Chapter 1353

Jean wasn’t in the mood to help his love rival, especially when Neera had feelings for him.

However, since Avery had previously helped Neera, Jean didn’t mind lending a hand.

They did everything they could to ease Neera’s mind.

After all, the Cox family and the Gordon family were closely related. If there was unrest in the Cox family, Neera would be troubled.

Once everything was settled, Jean thought they could finally relax without any distractions.

However, things don’t always go as planned.

An overseas phone call shattered all his expectations.

“Mom, is something wrong?” Jean asked.

The call was from Wrenn. When Jean answered, he didn’t hear any sound from the other end.

There was still silence. After a few seconds, he heard a faint sound of a breath being drawn.

It sounded like a stifled sob.

Jean’s brow furrowed with worry, a sense of unease stirring within him. “Are you crying? What happened?” he asked.

Those questions seemed to trigger something. Wrenn couldn’t hold back any longer and began to cry softly. “Jean, something has happened to your father.”

Jean’s pupils contracted when he heard those words. “What exactly happened? Please explain clearly.”

Wrenn was crying as she spoke, her voice choked with emotion. “Your father suddenly collapsed while he was at work. He’s been taken to the hospital. The doctor said there’s a problem with his heart… The situation isn’t very optimistic. He wanted me to be mentally prepared.”

At that point, it seemed she was on the verge of collapsing, and she cried fiercely. “How could the doctor say such a thing to me? Telling me to prepare, but prepare for what? Could it be? Could it be that his life is in danger? We just had breakfast together this morning. He even promised to come home early and accompany me to the opera tonight. How could he break his word like this? He was clearly getting better. How could he suddenly collapse? We’ve been together for so many years. If something happens to him, what am I supposed to do? What should I do…”

She was heartbroken and distraught, her words jumbled and nearly incoherent. It was clear that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Jean’s face was somber, his cheeks twitched slightly.

The doctor actually asked the family to be mentally prepared. That was not a good sign.

It seemed Frederic’s fainting spell this time was quite serious. It was already threatening his life.

Neera turned her head and saw the tense expression on Jean’s face, immediately realizing that something bad had happened.

She walked over and asked gently, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She walked over and asked gently, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Jean’s thin lips were tightly pressed into a straight line, his deep ink-colored eyes intently watching her.

After a few seconds, he said slowly, word by word, “Neera, Dad’s heart has a serious problem.”

Neera anticipated bad news, but she never imagined it would be this serious.

She understood that when such things happened, as the patient’s child, it was impossible not to worry.

Therefore, she made a decision on the spot. “Don’t worry just yet. I’ll have Zephyr start the process for our return home right now. You go ahead and start packing. We’ll leave as soon as possible.”

Jean remained motionless, still gazing at her with a deep and steady gaze.

Neera nudged him. “What are you still daydreaming about?”

Jean’s lips lightly parted. “If you don’t want to go back, I’ll go back by myself. You and the children can stay here first. Just wait for me to return.”

Neera didn’t expect such a sentence from Jean. She was suddenly at a loss for words. In an angry tone, she asked, “Jean, is this how you see me? Do you really think I would stand by indifferently and ignore your father’s situation?”

Jean shook his head. “That’s not what I meant, I just…”

Neera knew how anxious he was at that moment. Hence, she didn’t want to quarrel with him and add to his troubles. She sighed and held his hand. “I’ve said it before. What’s in the past is in the past. Even though I still feel a bit uncomfortable, we need to separate issues. Your father is in trouble, and as his son, it’s only natural that you rush back. Since I’m married to you, I should accompany you. Your matters are my matters. We are one as husband and wife. There’s no need to fuss over it. Besides, this time, it’s a health issue with your father. When I couldn’t help with other things, I could only offer my company. However, this is my area of expertise. I can lend a hand if I go back.”

The last bit of hesitation in Jean’s heart was finally dispelled. He turned his hand around, held hers, and gave it a tight squeeze. “All right. Let’s go back.”

While Neera was getting in touch with Zephyr, he went back to his room to pack his luggage. He also contacted Colin and Tiago, entrusting them with all the matters there. Afterwards, he went downstairs.

“The children have already gone up to pack. The private jet will be here soon to pick us up. Uncle Chad has gone to secure our flight route. It should be approved shortly,” Neera said.

In truth, Jean was feeling quite anxious, but being the composed person he always was, he was used to keeping all his emotions hidden. So, he didn’t show anything at the moment, just nodded slightly.

However, Neera saw right through him at a glance.

She felt a pang of heartache. She stepped forward and embraced him, comforting him gently, just as he had done. for her in the past. “Don’t worry. Dad is lucky. He will surely be all right.”

The heavy worry and unspeakable tension made Jean’s entire body somewhat stiff.

At that moment, being held so gently by Neera, he felt like a melting ice cube, finally gaining warmth.

His arms hung by his sides, but after a moment, he, too, embraced her, burying his chin in the crook of her shoulder without uttering a word.