The CEO Gets What He Wants novel Chapter 67

Toby entered the living room with his hands behind his back.

Talia held her reading glasses in one hand as she continued to water the flowers sitting next to the window with her watering pot in another hand.

There was an aged drawer in the living room. The surface was painted red and had large peony flower patterns on it. Each leaf painted on the drawer looked incredibly real.

Toby opened the drawer.

There was a stack of newspapers sitting on the left inside the drawer. He had a habit of collecting old newspapers.

Above the newspaper was a thick photo album.

Upon pulling out the album and flipping through a few pages of it, he finally found the picture in his memory.

There were four people in the picture. One was Toby himself when he was younger. The other three were women around the age of twenty.

In the photo, Allie stood in the middle. She was wearing a pair of red, long pants that were trendy back then. The expression on her face wasn't as joyous as the other two women.

To the left of Allie was Talia when she was younger.

To the right was a young Claire Walsh, Allie's best friend. She was wearing a white dress and had two delicate black braids.

Even though the picture was taken twenty-eight years ago, Toby was certain he hadn't gotten so old to have misremembered her face.

After staring at the picture for a while, he suddenly felt like he was overthinking it. Cayden's secretary is probably just a child from an ordinary family.

He was so focused that he didn't notice his wife was walking into the room after she finished watering her plants.

When Talia saw that picture, she frowned. She pointed at Claire and said, “You think staring at her pictures in secret will relieve you of the pain of longing?”

“Don't say nonsense like that!” Toby put away the photo in anger and shoved the old photo album back into the drawer.

“I caught you looking, yet you dared to deny it? Don't say that I didn't remind you, Toby Musk, that she's the wife of the state government's secretary! You really were ridiculous, you know? She didn't like you at all! You were a thirty-seven-year-old man who had the gall to have a crush on a woman twenty years younger than you!” Talia sounded super jealous.

She got angry when she thought about the woman her husband used to like when he was younger.

Toby didn't argue with her and instead left the living room.

There was no point in him arguing stuff about that at his age.

Claire was Allie's best friend, and they grew up together. Toby was Allie's older brother, and he had very much loved Claire from the beginning. Even though his love had never been reciprocated, he didn't feel jealous or regretful that he couldn't end up with her.

After all, Claire had married an excellent soldier, who went on to become the state government's secretary, and lived a happy life.

Toby simply felt sorry for his sister because her life was a lot more difficult compared to the other girls she grew up with.

Cayden sent Avery to Primo Hospital.

Once she got out of the vehicle, she closed the door and turned back to face him. “Drive safe.”

He silently watched her slender figure enter the hospital before looking away and making a call. “Tell the director of Primo Hospital to take good care of a cancer patient with the last name of Rumpley.”

Avery entered the hospital uneasily.

When she was eighteen, her father contracted liver cancer. However, when she learned about it, Leonardo had already been admitted to the hospital to receive treatment. She hadn't handled anything about her father's admission.

Primo Hospital was huge. It took her a long while of walking before she entered the building. It was an old building that was left over from a previous war. The outer wall looked very tough.

When Avery went to talk to a nurse, the nurse asked, “Hello, is your father's last name Rumpley?”

She was taken aback slightly and nodded. “Yes.”

“Please follow me.” The nurse's attitude was polite as she guided Avery.

Avery followed behind cautiously. I bet Cayden is the one behind this.

Nina also came to the hospital. When she met Avery, she asked, “Is Mr. Rumpley not here yet?”

Avery shook her head.

Leonardo told her that he would definitely come and that he didn't need her to pick him up.

She knew it was because he was afraid a fight would happen between her and Henrietta.

“Don't get too sad. It breaks my heart to see you like this. Sometimes, you can't avoid things that are destined to happen to someone.” Nina had no idea how to comfort her friend.

Five years ago, Avery was tortured by her father's liver cancer. His current lung cancer was just adding fuel to a fire that was already burning brightly.

However, such a blow was not enough to break Avery down.

Through her experience, Avery had learned how to endure that fire and survive.

A little after ten in the morning, Leonardo called. “I can only come to the hospital at one in the afternoon, Ery. Maybe you can go back to your company and work first?”

Avery was worried her father wouldn't come, so she said, “I'll wait for you at the hospital. If you don't come, I won't leave.”

“I'll definitely be there once I take care of my matters,” Leonardo replied.

Nina overheard the conversation and spoke to Avery once the call ended. “Let's get something to eat and drink first. The air inside the hospital is awful.”

“All right.” Avery went downstairs with her.

The elevator was cramped with people, so the two women were forced to take the stairs.

When they turned a corner at the third floor's staircase, Avery saw two people standing in front of the window. One was Milana, who was frowning, and another one was Isabella, who appeared anxious.

“Mom? Why are you here?” Nina was shocked.

When Milana saw Avery, she immediately went to the gynecology department.

Isabella glared at her annoying daughter and Avery before grabbing Milana's arm. She begged, “You can't abort the child, Milana. That's Zayne's child! Please...”

When Nina heard that, the look in her eyes turned vicious. She said to Avery, “Wait for me in front.”

Avery nodded. After she broke up with Zayne, the Richters' matters had nothing to do with her anymore.

She didn't want to get involved, so she went to the front to wait for Nina.

Milana spoke to Isabella with teary eyes. “It's not that I don't want to give birth to this child, Mrs. Richter. It's just that Zayne doesn't want to acknowledge this baby as his child! He thought that if he admits it, he'll be upsetting someone.”

It was apparent that the “someone” was referring to Avery.

Avery felt as though she was getting shot out of nowhere.

Just as Milana uttered the last word, she looked in Avery's direction, putting on a pitiful look.

Isabella instantly understood what Milana meant and readjusted her expression. “My son is a big idiot, Milana. He was tricked by that woman's innocent appearance, so he's also pretty pitiful too. Both of you are good-natured, pitiful children! There's nothing you need to worry about because I'm on your side. My son said he'd be upsetting someone if he acknowledged this baby as his child, right? Well, despite the fact that that woman's a shameless woman who cheated on my son many times, she's still living a good life! You're not the shameless one; she is!”

Avery heard that because Isabella was being really loud.

Many people in the hospital, who were waiting in a line for their turn to ride the elevator, poked their heads out to see what was going on.

Nina stared at her foolish mother and the manipulative Milana before she gave Milana a hard slap on the left cheek.