Chapter 184:
Brandon’s jaw clenched. Still, he didn’t look away from Millie.
“Brandon!” Derek snapped again.
Finally, Brandon shifted his gaze, his eyes hard but lowered. “Grandpa,” he muttered. But his hand still hadn’t let go.
Derek’s eyes were cold, aimed straight at Brandon.
Beside him, Norma reached for Millie’s hand with quiet worry. “Oh, my dear,” she murmured. “You’ve lost so much weight.”
“All because of this fool!” Derek snapped. He raised his walking stick, the veins on his hand visible with rage.
Brandon didn’t move. He stood rooted to the spot, the wind from the lake brushing past them, carrying a whisper of cold.
Millie pulled her coat tighter around her. Brandon noticed. His brows drew together slightly. Was she cold? Something stirred in him—a feeling that something had changed in ways he hadn’t yet figured out.
“I could hear you two from inside!” Derek roared, swinging the stick at Brandon. “Brandon, after all the nonsense you’ve pulled, you still have the nerve to fight with Millie? Sometimes I wonder how someone like you could come from my own blood.”
His voice grew more furious. “If your parents weren’t off gallivanting abroad, if I wasn’t stuck in this state, I’d show you what real consequences look like!”
A year ago, his health had already been in decline. Millie and Brandon’s wedding had brought him a bit of joy, something to cling to. But now, he looked worse than ever.
“And now all you do is ignore your wife and chase after another woman, dragging our family name through the mud! Have you forgotten the vows you made on your knees when you brought Millie into this house? Don’t you feel a shred of guilt?”
Derek’s words dissolved into violent coughing.
Find more content at ɢ𝓪𝓵𝓷σ𝓿𝓮𝓵𝓼.cоm
“Grandpa!”
Millie and Brandon both stepped forward, but Derek waved Brandon off. Millie reached for the old man, rubbing his back gently to soothe him. She could still feel the warmth of those who had treated her with genuine kindness. She might have closed the door on Brandon, but she couldn’t turn her back on Derek.
His coughs worsened, and Brandon immediately called for the family doctor.
Inside the villa, the doctor rushed in and did what he could to calm Derek’s breathing. After checking his vitals, he said, “Mr. Watson’s been in much better shape over the past year. As long as he avoids stress like this, he’ll be fine. So please don’t push him again.”
Once Derek had been helped back into bed, Norma led them out into the hallway. Her face was tight with disapproval.
“Brandon,” she said, “how long do you plan to keep this up with Vivian?”
Brandon didn’t answer. His head was bowed.
Norma was clearly disappointed. “You’re no longer a little boy,” she said quietly with a sigh. “And yes, you’ve made Watson Group stronger than ever. People say you’ve outpaced even the Evans and Elliott families. Clearly, you know what you’re doing in business.”
.
.
.