Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 114

“Oh? Is that so?” Penelope Dawson looked down her nose at Elise, her tone dripping with disdain. “My offer stands until the end of the month. If the Harrisons manage to secure the deal on their own, you’ll be out of the picture.”

With that, Penelope strode toward the luxury sedan waiting at the door.

The chauffeur spotted her approaching and immediately sprang into action, bowing slightly as he opened the door.

A moment later, the car sped off, leaving nothing but a fading cloud of exhaust in its wake.

Elise remained standing there, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

***

Thirty minutes later, at the Wainwright family’s private clinic.

Elise stood outside the VIP suite and pushed open the door.

Magnus sat on the hospital bed, dressed in a pale-blue patient’s gown. A rolling tray held his laptop, and he was working, his complexion still a little ashen.

“Magnus, are you okay? Are you feeling any better? You really scared me, you know,” Elise blurted, hurrying to the bedside. She set the insulated thermos she’d brought onto the table, her worried eyes searching his face.

Magnus glanced up. “What are you doing here?”

Tears glimmered in Elise’s eyes as she gazed at him, her concern impossible to miss. “I heard from Gideon that you fainted and had to be hospitalized. Why didn’t you tell me? I was terrified. If anything ever happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do…”

“I’m fine. You just had surgery yourself—you need to go home and rest,” Magnus replied softly.

Ignoring his dismissal, Elise unscrewed the thermos and ladled out some homemade chicken soup, offering it to him. “I made this especially for you. The doctor said your stomach’s still weak, so you should have something nourishing.”

Magnus hesitated—he didn’t want to brush off her kindness—so he accepted the bowl and took a sip. The broth was rich and savory, but somehow, the taste felt unfamiliar.

He remembered Isadora once making him chicken soup, too. Suddenly, the bowl in his hands seemed to lose all its appeal.