Chapter 217



Edgar nodded, instantly grasping Jake’s strategy. Jake intended to bide his time until Dean and that man clashed.

As the car came to a halt, Edgar announced, “Mr. Reeves, we’ve reached the hospital.”

Jake acknowledged with a nod and snapped his notebook shut.

Outside the ICU, Dean and Melinda were embroiled in a heated argument.

A young, attractive woman stood next to Dean, holding his hand and casting a smug look at Melinda.

Melinda’s anger flared. “Dean, what are you implying? It’s disgraceful enough that you’re fooling around with a mistress, but to bring her here? You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Dean responded with visible impatience, “Hazel is just concerned about me. She didn’t want me to exhaust myself, so she came to visit. I’m struggling to eat and sleep properly here, and you show no concern for me at all, despite being my wife. Shouldn’t I appreciate someone who does?”

Melinda felt unfairly accused. “I’ve been urging you to go home. You’re the one clinging to your reputation, refusing to leave. Just remember, if you’re caught fooling around in the hospital, don’t expect me to support you.”

Dean’s expression remained detached. “You can’t bear me a son, so what’s wrong with me being with other women? I’m not worried about getting caught. If my affairs become public, you’re the one who should feel ashamed, not me.”

Fury and contempt flickered in Melinda’s eyes, her gaze icy and filled with undisguised disgust.

“Dean, Melinda’s concern is that our mother is still in the ICU. If the media sees you with other women, it could tarnish your reputation as a devoted son.” Upon hearing these words, Dean and Melinda turned to see Jake approaching.

Dean looked at Jake with a sneer. “Even if they label me fickle, it pales in comparison to your heartlessness. The accident happened when our mom was on her way to see you, near your place. It makes one wonder if you’re somehow connected to her accident.”

At this point, Melinda shifted her focus from Dean’s mistress and chimed in with her own accusations, “Lately, Shirley has had moments of lucidity where she calls out your name. Despite whatever issues you had with her over Kallie’s situation, she remains your mother.”

It was clear that in moments like these, Dean and Melinda could present a united front.

Jake remained unfazed by the accusations from both, even managing a smile. “Dean, you should be well aware of the reason I didn’t make it a few days ago. Isn’t this what you want?”

Dean immediately became agitated. “What are you implying? I reached out to you after the accident, but you ignored my messages. If you truly wanted to see our mom, who could have stopped you?”

Jake sneered, “You were busy orchestrating trouble for me on the mountain where our grandfather is buried. Had I attempted to visit our mom then, you surely would have concocted an excuse to dismiss me, right?”

Jake harbored suspicions that Dean was involved in the recent issues, and Dean had anticipated Jake’s speculation.

Dean remained unfazed, confident that Jake lacked any concrete evidence.

Yet, Dean hadn’t anticipated Jake’s blunt approach. Jake’s candor caught him off guard, leaving him speechless, unable to deliver the rebuttals and justifications he had meticulously prepared.

Observing Dean’s reaction, Jake chuckled softly, patting Dean on the shoulder. “Dean, I know you’re not the sharpest, but next time, try to handle things neatly. Before you conspire with someone, make sure to investigate whether they have any hidden agendas. That man turned on you the moment I confronted him. It seems your partnership isn’t as solid as you thought.”

Dean’s expression darkened immediately. He shrugged off Jake’s hand, retorting, “What are you implying? I’ve been at our mom’s side, going through her surgery paperwork. I’ve been so busy dealing with that I haven’t kept up with anything else.”

Yet, the brief flicker of panic and guilt in Dean’s eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

Jake, unrelenting, continued to provoke Dean. “It appears there’s been a misunderstanding. That man thought the child Kallie was carrying was mine. But that child has nothing to do with me. You guys schemed to whisk Kallie away, thinking you could use her pregnancy to blackmail me. You didn’t see this coming, did you?”

Dean’s countenance fluctuated between annoyance and shame, his emotions painting a theatrical display.

Melinda cursed Dean silently in her mind and stepped forward to position herself in front of Dean. “Jake, you must be stressed and overthinking things. I don’t follow your train of thought. Let’s not dwell on this. You should see your mom. She might be unconscious, but she surely misses you. Talking to her might do her some good.”

Jake eyed the ward door but showed no inclination to enter. He stated icily, “Don’t take me for a fool. I’m fully aware of your schemes. I came here today to openly confront you guys. Dean, we are related by blood. If you have grievances, confront me directly. Resorting to deceit shows no real prowess.”

Jake’s smile disappeared, his gaze turning frosty. “Dean, I’m offering you one final opportunity. If you stop, I can pretend nothing ever happened.”

Dean clenched his teeth, choosing silence over response.

Jake turned on his heel and departed.

Catching up quickly, Edgar expressed his confusion, “Mr. Reeves, why didn’t you visit your mother?”

With a steely look, Jake responded, “Now that I’m certain Dean is plotting against me, I won’t blithely step into whatever snare he’s laid. He might lack brains, but his ruthlessness is boundless. Who knows what he’d do next to pull me down?”

Edgar grasped the gravity of Jake’s words, a chill running through him. “But she’s his mother. She’s always been his staunchest supporter. It seems unthinkable for him to go to such extremes.”

Yet, Jake dismissed it with a scoff. “Maybe the circumstances around Shirley’s car accident weren’t quite so accidental after all.”

Edgar, taken aback, struggled to respond. He had always viewed Dean as merely competitive, often engaging in petty squabbles with Jake and lacking the qualities expected of an elder brother.

Edgar couldn’t fathom that Dean would stoop to such malevolence.

As Jake moved away, Dean’s and Melinda’s expressions darkened with fury.

“Utterly useless!” Dean spat out bitterly.

Standing beside Dean, Hazel said, her voice coquettish, “Dean, what are you doing? You scared me.”

This time, before Melinda could react, Dean turned abruptly and slapped Hazel. “Get lost!”

Covering her face, Hazel, now humiliated, quickly gathered her belongings and departed.

A wave of satisfaction washed over Melinda. Even though her relationship with Dean was far from perfect, they were now undeniably in the same boat. Dean would find it impossible to discard her from his life.

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