Ch. 291..300

Chapter 291 Meeting Old Mr. Benedict

Fortunately, Colton did not linger on this topic any longer than necessary. Otherwise, Nicole would’ve died from embarrassment.

The two walked side by side as he held onto Hayden and headed straight towards Benedict’s room.

The decorations in the spacious room were minimalistic, and an old man with gray hair was leaning against the head of the bed with his eyes slightly closed, seeming to be resting.

At the sound of the door, the old man woke up and looked toward them.

He first saw Colton, followed by Hayden. Right then, his expressionless face changed into a happy one.

“Is this your son?” Although Benedict’s words were heavy, they did not carry any ill intentions.

“Yes, his name is Hayden. He is my son,” Colton admitted directly.

Then, Benedict’s eyes darted back and forth from Hayden before he finally nodded with satisfaction.

“Indeed. He looked just like you when you were a kid.”

Nicole stood quietly aside and did not know what to do. However, by the looks of it, it seemed like Benedict seemed to like Hayden.

As Colton carried Hayden toward Benedict, Colton looked at Benedict and called out without any hesitation, “Great Grandpa!”

Hayden’s innocent looks, coupled with how sweet he was, managed to coax Benedict into a delightful mood. “Hello.”

Then, Colton carefully placed Hayden down on Benedict’s hospital bed. Benedict looked at the white and tender baby in front of him and reached out to caress his cheek.

As he nodded while he stroked Hayden’s cheeks, he suddenly exclaimed, “You brat! How can you not tell me that you have a child?!”

This made Colton smile warmly as he explained, “I’m telling you now, aren’t I? I will bring Hayden here more often to see you if you like.”

“Of course, I’d like that. This is my great-grandson! Look at him. He’s adorable!” Benedict praised Hayden.

Once he was done admiring Hayden, he looked up at Nicole. The old man had been involved in the business world for many decades, causing his glance toward Nicole to be rather probing.

But after a quick glance, he immediately withdrew his gaze and put on a calm and kind look. “You’re Nicole, right? I heard Anna mentioning it before.”

As soon as Benedict acknowledged Nicole, she immediately greeted, “Hello, Old Mr. Benedict.”

Benedict nodded and continued to look at her with a smile on his face.

“I’ve heard about you. You used to be the chief designer of F&M Apparel. Later, I heard that you’ve worked with Gardner Apparel and managed to achieve impeccable results. You seemed to be very capable.”

She quickly answered modestly when she heard his praise, “I’m just doing my job.”

Benedict was even more satisfied when he saw her humble appearance that lacked pretense.

“I’ve read quite a bit about you. You’re bold. I like that.”

Before he returned from abroad, he had read a lot about Nicole on the Internet. There were several rumors and slanders that she had resolved, one by one. Nevertheless, she was a strong-minded and capable woman. Such a woman was worthy of Colton!

Nicole was at a loss for words and managed to spit out a soft thank you before Olivia burst into the room.

As soon as she came in, her gaze fell onto Hayden, who was sitting on the head of the bed. Then, without saying a word, she headed straight for him and yanked his tiny arm, pulling him directly to the ground.

Fortunately, the bed was not high. Otherwise, Hayden would definitely be injured by the fall.

Nicole’s heart tightened as she watched her son getting pulled down. She quickly trotted over, picked him up, and asked nervously, “Hayden, are you okay?”

As soon as he saw her, his eyes blinked in disbelief then his mouth began to twitch before he started wailing.

His voice was loud as it echoed through the room.

Hayden’s cries were like stabs to Nicole’s heart. She held him in her arms as she began to examine him. “Hayden, did you get hurt?

Benedict was just enjoying a conversation and was suddenly interrupted by Olivia, which upset him. “What are you doing?!”

Chapter 292 She Doesn’t Like Me

Olivia looked at the sobbing Hayden, and her expression did not get better. Instead, she pointed at Nicole and said, “Dad, goodness knows where this b*stard came from, yet you’re allowing him to enter our house?! You’ve really been tricked!”

Benedict’s face became a little unpleasant after what he heard. He looked at her haughty and irrational appearance and retorted, “Olivia, since when did you become so arrogant and unreasonable? Is this what I’ve taught you to be?”

Hayden, who heard the anger in Benedict’s tone, stopped sobbing and sniffed, his eyes slightly red.

“G-Great Grandpa, you can’t put the blame on her. She doesn’t like me. That is why she treats me this way.”

Hayden’s pitiful yet sensible character pulled at people’s heartstrings.

Then, he took a deep breath and continued, “I know she looks down on me because I grew up without a father.”

After saying this, he leaned into Nicole’s arms and murmured, “Mommy, let’s go home. She doesn’t like me here.”

When Benedict noticed how rational Hayden was in comparison to Olivia, he was more than upset.

“What the hell are you doing?! We were chatting heartily before you came in and interrupted us!”

This turn of events was not what Olivia expected; she did not think that Benedict would speak on behalf of Nicole and her son. Hearing this, Olivia was even more upset, and she pointed to Nicole and Hayden, thereafter wailing, “They are not qualified to be a part of the Gardner Family at all!”

Benedict’s face sank when he heard this. He sat upright as his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and he stared straight at her.

Then, he raised his voice and said, “Olivia Gardner, you’d better shut up and leave!”

This riled her up even more when she saw how he was standing on Nicole’s side.

“Dad, don’t be deceived by them. This woman is cunning. She must covet the Gardners’ properties. That is why she’s here. Colton is still so young. There are many more women out there that are suitable for him. Why—”

Before Olivia could finish speaking, Benedict interrupted her by picking up a pillow from the bed and throwing it at her.

At this point, his face was red with anger. “You ungrateful child! Get out!”

Colton noticed Benedict’s angry appearance and hurried over.

“Grandpa, don’t be upset. The doctor mentioned that you shouldn’t be so riled up during this time.”

Benedict was almost out of breath because of Olivia, and Colton had to quickly help him calm down.

Then, Colton looked up at Olivia coldly and said, “Aunt, the doctor warned that we shouldn’t provoke Grandpa at this time. If you really care about him, please leave.”

Initially, Olivia had more to say but upon hearing a violent cough from Benedict, she was shocked. This made her purse her lips and left without saying what was on her mind.

After watching Olivia leave, Hayden walked toward the old man and said, “Great Grandpa, don’t be angry.”

In the face of Hayden’s comforting words, Benedict turned to look at the child, noticing that his face was still stained with tears and his eyes were a bit red from crying.

Although Hayden had been wronged, he still came to comfort Benedict. The way this child was acting was pulling at his heartstrings.

Benedict took a deep breath as he looked at Hayden and said softly, “I’m not angry. Hayden, you’re such a good boy. I will teach that aunt a lesson.”

However, Hayden shook his head and said, “Actually, I don’t blame her. It’s normal for her to dislike Mommy and I.”

As Hayden said this, his eyes were downcasted, and there were still tears hanging on his long eyelashes.

“If she doesn’t like you, then she can leave this place! Hmph!” Benedict was still enraged by what Olivia had said.

 

Chapter 293 Daddy

Colton picked up on Benedict’s temper and comforted him, “Grandpa, you don’t have to be so angry. You know that Aunt has a bad temper.”

Hearing this, Benedict almost spat out his drink as he snorted coldly. “Ever since her children left, she seems to have lost it!”

When he said this, a hint of pain flashed across his eyes. They were all his grandsons, after all. How could he not be sad?

However, after the death of her children, Olivia seemed to have changed drastically. She became more irritable and wasn’t the same person as she was before.

As they talked about this, it seemed like a cloud had loomed over the room.

After a long time, Benedict waved his hand and said, “Enough, let’s not talk about her anymore. Let’s talk about us instead.”

Then, he lowered his head and looked at Hayden’s flushed face. As he sighed, he asked, “Did it hurt when you fell earlier?”

Hayden shook his head sensibly and answered, “No, it doesn’t.”

This made Benedict pity his great-grandson even more. Even after sobbing like that, Hayden still said he wasn’t hurt.

“Well, I’m a little tired now. What about this? You come back another day to play with me, okay?”

Benedict leaned back slightly because the rage he felt earlier had made him a little uncomfortable. Coupled with his old age, it seemed to have drained him.

Nicole noticed his exhaustion and pulled Hayden away. They said goodbye before following Colton out.

As soon as they left the room, Colton turned to Nicole and Hayden and said, “Don’t take my aunt’s words to heart. She has changed a lot since…”

Although he did not finish his sentence, Nicole knew that he was talking about the death of Olivia’s children.

Nicole had always been the type who would not bother those that didn’t bother her. If Olivia had been respectful toward her, she wouldn’t have bothered, but because of the way Olivia had treated her son, Nicole couldn’t just brush it off.

“If Old Mr. Benedict wants to meet Hayden in the future, I think he should choose a day when Ms. Gardner is not around,” Nicole said.

Colton knew that it was their fault this time, so he did not say anything and smiled faintly. “Let me walk you out.”

Just as Nicole walked out with Hayden in her arms, Joanna walked right in. When she saw the three of them, she paused in her steps as her eyes darted back and forth between Hayden and Colton.

Then, something seemed to have clicked in her mind and color began to drain from her face. Her eyes widened as she looked at Nicole in disbelief.

Nicole smiled and greeted Joanna in a friendly manner, “Director Schmidt, what a coincidence.”

Seeing that Colton was nearby, Joanna couldn’t say much as she forced a smile and replied, “Yeah, what a coincidence. I am just going to visit Old Mr. Benedict.”

Hearing that, he looked over lightly and replied, “It’s okay. Grandpa is a little tired today and he has retired. You can come back another day.”

Joanna lowered her gaze when she heard this, thinking that it was Colton who did not want her there. This made her a little sad, but she still gritted her teeth and replied, “Well, I’ll come back another day, then.”

“Mommy, Daddy, who is this person?” Hayden suddenly asked.

There was no surprise on Colton’s face as he calmly explained, “She’s the company’s design director.”

This made Hayden frown as he lowered his head. Deep in thought, he paused for a while before saying, “Mommy is also a designer. Does this mean that this woman and Mommy are colleagues?”

“Yup,” Nicole answered. “It’s getting late. Let’s go home for dinner.”

“Okay. Bye, Daddy. Tell Grandma I said bye. I’ll come back again next time,” Hayden said politely.

The three of them looked like a lively family as Joanna stood on the sidelines with a thunderous look at this point.

Chapter 294 Old Mr. Benedict Is Critically Ill

As soon as Nicole stepped foot into her house, she received a call from Julia.

“Nicole, I’ve just received a call from the Gardner Residence saying that Old Mr. Benedict’s condition has deteriorated, and they are calling for someone to go over right now.”

Nicole was stunned to hear this; he was still alive and kicking when she brought Hayden over just now. How did his condition worsen so fast?

Surprise flashed through her eyes, but she remained calm. “I just left and he seemed fine. He is probably riled up by Olivia.”

Hearing this, Julia let out a sigh and said, “Oh—what a shame. Old Mr. Benedict is a good man.”

Nicole pursed her lips and did not want to discuss this anymore. Ever since she stopped practicing medicine, she didn’t want to hear about other people’s illnesses.

On the other end, Julia seemed to get the hint and did not continue. “I’m going over to visit Old Mr. Benedict first. If you’re free, drop by and have a look.”

After that, Nicole let out a soft hum and did not speak anymore.

After sitting at home for a while, the uneasiness in her heart couldn’t be contained, and she finally couldn’t help but drive to the Gardner Residence.

Although she was just there this morning, the whole place seemed completely different now. Servants and bodyguards were all rushing back and forth in a hurry. It seemed like Benedict was critically ill.

Just as Nicole was about to go inside, someone rushed out and bumped into her.

“Nicole? What are you doing here?” Julia looked up at her, surprised.

Hearing Julia’s loud voice, Nicole frowned slightly as she pulled Julia aside. After she waited until no one was around, Nicole asked in a low voice, “How’s Old Mr. Benedict?”

Although it was said that Benedict was provoked by Olivia, if it wasn’t for Nicole and Hayden, Olivia wouldn’t have said all that either. Hence, in the end, Nicole still felt responsible for this.

There was a serious look on Julia’s face as she glanced at Nicole and sighed again.

This scared Nicole. Her frown deepened and she asked worriedly, “It’s nothing serious, is it?”

When Julia saw how worried Nicole was, the former couldn’t hold it in any longer and laughed.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Old Mr. Benedict was angry with Olivia, and his blood pressure shot up. That’s all. Now that the doctor is here, he is fine now. It’s nothing serious.”

Nicole let out a sigh of relief when she heard that Benedict was fine. If something really did happen, she would feel responsible for him.

Although Julia tried to swallow back the words that she wanted to say, she finally couldn’t hold it in anymore as she reached out to tug Nicole’s sleeve, saying, “Nicole, Old Mr. Benedict’s current condition isn’t too good. If he doesn’t get his surgery, he may be gone in half a year.”

However, Nicole remained indifferent and calmly said, “The Gardners will find a good doctor for him. There’s nothing to worry about.”

As soon as Julia saw how Nicole reacted, she knew the answer in her heart—Nicole was not ready to take action.

That being said, Julia could also understand the reasoning behind that. White had died in such a vain way back then, and her last words were to let Nicole stop practicing medicine.

Julia had a wry smile on her face. Although Benedict’s disease was not severe, the tumor had grown on his cranial nerves. With the old man’s age, the risk of surgery was too high, and his poor recovery ability further increased the risk.

With the Gardners’ money and power, they had called in many world-renowned doctors to treat him. However, all the treatment plans provided were insurance and not cures.

If surgery were to be performed, there was a 10% success rate.

With such a high chance of dying, Benedict naturally refused to do it, saying that he hadn’t lived life to its fullest. How could he gamble with his life like that?

Julia glanced at Nicole before withdrawing her gaze and asked with a smile, “Nicole, do you want to see Old Mr. Benedict?”

Nicole nodded. After all, Benedict’s current condition had something to do with her. She couldn’t just brush it off.

 

Chapter 295 White Nicholson’s Apprentice

The once spacious and empty room was now filled with all sorts of equipment and instruments. As soon as Nicole entered the room, the strong and pungent smell of disinfectant shot up her nostrils.

This made her frown, as she was rather unaccustomed to this.

Benjamin, Anna, Wendy, Colton, and Olivia were all in the room.

When Olivia saw Nicole, her expression changed. She was just about to say something when Benjamin stopped her.

He signaled her with his eyes and after thinking about it, she held herself back.

The doctor had just come and explained that Benedict fell ill because he was provoked. At this critical moment, the elderly man would not even be able to stand a minute of anger.

Nicole pursed her lips and looked at Benedict, who was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, and asked softly, “How is Old Mr. Benedict now?”

Olivia immediately scrunched her face in dissatisfaction and answered sarcastically, “Why do you care about how he is? What, are you a doctor? Can you treat him?”

In the face of her sarcasm, Nicole endured it with a slight smile on her face. “No, I’m just concerned about him.”

Just as Olivia was about to retaliate, Benjamin stopped her as he turned to Nicole and said, “Old Mr. Benedict is fine now. The doctor said he should take a good rest.”

Hearing this, Nicole nodded. Since she had only meant to come and take a look, she had no intention to stay any longer after knowing that Benedict was okay.

“Since Old Mr. Benedict is fine, I won’t stay much longer. I’ll bring Hayden over once Old Mr. Benedict feels better.”

Nicole stepped backward as she spoke.

When Colton saw this, he strode over next to her and said, “I’ll see you off.”

She did not refuse and walked out with him side by side.

The air seemed lighter after they left the room. The pungent smell of disinfectant back there made Nicole feel a little out of breath.

As soon as she caught a whiff of that familiar smell, she immediately thought of her mentor.

“Do you not like the smell of disinfectant?” Colton seemed to have picked up on her cues.

This made Nicole pursed her lips again as she lowered her gaze, casually explaining, “My mother passed away on a hospital bed. That’s why I’m a little uncomfortable.”

Hearing this, he nodded understandingly and continued in a hoarse voice, “Grandpa is just angry because of what Aunt said. It’s nothing serious.”

“I see. I ran into Julia on my way in. I’ve asked her about it,” Nicole said.

“Julia Halls?” Colton was slightly puzzled. He probably didn’t think that she would know who Julia was.

However, Nicole nodded. “Yup.”

Colton had a faint smile on his face as he continued casually, “Grandpa’s time is running out, and there’s no one capable of going through with the operation. He probably has about half a year to live, at most.”

Hearing this, Nicole felt her heart skip a beat. She didn’t understand why Colton brought this up to her. After thinking about it, she said, “There are so many good doctors in the world. With the Gardners’ power, it shouldn’t be hard to find one.”

Upon hearing that, Colton only replied, “It’s not hard, but none of them dares to operate on the old man. After all, there is only a 10% chance of survival, and none of them want to offend the Gardner Family.”

Nicole did not speak as she quietly listened to Colton talk.

“Actually, there is someone that could help. If she would operate on Grandpa, there may be a glimmer of hope,” he continued.

This made Nicole’s eyes twitch involuntarily as she spat out the question without thinking, “Who?”

“White Nicholson’s apprentice,” he answered bluntly.

Then, he continued to explain, “White is a world-renowned surgeon. In her early years, she took in an apprentice and taught her apprentice everything she had learned throughout her life. Now that White is gone, Grandpa’s last hope rests on her apprentice.”

Chapter 296 Do You Like Him?

Nicole froze when she heard that, but she kept her composure with a smile. “White was slandered in his earlier years and died in vain. I’m sure his apprentice wouldn’t show up so easily. Instead of holding onto this hope, you might as well look for other skilled doctors out there.”

She was calm and firm when she spoke, as if she was talking about someone else.

Colton had no choice but to stop and sigh. “You’re right. It’ll be best if we manage to find White’s apprentice. But if we can’t, there is nothing else we can do.”

Then, he continued with a smile on his face, “I didn’t expect you to know so much about White.”

This took her by surprise and she stiffly explained, “Since Julia and I are friends, I’ve heard her bringing White up a few times.”

She did not want to continue the topic as she was afraid that she would accidentally reveal more than she wanted. “Since Old Mr. Benedict is fine, I’ll make a move. When he feels better, I’ll bring Hayden here again.”

Colton nodded slightly. “Okay. Now that Grandpa is ill, my mother probably wouldn’t have the time to deal with you and Hayden. You can relax for now.”

Nicole was a little dumbfounded by what he said, albeit he was right. Without Benedict, she would never be forced by Anna to reunite with the Gardners.

Although Anna meant no harm to both Nicole and Hayden, Nicole really did not want anything to do with the Gardner Family. She was so used to living a carefree life that she refused to be restricted by their family rules.

“Alright. Thank you, President Gardner.” After saying this, she turned around and left.

When Nicole returned home, Zachary was sitting on the sofa awaiting her.

He raised his head once he noticed that she was back and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.

In the past few days, she had frequented the Gardner Residence. Regardless of who she was there to meet, he still felt a sense of anxiety in him.

It seemed that she was being distant from him while getting closer to Colton.

“Nicole, you’re back. I heard from Hayden that Old Mr. Benedict is in a critical condition.” Zachary stood in front of her with a gentle face.

Nicole nodded in response. “Yeah, he doesn’t look too good. It is said that the tumor is pressed against his cranial nerve.”

He noticed the fatigue in her face and a hint of distress flashed across his eyes before he warmly said, “It’s not your fault. There’s nothing you can do about Old Mr. Benedict’s condition. Don’t stress yourself over it.”

She listened quietly to his consolation with a faint smile. There was something she could do, but she would rather not do it.

Back then, her mentor had died from a suspicious death. Coupled with the many years that she had not picked up a scalpel, her medical skills had long faded. It was unrealistic for her to immediately operate on someone now.

In addition to that, she had no intention of revealing her identity. Her identity as White’s apprentice would be a secret she would bring to the grave.

“Hmm, I’m not overthinking. Olivia does not want to see me and Hayden, and I wouldn’t send myself up their front door like that. However, Hayden is indeed Colton’s son. Since Old Mr. Benedict wanted to see his great-grandson, I have no reason to refuse.”

Zachary felt a little uncomfortable after hearing what Nicole said. He would rather Hayden be a son of a random tramp than to acknowledge him as Colton’s.

However, Zachary quickly concealed the sense of loss in his eyes and maintained a warm smile as he spoke, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Then, he paused slightly before he looked up at Nicole and asked in a serious tone, “Nicole, do you like Colton?”

She was taken aback by his question. After regaining her senses, she questioned strangely, “Zach, why are you suddenly asking this?”

Yet, he reached out to hug her without any response. The only difference with the hug was that it was not as enthusiastic as the last; he was just gently holding her in his arms.

 

Chapter 297 Marry Me

Following that, Zachary buried his head into Nicole’s shoulders as his voice trembled. “Nicole, I’m scared. When I tried to pursue you back then, I didn’t care about how you reacted because I knew that even if you rejected me, you wouldn’t have accepted anyone else. But now, things have changed. You and Colton share Hayden now… I…”

Nicole was a little amused hearing the trembling voice by her ear. She knew exactly what he wanted to say and lightly pushed him away before consoling in a serious tone, “Zach, I don’t like Colton. Even if the Gardners acknowledge Hayden as a part of their family, I won’t move in with them.”

As soon as he heard this, his tense face had finally eased a little.

His eyes were slowly taken over by seriousness and his fear dissipated as he bluntly proposed. “Nicole, will you marry me?”

Taken aback by his sudden proposal, she looked at the man before her with a confused and strange look.

However, Zachary continued to grasp both of her hands and urged, “Nicole, I didn’t feel any sense of urgency before this, thinking that I could take my time with you. But now, I’m worried that if I don’t hold onto you, I might lose you.”

Nicole watched the panic grow across his face as her throat tightened. He’s afraid that I might end up with Colton…

After a slight change of expression, she gently answered, “Zach, I won’t fall for Colton and the Gardners would never accept me either.”

She took the time and paused to look at Zachary whom she understood had sacrificed a lot for her.

As if her words were earth-shattering, he lifted his head in disbelief, and his lips began to waver after a long while.

Maybe it was because this was the first time that he had gotten a response out of her.

Almost immediately, Zachary pulled her into a hug with a joyous face. “Nicole, that’s great. I-I don’t even know what to say.”

Nicole looked at the delighted man before her and reached out to hug him while gently patting his back, as if she was comforting a child.

“Zach, you don’t have to give anything up for me. You can do whatever you like, be it F&M Apparel or your family’s business.”

He grinned as he took a few steps back and nodded. “I understand. I need to be strong before I can protect you.”

Nicole was speechless as she was taken aback by his interpretation. However, she brushed it off seeing there was nothing wrong to believe so.

Zachary’s goal was clear; with the circumstances he was in now, it would be difficult to even fend for her at all. Just like what had happened with F&M Apparel, he failed to do anything once his father pressured him.

What he had to do now was to build a name for himself so that he could be powerful. Once he reached the top, no one could walk over him and he would be able to live a carefree life with her.

Still, his father was against his relationship with Nicole. Even if Nicole agreed to marry Zachary, he had no real way of bringing her into the family. At this stage, the most important thing was to win over his father.

It was this very moment that everything became clear to him.

He looked at Nicole as he studied her face intently. He was going to seize this opportunity to firmly hold her in his hands!

“Nicole, give me some time and I will make sure to give you the marriage you deserve,” he assured.

Her eyes flickered upon his promise as she failed to find the words in response to his fervent love. To be honest, if she was to find anyone to spend her life with, her first choice would definitely be Zachary.

There was no doubt that she had a good impression and feelings toward him. However, she had never thought of marrying him.

In other words, she had no intention of marrying any men at all!

 

Chapter 298 Your Mother

Benedict’s condition had gradually improved, but the stubborn old man refused to ever see Olivia as her presence provoked him.

She had no choice but to remain silent and humor him, seeing as he was still ill after all.

However, this had made her despise Nicole even more.

Once his condition had stabilized, he asked for Colton to bring Nicole over to fulfill his wish to see her.

When she heard of Benedict’s request from Colton, she was rather surprised. Benedict wants to see me and not Hayden?

Thinking about how Benedict might not have much time left, she agreed to visit him out of respect for the elderly.

Thanks to him, the number of people in the Gardner Residence had increased. Many doctors were cordially invited to live in the house in case of emergencies.

Naturally, Anna’s nephew, Richard, was there as well. The smitten Julia knew that he was staying over and had decided to stick around as well.

Subsequently, Colton was already waiting at the door when Nicole arrived at the Gardner Residence. As soon as he saw her, he immediately raised his hand to greet her.

“Grandpa said he wanted to see you as soon as he woke up. He said he has something to tell you, which was why I called. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

His tone was gentle and it eased the tension between the two of them.

She nodded and replied, “You didn’t. It’s the weekend and I have nothing to do. What does Old Mr. Benedict want to tell me?”

He shook his head and answered with a slight smirk, “No idea. He just told me to bring you over. I’ve asked him about it, but he wouldn’t tell me.”

At that moment, Nicole could picture the stubborn old man in her head that made her smile softly. “Okay, I guess I’ll have to go in and ask for myself.”

After that, Colton brought her to Benedict’s room. However, Benedict was no longer on the bed. Instead, he was sitting on the couch with a pair of reading glasses while fixating on the phone in his hand.

When he heard the sound of the door, he looked up and immediately stood up upon Nicole’s arrival.

The flattered woman hurried forward and said to him, “Old Mr. Benedict, please, sit.”

He shook his hand and took a few steps forward. Although he was very ill, he looked very strong at this time.

As he walked toward her with squinted eyes, his gaze darted back and forth before nodding in satisfaction.

“I have something to tell you. Colton, leave us be.” Benedict’s words were mysterious yet with a hint of seriousness.

This made Colton hesitate.

As soon as Benedict sensed Colton’s hesitation, he suddenly became unsatisfied and turned to glare at Colton as he was starting to get irritated.

“What’s the matter? Are you afraid that an old man like me would hurt her?”

Colton defended himself immediately without hesitation. “No, Grandpa, of course not. If that’s what you want, I’ll wait outside. Call me if you need anything.”

Once Benedict saw that Colton had left, his expression eased.

He looked at Nicole for a long while before turning around and returning to his couch. “Sit down, child.”

She did not reject it as she slowly followed him to the couch and sat down quietly.

After that, he picked up the teapot in front of him and began to pour her a cup of tea. However, she quickly stepped in and poured it for him as she looked at him attentively.

Benedict took a sip of the tea and began to ask, “Your name is Nicole Anderson, right?”

She nodded in response. “Yes. Is there something wrong, Old Mr. Benedict?”

Immediately, he sighed as he nodded. “I knew it. I was wondering why you looked so familiar when I first saw you. It turns out it really is you. Your mother is Madeline Houston, am I right?”

Needless to say, the stunned Nicole did not expect to hear her mother’s name from his lips.

Chapter 299 Reunion

Benedict noticed the stunned look on Nicole’s face and the smile on his face grew.

“You were still young back then. Although you weren’t in your twenties yet, you were a decent young lady.”

As she stared at him, old memories seemed to gradually unfold in her mind.

Back when her mother was ill, Nicole used to go on strolls with her. That was when she bumped into an eccentric yet generous old man.

The old man talked a lot and would often stop to chat with Nicole and her mother. As time passed, she slowly began to befriend the old man. However, he disappeared one day. When Nicole asked the doctors in the hospital, they told her that his family had picked him up and that they could not disclose his address.

“Y-You’re the old man from the hospital?!” Nicole asked with uncertainty.

Although the old man back in the hospital was very talkative, he had black hair and looked high in spirits.

Yet, here Benedict was with a head full of gray and a wrinkly face. He could barely stand on his own and looked much older than the man she had met.

In the face of Nicole’s astonishment, he sighed slightly.

“Yeah. Back when I checked into the hospital, everything was fine. Suddenly, the doctor said that they’d detected a brain tumor. My son was worried and immediately transferred me to another hospital.”

So, this is why he left without saying goodbye.

At that time, Nicole was still young at about the age of twenty or so. While prioritizing her studies, she had to take care of her mother as well. She really cherished the old man’s presence because he was someone whom she could express her feelings to.

However, she never asked for his name. She would just politely greet him each time they met. She never thought that the old man would turn out to be Old Mr. Benedict of the Gardner Family.

“Back then, when you left without saying goodbye, my mother was making a fuss about you. She complained that you didn’t keep your word,” Nicole said with a smile.

At that time, he would often complain about how unfilial his children were and how they were too occupied to even visit him. He even insisted on Nicole’s mother becoming his goddaughter, saying that they could look after each other at the hospital.

Back then, Madeline was helpless.

“I’ve sent someone to look for you after that, but there was no news. After so many years, I thought you would just be a passing memory. I did not expect to see you again,” Benedict lamented.

The feeling of nostalgia was strong now that he was much older because reminiscing about the past would bring up a lot of memories.

Nicole lowered her gaze while her hands on the table tightened its grip.

Within a few months after Benedict’s departure, her mother’s condition had suddenly deteriorated. That was when Nicole turned to prostitution for money.

She thought that she could laugh it off by now, but every time she was reminded of it, she felt a sense of weight in her heart.

“Well, not long after you left, my mother passed away after severely falling under the weather. So, I left the country,” she said as she felt her throat constricted.

Benedict expressed his surprise in full disbelief. “No way! Madeline’s condition was fine back then. We both looked at it and the cancer was in the early stages. It wasn’t anything severe!”

Words failed Nicole at this point of the conversation. Back then, she was not prepped with any medical knowledge, so she could only trust what the doctor said.

As he noticed how her expression had dropped, he immediately changed the topic. “Forget it, child. It’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

She let out a soft hum in response. Perhaps it was because she knew that Benedict was the old man in the hospital that she suddenly had a sense of familiarity toward him.

“Now that we’ve met again, I guess you can say that it is fate. You’ve also given birth to my great-grandson, which has strengthened our fate even more. It seems like we just keep crossing each other’s paths.”

This time, when Benedict looked at Nicole, there was a little more affection in his eyes.

 

Chapter 300 Another Granddaughter

With the sudden surge of emotions, Nicole felt a little sour in her nose.

She seemed to have become a lot more sentimental lately.

“What happened between your grandson and I was an accident. Although Hayden is President Gardner’s son, nothing is going on between us.”

She felt the need to explain herself to Benedict before he had any presumptions of her.

However, he was not surprised by what she said.

“I’ve already heard about these from Colton, but we still owe you. If there’s anything you need, tell me and I’ll make sure to fulfill it.”

Nicole shook her head as she laced her fingers together while looking rather nervous.

“I have no request, Old Mr. Benedict. I am capable of supporting myself now.”

When Benedict heard the way she addressed him, he became a little dissatisfied and expressed with a frown, “Call me Grandpa. Why are you being so distant?”

However, the words were stuck in her throat.

Immediately, he knew what her concern was and said with a smile, “If the tumor hadn’t been detected back then and I continued to stay in the hospital, your mother would’ve been my goddaughter, and that would make you my god-granddaughter as well! This has nothing to do with Colton at all.”

Benedict was right; back when Nicole visited her mother, Madeline would often mention how this old man wanted to take her as his goddaughter.

Madeline would always tell Nicole how this old man must be very lonely to think that. If being his goddaughter would make him happy, Madeline was delighted to do so.

However, it was a pity that he had left before his mother agreed.

“Grandpa,” Nicole called out softly.

It had been years since she had experienced any care from her elders.

As Benedict was also a cheerful person, he immediately burst into joy and laughter when he heard her call him ‘Grandpa.’

“Although I only have half a year left, it feels good to have another granddaughter. Now, I’ll be able to die in peace.”

Seeing how he was smiling before her, her heart suddenly became uncomfortable and she felt like she was out of breath.

Nicole lowered her gaze and cleared her mind before she looked up and presented a smile.

“Grandpa, back in the hospital, didn’t you say there was nothing serious about your condition? How did you become like this just after a few years?”

Back then, every time Benedict visited the doctor, he would often come over and update her. Thus, she was also aware of his previous condition.

When he heard her question, he let out a soft sigh as he shook his head. “It was indeed benign before this. However, the tumor began to grow on my cranial nerves. Even if it is benign, it isn’t easy to perform a surgery. At that time, the doctor’s advice was to be on medication in the hopes to prolong my life.”

A memory seeped into his mind as he let out another sigh. “Everything was going well until two years ago. I fell seriously ill after being swept by depression. So, here we are today.”

Two years ago… Nicole pondered for a while and assumed that it was probably related to the death of Olivia’s children.

After all, his two grandchildren died one after the other.

No wonder this happened…

“But at this age, I’ll take however long I’m given. Tell me, what if I was to get on the cold operating table and never wake up?”

Benedict’s words were as heavy as his tone.

Nicole’s lips trembled after hearing his words. Then, she pursed her lips and asked with a hint of doubt, “Since it was a benign tumor back then, why didn’t you just undergo surgery? You would’ve been safe under White’s medical skills back then.”

At the mention of White’s name, Benedict could not help but laugh. “I did look for Doctor White back then. He said that there was an eighty percent chance of success rate. Although it was very high, other doctors told me that it could be treated with drugs. Because of that, I thought it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t go through with the surgery.”