Done with Cheater's Coldness Shine in Rival's Arms novel Chapter 141

Chapter 141 A Fragile Calm After the Storm

Finished

That was his biggest fear. It was why he’d stuck by Iris’ bedside, on edge every second since yesterday.

But he had no choice. He couldn’t ignore the company’s mess. He’d head over to assess the situation first. The second things settled down, he’d race back to the hospital.

“I know,” Quinn said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you the second anything happens. And your mom should be here soon. With her around, I’ve got nothing to fear.”

も

Eleanor always gave her this quiet sense of security. She’d always had Quinn’s back, no matter what.

B

Peyton nodded. He’d already texted his mom, asking her to swing by the hospital as soon as she could. Having Eleanor here would keep Donna in line-if she even dared to show her face and stir up trouble.

“Wait for me. I’ll be back before you know it,” Peyton said softly, his eyes soft with affection for her.

Ever since she’d gotten together with him, she’d put up with so much. It felt like everyone around them was against their relationship. The only ones who’d ever accepted them were their own mothers.

It was exhausting, to say the least. A heavy, unspoken weariness hung over both of them.

When Quinn returned to the ward, she found Iris fast asleep. Old age had worn her down. She couldn’t handle stress like she used to. A good nap was exactly what she needed

Quinn tiptoed in and sat down beside her bed.

A short while later, Eleanor slipped into the room too. She spotted the two of them and moved even more quietly, careful not to make a sound.

“Quinn, you’ve been here since last night, looking after Iris nonstop,” Eleanor said, her voice low with sympathy. “I’m here now. Go home and get some real rest.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Reed. I’m fine. I can stay,” Quinn insisted. She had no intention of leaving. She wanted to be there for Iris.

They barely got to visit her as often as they should when life was normal. Now that she was sick, Quinn wanted to cherish every minute she could with her. Once things got busy again, who knew when they’d have this chance?

“Quinn, you were already worn out from the engagement prep,” Eleanor pressed gently. “Then you pulled an all-nighter at the hospital. Your body can’t keep up with this.

“Listen to me. Go home and rest. You can come back later when you’re feeling better. That way, I’ll actually stop worrying about you.”

Eleanor spoke from the heart, keeping her voice down to a whisper. She didn’t want to wake the sleeping woman in the bed.

“Alright,” Quinn conceded. “But if anything happens here-anything at all-call me right away. I’ll rush back

in a heartbeat.”

She still wasn’t fully at ease. But Eleanor’s mind was made up, so Quinn had no choice but to agree.

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Chapter 141 A Fragile Calm After the Storm

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Finished

After leaving the hospital, Quinn headed home. She felt completely adrift, like she had no idea what to do with herself. Work was the last thing on her mind, but she couldn’t think of anything else to occupy her time either.

When Quinn walked through the front door, Mabel was waiting for her. She hurried over, her face full of

concern.

“Miss Hart, is Mrs. Iris Reed doing okay now?” Mabel asked, her voice anxious.

“Her heart can’t take any more shocks, but she’s stable now,” Quinn replied softly. “She’s out of danger. No need to worry.”

Mabel let out a long, relieved breath. She shook her head, still sounding troubled.

“That’s a huge weight off my shoulders. It would’ve been a tragedy if something happened to her over all this nonsense.”

“You never saw Mrs. Iris Reed in her prime,” Mabel went on, a note of admiration creeping into her voice. “She was one tough cookie. Never in a million years would I have thought she’d end up in the hospital over something like this. Age and poor health really do take their toll.

“Back in the day, she would’ve marched straight to the company and fixed the problem herself. Her business sense was sharp as a tack. You couldn’t help but respect her for it.”

As Mabel talked about Iris, her eyes lit up with pure awe. She’d always had the utmost respect for the woman who’d built such a huge company all on her own.

“You’re right,” Quinn said, her voice thick with guilt. “She had to worry about us so much. If she hadn’t been so stressed out over everything, she never would’ve ended up here.”

There was nothing she could do to change what had happened now. The damage was done, and no amount of regret could fix it.

“Don’t beat yourself up over this,” Mabel said gently, patting her arm. “This wasn’t your fault. You never wanted any of this to happen.

“I made you some soup. You’ve been running ragged these past two days. First the engagement chaos, then the hospital all night. You need to eat something warm and get some rest. Go on, drink up.”

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