Isolde. Maybe she can help. She’s close to Pablo now, and he might listen to her. But Isolde despises me. She won’t help if I ask her directly.”

Prudence slowly lifted her head, tears streaming down her face. “I know I’ve been harsh these past few days, demanding and overbearing. I’ve angered Isolde. But if you remember all the good I’ve done for you, Geoffrey, please—please ask her for me. Ask her to speak to Pablo, at least to let Braden come and see me one last time. I just want to die in peace.”

Geoffrey was deeply moved by her plea. He had a better relationship with Isolde now than before, so perhaps he could ask her to help. “Don’t worry. I’ll go speak to her.”

Prudence nodded faintly. “You’re a high-ranking official now, so you don’t need to worry about staying here to look after me. Send Clark instead. I’ve wronged him too many times, and now I don’t have much time left. I hope he can be by my side.”

Geoffrey was momentarily stunned. Clark? But he had just entered the Parliamentary Library. Still, Geoffrey understood. Clark had grown up under Prudence’s care. Despite her bias, Prudence had genuine affection for him. And since Prudence didn’t have much time left, it wouldn’t matter if Clark returned to his post afterward.

“Alright, I’ll send for him.”

With that, Geoffrey left Blesertin and headed straight for the Pearl Tower. Since the moment Prudence fell ill, Isolde had been waiting for Geoffrey to come. She didn’t believe the rumors; she couldn’t believe that the once formidable “battling dog” had suddenly fallen so ill, and so severely. But whether Isolde believed it or not, others would.

As Geoffrey approached the Pearl Tower, Isolde sensed it. Prudence was gravely ill, and Geoffrey was too.

“Geoffrey,” Esme, Noelle, and Britney greeted him as he entered the courtyard.

Geoffrey’s face was ashen. He waved them away. “Esme, take the girls and leave. I need to speak to Isolde privately.”

Esme nodded. “Of course.”

She ushered Noelle and Britney out, closing the door behind them. As the door closed, Noelle whispered, “Geoffrey looks like he’s in pain… Could it be that Prudence is really dying?”

Esme glared at her. “Be quiet.”

Noelle immediately fell silent.