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Novel Catalog
Chapter 84: A Call From the Hospital
“Mom! Please stop saying that. This isn’t Ainsley’s fault. I saw Manuel at her house. The Gage family must have interfered,” Cason said, his voice heavy with discomfort.
Manuel? At Ainsley’s house?
Kaliyah, her expression shocked, froze. Did this mean Ainsley and Manuel were seeing each other?
Lindsay scoffed, “Perfect. The Gage family has stepped in to protect that little *** after all the harm Kaitlin’s been through. This is just too much!”
“I can’t get through to Ainsley now. She won’t listen to me at all,” Cason muttered, frustration mounting.
Kaliyah seized the moment, adding, “We’re definitely no match for the Gage family. It’s no wonder Ainsley despises us so much. Mr. Gage is a powerful figure.”
Cason caught on instantly to what Kaliyah was hinting at.
Lindsay eagerly chimed in, “Kaliyah’s right. Ainsley is so shallow. She took all that money and a house from us, and now she’s turned against us! If Manuel’s standing by her, I bet if she asks him to release Kaitlin, he’ll do it. Frankly, Ainsley probably wants Kaitlin behind bars. She wants us to suffer!”
Cason clenched his fists. “I’ll try again. Let’s see what we can do.”
After leaving Lindsay’s room, Kaliyah brought out a bowl of soup she had prepared, offering it to Cason. “Cason, you must be tired. Try this.”
The smell of the soup reminded Cason of the food Manuel had brought Ainsley. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his exhaustion evident. “You eat it. I’m not hungry.”
Before Kaliyah could respond, Cason turned and headed upstairs without a glance.
She stared at the soup in frustration, then slammed the bowl down with a resounding thud.
Meanwhile, in Ainsley’s apartment, she and Manuel were sitting together, eating.
“This soup is from Roman. Try it,” Manuel said, pouring it into a bowl.
Ainsley lifted her spoon, inhaling the delicate fragrance. “It smells amazing!”
“It’s rose swallow nest soup, a recipe Roman’s been perfecting. Pearl Hotel doesn’t even serve it yet.”
Ainsley took a sip. It was just as extraordinary as promised—sweet, yet light, with a subtle floral essence.
“It’s delicious. You should try it too,” she said, smiling.
Manuel nodded, lifting her spoon. He took a sip of the soup before she could protest.
Ainsley froze. “That’s mine…”
“Oops, didn’t realize,” Manuel said with a playful grin.
Ainsley opened her mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out. She silently put the bowl down, and Manuel returned the spoon to the bowl.
“Come on, drink it. Roman will be upset if he knows you didn’t,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
Ainsley reached for the spoon, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe she was letting Manuel use her spoon.
As she stirred the soup, trying to shake off the awkwardness, another spoon was placed in her hand, and a new bowl of soup was pushed in front of her.
“Here, drink this one,” Manuel said with a wink. “I’ll finish this.”
Ainsley couldn’t help but smile, feeling a little overwhelmed by his attentiveness.
Just then, Manuel’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his expression turning serious.
“The hospital,” he said. “Serina’s awake. She’s been crying.”
Ainsley’s eyes softened with concern. “Then go. She hasn’t eaten anything, bring the food to her.”
Manuel nodded and quickly grabbed the thermal container Ainsley handed him.
“Call me when you get there. I want to know how she’s doing.”
Manuel left in a hurry, casting a last, worried glance at Ainsley.
At the hospital, Manuel was greeted by Serina’s sobs before he even entered her room.
The nurse explained nervously, “Mr. Gage, we don’t know what happened. After you left, she was still sleeping. When she woke up, she started crying non-stop. Her voice is hoarse. She refuses to speak to anyone but keeps saying she’s afraid.”
Manuel’s heart tightened. “Let me see her.”
He walked into the room, and Serina stopped crying at the sight of him. Her face softened with relief, and she sniffled, wiping away her tears. “Manuel… you’re here?”
Her voice was trembling, filled with desperation. “Are you here to save me? Manuel!”
Manuel hesitated, the weight of her words settling in. He gently nodded. “Yes, I’m here to save you.”
Serina’s body trembled, and before he could react, she collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Manuel, where’s Ainsley? I want to see Ainsley.”
Manuel’s brow furrowed. “Serina, you need to rest. You’re in the hospital.”
“No!” Serina cried, her voice sharp with panic. “They’re all bad! They want to kill me! They want to kill us! Take me away!”
She clutched his hand tightly, her tears staining his shirt. “Manuel, please, take me away.”
He looked down at her, his heart aching. “Okay, I’ll take you away.”
“We need to find Ainsley. I want to see Ainsley,” Serina insisted, her eyes frantic.
Manuel nodded. “I’ll take you to her.”
Back at the apartment, Ainsley was still cleaning up the dishes, her mind wandering as she thought about the situation. It had been an hour since Manuel had left for the hospital, and she wanted to call to check on Serina. But she was afraid he wouldn’t be able to answer, so she held back, waiting anxiously for his call.
Then, she heard a knock at the door. She limped over and opened it to find Manuel standing there, supporting Serina.
“Serina? What are you doing here?” Ainsley asked, her voice filled with concern.
Serina’s face lit up when she saw Ainsley, and without hesitation, she rushed to hug her. “Ainsley!”
Manuel sighed and entered the room, closing the door behind him. “Serina was crying at the hospital. She wanted to see you.”
He helped Ainsley sit on the sofa, his eyes tired.
Serina stood nearby, scanning Ainsley with worried eyes. She seemed to be looking for signs of injury. Her own tears welled up again as she met Ainsley’s gaze. “Ainsley, Manuel came to save us.”
Ainsley was confused by Serina’s words, but she could see the concern in her eyes wasn’t fake.
Serina hugged Ainsley tightly, crying. “We’re saved.”
“Ainsley, what is she talking about?” Ainsley asked, her voice trembling with concern.
