His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 21

“Dad!” Annika cried out, rushing forward to grip Marcus’s cold hand. She ran alongside the gurney as it was wheeled away, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched her father’s trembling, ashen face.

Finally, Marcus was pushed into the operating room, and the slowly closing doors shut Annika’s distraught figure out.

Despite the bright sunshine outside, a sudden chill washed over her. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tightly, but it wasn't enough to ward off the cold that seemed to seep into her bones.

Annika desperately tried to suppress any sign of weakness, but when a warm, large hand rested on her shoulder, she flinched, and the tears she had been holding back for so long finally broke free.

Just as she was about to call out Conrad’s name, her tear-filled eyes looked up and met a different face. The hopeful expression on her face froze.

“Tyler,” she said, her voice trembling, “what are you doing here?”

The fleeting glimmer of hope in Annika's eyes didn't escape Tyler. He knew she had been expecting Conrad; it couldn't have been anyone else.

Tyler glanced at the flashing light above the operating room door before his gaze returned to Annika's face. He gently wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with his thumb, his voice soft and full of concern. “I had a bit of a headache, so I came to see a doctor. It’s just a coincidence that I ran into you.”

Tyler was lying. After he and Annika had parted ways the day before, he had been keeping tabs on her. His assistant, Wyatt, told him that Annika had pulled an all-nighter at the Sargent Group. Overcome with worry, Tyler had driven there to find her, only for the secretary to inform him that she had rushed back to the hospital because Marcus's condition had worsened. So, he had come straight here.

“Your father will be fine,” Tyler said, guiding her to a nearby bench. “Don’t worry.”

Annika, lost in a daze, just mumbled, “Okay.”

Hank’s eyes fell on Tyler’s name on the list, and he felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. He knew that Yazmin had given Annika the final say on the guest list for Zoltan's birthday celebration, but he never imagined she would add Tyler's name at the very end. It stood out, looking glaringly out of place.

“Mr. Beryl, Miss Estelle must have given you this list. You know what she’s like…” Hank knew that the perpetually busy Mr. Beryl wouldn't have the time to notice such a small detail. Yazmin wanted nothing more than for Conrad and Annika to be happy together, so she would never stir the pot. The only person in the Beryl Manor who would want to cause trouble for the couple was Estelle.

“Enough,” Conrad said, closing his eyes, his voice heavy with pain. He took a set of divorce papers, already signed with his name, from a drawer and tossed them to Hank.

“Give these to her,” he commanded. “And from now on, don’t ever mention this woman’s name in front of me again.”

He had no use for a woman he believed had cheated on him—emotionally and physically.