Done with Cheater's Coldness Shine in Rival's Arms novel Chapter 140

Chapter 140 I Won’t Let You Down

Finished

Quinn didn’t need to ask to know how messy things were at Peyton’s company. She knew it would take him forever to sort through the fallout.

“I’ll leave after the doctor comes to check on Grandma. I need to make sure she’s really okay first.”

He still couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at him. He was terrified.of something going wrong with Iris.

And he hated the thought of leaving Quinn here alone. If Donna and her family decided to cause trouble, Quinn wouldn’t stand a chance against their petty schemes. They’d definitely take advantage of his absence to stir up more drama.

“Okay.” Quinn nodded, squeezing his hand gently.

“You two newlyweds have spent day and night glued to my side,” Iris said with a tired smile, her voice soft with emotion. “It makes my old heart ache, seeing you both wear yourselves out like this.

“But knowing you care this much… it means more than I can say. Thank you, my dears. I’m just an old woman now-can’t do much to help you kids anymore. You’ll have to face whatever comes next, hand in hand.”

She sighed, her eyes clouding over with sadness.

“Please don’t say that,” Quinn said quickly, her throat tight with guilt. “It’s us who should be sorry. We’re the ones who dragged you into this mess and landed you in the hospital.”

“This wasn’t your fault, not one bit,” Iris insisted, patting Quinn’s hand. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. My heart’s been weak for years-old age does that to a person. A few aches and pains are nothing out of the ordinary.”

Iris sounded calm on the surface, but anyone could see the worry lingering in her eyes. She trusted Peyton’s abilities, of course, but she knew the problems piling up at the company weren’t going to be easy to fix.

Peyton could read the unspoken anxiety on her face. He knew exactly what she was thinking about. He hadn’t stepped foot in the office since yesterday. God only knew how bad things had gotten in his absence.

He’d have to assess the damage the second he got there.

Just then, the doctor walked in for his morning rounds, checking Iris’ vitals and running a quick exam.

“The patient’s condition is stable for now,” the doctor said, jorting notes on his clipboard. “Keep her here for observation, and as long as she stays like this, she’ll be good to go home soon enough.

“She’s elderly, and her heart’s already been through a lot especially after that surgery a while back. Her recovery hasn’t been the smoothest. So you two must make sure she avoids any more stress or excitement. No exceptions.”

Relief washed over Peyton and Quinn, but the thought of Iris stuck in the hospital for days still twisted their hearts with sympathy.

“Thank you, doctor,” they said in unison.

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17:14 Tue, Jan 27 JMM

Chapter 140 I Won’t Let You Down

The doctor nodded, then left the room without another word.

Finished

“See? The doctor said I’m fine,” Iris said, trying to sound cheerful. “Now Peyton, you’ve got a company full of problems waiting for you. I’ll be just fine here with Quinn. What are you still hanging around for? Go-your business needs you a lot more than I do right now.”

Her smile looked forced. She was clearly still fretting over the company’s reputation.

After Felix’s stunt, both the Hart and Reed families had been humiliated beyond repair. They’d become the laughingstock of the entire city.

And it wasn’t just gossip they had to worry about. All the big names in business had attended the engagement party. They’d all witnessed the chaos firsthand-and that kind of bad publicity could sink a company faster than anything.

“I know, Grandma,” Peyton said, his jaw tight with resolve.

He really did need to get back to the office. If he stayed away any longer, people would start whispering that the Reed Group was hiding from the crisis-that they couldn’t handle the heat.

“If you run into something you can’t fix on your own, or if you just need someone to bounce ideas off of. you come talk to me,” Iris said, her voice firmer now. “I may be stuck in this bed, but my mind still works just fine. Don’t you dare forget that this old lady’s still got a few tricks up her sleeve.”

She was dying to help, even if she wouldn’t admit it outright. If she let her worry show, she knew Peyton and Quinn would only stress more-and she couldn’t bear to add to their burdens.

“Grandma, leave the company to me,” Peyton said, his voice steady and sure. “I’ll fix this. I promise I won’t ler you down.”

Those words were all Iris needed to hear. She let out a long, relieved breath, the tension finally melting from her shoulders.

Peyton reluctantly left Quinn alone at the hospital and headed back to the office to face the music.

Quinn walked him out to the entrance, craving a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in the stuffy ward all night.

“If Donna and her family show up and give you any trouble, call me immediately,” Peyton said, stopping to cup her face in his hands. “I’ll drop everything and race back here the second I get your call.

“And whatever you do, don’t let them start arguing in front of Grandma. Her heart can’t take any more of their nonsense. I don’t want them saying anything to upset her.”

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