Chapter 302
“Patrick, the situation with Selina is far more complicated than you think. It’s not something I can explain over the phone. We’ll talk about it when you get back. When are you planning to return?” Frederick asked.
“If it’s not urgent, I’ll finish up the project here in Frehar and come back right away. Most importantly, how are Mom and Dad?” Patrick was concerned.
“They’re fine, with all of us here looking after them. Don’t worry about them, Patrick. Just focus on your work for now,” said Frederick reassuringly.
“All right. As for Ashley… if Mom and Dad can’t deal with her, I will. How is she now?” Patrick’s voice turned cold, laced with lethal intent. Anyone who threatened the Harvey family, even if that person were his sister, wouldn’t be spared. The honor of the Harvey family came above all else, Ashley had to be severely punished to prevent future problems.
*Ashley is still unconscious. I have to say, her timing is impeccable. She leaves us to clean up her mess while she enjoys peace. I’m starting to suspect that she harmed herself just to escape reality, just like Joseph said.” Frederick’s words were filled with bitterness. The thought of Quinton and Sara’s situation fueled his hatred toward Ashley.
“Whether it’s to escape or not, when she wakes up, she must face the consequences. Until I return, I’ll leave everything at home to you guys,” Patrick
said.
‘I’ll take care of it, Patrick,” Frederick answered.
Days passed in the blink of an eye. The scandal surrounding Harvey Group, which had been a trending topic, was slowly overshadowed by new headlines. Naturally, Harvey Group had spent a fortune suppressing the news and diverting attention. Despite this, many gossipers were still eagerly discussing it both online and offline. Consequently, Harvey Group’s stock price took a significant hit, and several major deals were delayed due to the scandal, resulting in huge losses.
Meanwhile, while preparing to handle the shareholders‘ meeting and dealing with the fallout, Quinton rushed home to personally take care of Sara. “Come on, Honey. Time to eat.” Quinton gently blew on a spoonful of oatmeal before feeding it to Sara.
Sara looked at Quinton with guilt. “Darling, you don’t have to take care of me. The kids can do it.”
“You’re being silly. You’re my wife. Who else would take care of you if not me?” Quinton chided softly. “Besides, if the kids were feeding you, you’d just say you weren’t hungry. I came back from the office specifically to bring you your favorite oatmeal. Please, eat a little more for me.”
Sara was truly at her wit’s end, unable to refuse now that Quinton had spoken. She forced herself to eat half a bowl, but couldn’t manage more than that. Only then did Quinton put down the spoon, gently wiping the corners of her mouth with care.
At that moment, Frederick hurried in, his expression grave. “Dad, Mom, Ashley has woken up.” Upon hearing that, both Quinton and Sara’s faces fell. Although they knew this day would eventually come, the reality of facing their once innocent daughter, Ashley, who had now changed completely, stirred a complex mix of emotions in their hearts.
“I see,” Quinton replied, his tone betraying little of his inner turmoil. He placed the dishes aside and gently patted Sara’s head. “Honey, you shouldn’t see Ashley for now. It might upset you too much. Let me handle this. You need to rest.”
“Darling, but…” Sara argued.
“Listen to me, Honey,” Quinton insisted. He was always decisive in critical matters, especially those concerning Sara’s health.
Sara bit her lip. “Just… talk to Ashley nicely. Don’t let her be too heartbroken. I know she didn’t mean for things to turn out this way. After all, it’s my fault as her mother for not noticing the changes in her.”
Hearing that, Quinton’s expression hardened. “The more you say that, the more I feel the need to punish her severely! She’s caused all this trouble, and now you are suffering because you’re her mother. She can’t be let off just because she’s our beloved daughter, and she needs to understand that she must face the consequences of her actions. She can’t simply escape them by attempting to end her life. How could that possibly be fair to our sons? Or to Selina, who was forced out?”
“Darling…” Sara stared blankly at Quinton. She hadn’t expected him to bring up Selina. In the past, any mention of Selina had always filled Quinton with anger. However, now, she could see traces of guilt in his gaze.
“When Selina first cut ties with us so decisively, I felt ashamed. I thought the Harvey family hadn’t wronged her, and that she was just an ungrateful country girl. We hadn’t announced her status as our daughter, but she still had a share in the family fortune. Back then, I thought she didn’t know what was good for her. But in the end, I was wrong. Selina has far more than I ever imagined. She didn’t care about her status as a daughter of the Harvey family. But I refused to admit my mistake as I was the head of the family. I couldn’t accept her defiance over going missing,” Quinton said.
“Then, with everything that happened with Ashley, I realized I had failed as a father. Honey, don’t take all the blame on yourself. I’m just as responsible for failing to raise Ashley properly. Let me take care of this,” Quinton added.
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