She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35
11
The Kennedy family sat in their luxurious black Maybach, each enveloped in silence and a somber mood.
Regina was engrossed in her phone, checking her stock portfolio With each glance, her expression grew darker. Andrew and Gia stared out their respective windows, a sense of disappointment in their parents weighing heavily on them.
Before they returned to the Kennedy family, everything seemed prosperous. But as soon as they came back, the family’s assets dwindled, and challenges arose. Even though Athena was the cause of these troubles, their parents seemed utterly
ineffective…..
The Maybach came to a halt at a red light.
Isaac, gazing listlessly outside, suggested, “It’s getting dark. Why don’t we find somewhere nearby to eat?” Just as he finished speaking, his eyes landed on a building ahead.
Harmony Hospital?
That was where his mother was hospitalized. He had almost forgotten she was still alive.
A sudden idea sparked in his mind, and he turned to Regina, “Dear, why don’t we stop by and visit my mom?”
Regina didn’t even look up. “What’s the point of visiting an old woman who’s practically a vegetable? If you want to go, do it yourself. I’m not interested.”
Isaac coaxed her, “Sweetheart, remember? Athena was raised by my mom and is very close to her. If we can’t persuade Athena, maybe my mom can.”
“Would she really ignore the plight of her own son and grandchildren?” he offered.
Hearing this, Regina looked up, both surprised and delighted. “You’re right! How could I forget that? No grandparent can resist their grandchildren. Once your mom sees Andrew, she’ll agree to anything he asks”
She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, not seeing any issue with her words.
Gia, however, felt her mood darken, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. Was her mother implying that her brother was more important, more valued than she was?
Having grown up abroad, Cia hadn’t been exposed to traditional ideas of male preference, though she had heard about such views from many people. She hadn’t thought much of it then.
Now, she was seeing it firsthand.
Determined, she resolved to prove through her actions that she was every bit as capable as her brother.
Isaac instructed Micah to park the car at the entrance of Harmony Hospital, then led his family to the inpatient ward. To their disappointment, despite the surgery being a month ago, the old lady was still in a coma.
Regina complained, “She can’t die, and she can’t wake up. Just lying there, wasting the family’s money. Such a burden.”
Isaac, feeling frustrated, said, “We’ll wait for an hour. If my mom doesn’t wake up by then, we’ll leave.”
He turned to Andrew and Gia, “Are you hungry? Should I order some takeout for you?”
Andrew, engrossed in watching his own TV series and interacting with fans, didn’t even look up. “Not hungry.”
Gia, touching up her makeup in a compact mirror, replied, “I don’t want to eat takeout in a hospital.”
09:06 Thu, Oct 10
Chapter 35
Regina lay on the couch, playing cards on her phone, not bothering to say a word.
Isaac had no choice but to chat with the nurse.
H
“Miss Donovan is very good to the old lady,” the nurse praised Athena. “She visits about every three days, stays for half a day each time, personally feeds her, gives her medicine, and massages her hands and feet. She’s incredibly attentive.”
The other patients here are quite envious, saying the old lady has a very filial granddaughter..
Isaac smiled.
Athena clearly cared a lot about the old lady. As long as his mother was in the Kennedy family’s hands, Athena would have to comply.
He sent the nurse off for a meal and called Micah in. “Stay here and watch over my mom. If she wakes up, call me immediately.”
Micah nodded obediently. “Yes, sir.”
Isaac thought for a moment and added, “When she wakes up, make sure she stays awake until I get here. And make sure to tell her about Andrew and Gia, and the crisis the Kennedy family is facing. Ask her to plead with Athena on our behalf.
Micah looked worried. “L.. I’m not sure I can convince the old lady…”
Isaac said. “If you handle this well; I’ll double your year-end bonus.”
Micah straightened up immediately. “Don’t worry, Mr. Kennedy, I’ll do my best to persuade her.”
With Micah staying behind, Isaac was ready to leave. “Andrew, Gla, we can go now.”
Micah quickly offered, “I’ll escort you out.”
As they left the room, Andrew suddenly thought of something. “What if she never wakes up, or if she wakes up but can’t speak?”
A cruel glint flashed in Regina’s eyes. “Then we’ll move her somewhere else, so Athena will never see her again.”
She smirked. “Since Athena isn’t our biological child, she has no right to interfere with the old croon. We can treat her however we want. If Athena wants to see her, she’ll have to give in to us.”
The others smiled in agreement. “You’re so clever.”
They didn’t notice that the old lady on the bed had slowly opened her eyes and was trying to say something. But the door had already slammed shut, and no one heard her voice.
Her eyes revealed a deep sadness, but even more so, a profound disappointment.
“It’s just as well that Athena has left. This old body of mine doesn’t have much time left. At least I won’t drag her down anymore…” she lamented to herself “Athena, Grandma is so sorry…”
“If I had known that Isaac and his wife would use my illness to force you into doing things, I wouldn’t have gone through with that surgery. I should have just joined your grandfather in the afterlife…
She murmured these words as she closed her eyes again, as if she had never awakened. Tears continued to flow silently down her chert