Suri was utterly shocked, her hand numb and suspended in mid-air.
That slap, unreserved, landed solidly on Cassius' face.
With tears welling in his eyes, Chasel gazed at the man who had stepped in to shield him, feeling his heart pounding so fiercely it threatened to burst out of his chest.
"Cassius!"
"Suri, please don't hit Chasel. It's not his fault; it's all mine."
The air in the hallway seemed to freeze at that moment.
Facing the overwhelming pressure, Cassius' composure only made the situation more heart-wrenching. "For me, for the Ashbourne family, he's taken too many blows already. From now on, I don't want him to suffer even a bit more. I'll do everything I can to protect him."
Everyone was astounded!
Chasel hung his head low, moved yet filled with a deeper, more painful sense of guilt and self-reproach.
From a young age, his grandfather and aunt told him that he was the future hope of the Bright family, that he should be a man who stands tall and upright.
But the truth was, he who was supposed to stand tall and upright had instead only brought trouble to his loved one, causing him endless problems.
What kind of man was he?
"Cassius, you said Chasel took a beating? What do you mean?!" Evadne's heart tightened sharply.
"Chasel has been in a bad state since he ran away from the Bright family."
Cassius, recalling the cruel, swollen scars on Chasel's fair skin, he clenched his trembling fists, "Hearing of father's illness, he didn't want to delay a second and came over despite his condition, to treat father."
Suri's gaze suddenly sharpened with concern, "The Bright family used family discipline on him?!"
"Cassius, stop talking."
Chasel tugged at the hem of his shirt, shaking his head with a voice so faint it was nearly inaudible, "Stop, it's all in the past. You don't need to explain anything for me."
It seemed to be true.
Suri shivered and staggered backward.
Having come from the Bright family herself, she knew all too well the fearsome nature of the Bright family's discipline.
And now, with their secret relationship exposed, the Bright family might very well beat him to death!
Suddenly, the door to the examination room swung open.
Emeric, seated in a wheelchair, was pushed out by Mr. Dylan, facing the stunned crowd.
His face was still weak from the recent medical emergency, but he sat upright determinedly, refusing to let his children see him in a state of decline.
"Dad!" The Ashbourne siblings were torn between concern and fear.
With their father's appearance, it was clear he knew everything about Cassius and Dr. Bright.
They feared their father's wrath and disappointment toward their brother.
But what they feared more was that this might aggravate their father's illness, his body really couldn't endure any more blows!
"Dad."
Cassius instinctively tightened his grip on Chasel's arm, pulling him behind for protection.
This gesture struck Evadne profoundly!
There was no difference.
It was the same love Thaddeus had given her, with no difference.
So what if they were gay?
Did they steal someone's food? Kidnap someone's child?Even if slandered by a thousand tongues, watched by a thousand judging eyes, what did it matter?
When the whole world turned against them, the Ashbourne family would always be their safe harbor. That was enough.
Chasel stood rigidly behind Cassius, not daring to look at Emeric.
Tall and graceful as he was, he now seemed to have lost his backbone, curling inward and shrinking down, wishing he could bury his head in the ground and disappear completely.
Emeric lifted his face, his gaze piercing through Cassius and onto Chasel.
After a long silence, he spoke softly, "Cassius, let's have a word, just the two of us."
In the hospital room, only Emeric and Cassius remained.
Emeric, facing the window, took his time before speaking.
Cassius braced for the onslaught of questions, anger, and reprimands he had imagined, but they did not come like a storm.
But this silence was even more unbearable.
"Dad, everything you've seen is true. I am sorry."
Cassius couldn't hold back anymore, bowing deeply to his father, "I've let down the upbringing and expectations you had for me. Everything is my fault. I only ask one thing of you, don't make things difficult for Chasel."
Emeric remained silent.
Cassius slowly straightened up, "This incident, I know, has caused a great deal of trouble for the K Group. Tomorrow, I will submit my resignation, hand over my duties, and step down from the board."
Emeric, upon hearing this, abruptly rose from his wheelchair, his body swaying as he steadied himself against the windowsill.
"Dad, be careful!"
Just as Cassius moved to assist him, Emeric turned around, looking at him furiously.
"Just because of this, you're quitting?"
Cassius was taken aback.
"Internationally, there are countless CEOs who have come out publicly, and they're still faring well. The domestic environment is a bit more conservative, but this is just a personal affair; who does it bother? Who does it harm? "
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus)
Please upload further chapters...
Please upload further chapters...
Where is the continuation of this story? You should not have started writing a story if you dont intend to continue till the end you left us hanging, thats very unprofessional as a writer....
Next chapter please.....
1 chapter per day??...
Hurry up and load more better yet just load the whole book...