Chapter 9
1096 Words
Ellie’s P.O.V.
My mind barely rested after the message I sent to Maria. The possibility alone had left a bitter weight in my chest.
And now, standing before the tall window watching the ambulance arrive…
I had no energy left to untangle Jared and Alice’s secrets.
Although Zack told me about his dad, I couldn’t trust him at all.
But the moment that ambulance pulled through the mansion’s gate, it occurred to me.
He wasn’t lying!
That infuriating, arrogant man… had actually told the truth.
I stood at the window, watching the staff moving quickly around, unloading equipment and stuff.
My fingers curled around the grill.
So, that was it.
The man whose name I had signed beside.
The man I married without seeing.
The man who had turned my life upside down in a single night.
My husband…
It was time to meet him…
A strange unease twisted inside me, making my heart heavy. Taking a steady breath, I walked out of the room to face my real life.
The mansion felt different now, alive.
Servants moved through the hallways, carrying medical supplies. That suffocating stillness from before had been replaced with controlled urgency.
As I reached the first floor, I spotted Zack. He stood near one of the rooms, speaking to Mr. Charles in a low, serious tone.
My steps faltered. Instinctively, I stepped back and slipped behind a nearby pillar, placing a hand on my chest.
Gosh!
Why was my heart racing?
Annoyance flickered through me.
“Get a grip, Ellie. Your husband is here now.”
I tried to remind myself that Zackary was my husband, the most important person in my life. And Zack was just... his son.
I shouldn’t pay attention to him.
However, despite all the reasoning, I couldn’t gather the courage to face him and waited, hiding behind the pillar.
Seconds stretched into minutes, servants moving in and out of the room until the noise faded, the hallway gradually feeling silent again.
When I peeked out again, the door was closed. Zack was gone, not a single person in sight. Relief slipped out of me in a quiet sigh.
Good.
Looking around, I reached the room cautiously, each step feeling heavier than the last.
My hand reached for the handle, hesitating for just a moment before I turned it and pushed the door open.
The faint scent of antiseptics had filled the air.
My gaze landed on the bed and stilled. A frail, elderly man lay there, his body thin under the sheets. His face was lined with deep wrinkles, an oxygen mask covering his mouth as machines beeped softly around him.
For a moment, I couldn’t move….
This… this was my husband?
Even that thought felt unreal!
Suppressing the unease in my chest, I stepped closer, my voice soft.
“Mr. Walton?”
His eyes opened slowly—gray, dull, tired, but aware.
It crossed my mind.
‘Unlike his dad, Zack has amber eyes. He must have inherited them from his mother.’
Mr. Walton’s gaze rested on mine, studying. His raspy voice disrupted my thought process.
“You… must be Ellie.”
Gosh… why was I still thinking about Zack?
I composed myself and nodded.
“Yes.”
My throat tightened before I added quietly. “I am your wife.”
He tried to lift his hand, but it dropped midway. Without thinking, I stepped forward and took his hand, his skin cold and fragile.
“Call… the nurse… I need…” His voice trailed off.
I nodded swiftly. “Of course.”
Turning, I took a step toward the door when a faint stench lingering in the air caught my attention.
It didn’t take me long to understand.
My gaze flicked back to the bed, and a wave of discomfort passed through me, followed by something familiar.
Mr. Walton’s condition reminded me of my grandma, lying weak and helpless, relying on me for everything. After my mom’s death, she raised me alone, so when she was bedridden for one year, I took care of her.
My heart softened. I looked outside for the helper, but there was no one, the corridor empty.
And Mr. Walton, he closed his eyes shut, humiliation evident on his face. I could feel his helplessness, the feeling worse than dying.
My fingers curled slightly.
“Alright,” I murmured and quickly opened the cabinet, pulling out clean sheets, wipes, fresh trousers, and gloves.
“I am sorry,” I said softly as I turned back to him. “There’s no here right now. I will help you.”
I slipped on the gloves and moved to his lower region, carefully lifting the sheets. The room remained quiet except for the sound of rushing fabric.
Then…
“You are really ambitious, Mrs. Walton.”
The voice cut through the room like a blade.
I froze.
Zack stood at the door, one hand resting against the frame, his expression unreadable.
But his eyes…
They were cold. A single glance sent chills down my spine.
Before I could react, he strode forward. In two long steps, he reached the bed and snatched the sheet from my hands, pulling it back over his father’s body.
“What are you doing?”
I blinked, caught off guard. “I was helping him.”
“Helping him change clothes?” He let out a cold laugh. “Or trying to secure yourself an heir?”
The words hit like a slap.
For a second, I couldn’t even process them.
“What?”
Zack turned fully toward me, his eyes hard.
“Keep this in your mind, Ellie,” he said coldly. “Even if you get pregnant, I won’t let you divide my inheritance into half.”
Shock surged through me, quickly replaced by anger.
“What kind of nonsense is this? He is sick!”
“And you are young,” Zack spoke icily. “Convenient combination, isn’t it?”
Something inside me snapped.
“Mind your language, Zack.” I shot back, my voice shaking with fury. “Your father is lying here helpless, and all you can think about is money? What kind of son are you?”
For a split second, something dark flickered in his eyes. He replied coldly.
“The kind who protects what belongs to him.”
Then he pointed toward the door.
“Leave.”
The word was final.
He stepped between me and the bed completely, cutting me off from his father.
“No need to pretend you have married him for anything other than money.”
- Writer
