They arrived at the hospital earlier than Johnathan, and the entire floor was occupied by the Forbes family.
Eli sat alone on a bench, shoulders slumped, his face unreadable, one foot trembling uncontrollably, looking like a stray dog.
Only when she approached did he sluggishly lift his head.
Seeing her, Eli's lifeless face suddenly lit up as if a dying man had a moment of lucidity. He jumped up, grabbing her, his lips quivering, saying, "Averi, Averi, I was wrong, believe me, I truly know I was wrong this time, scold me, no, hit me, you can do whatever you want, I—"
There were others present, including Christopher's family doctor, Dr. Smith, and the butler, making his appearance highly questionable.
Averi's eyes held a warning, "We'll talk about it later."
Eli froze, wanting to say more, but Odin grabbed his shoulder and dragged him away.
"Eli, I know you're worried, but Father has always been in good health, he'll be fine. Come, let's get you some water," Odin seemed to be comforting him, exchanging a look with Averi, half-dragging Eli away.
Eli's lips trembled a few times before he obediently followed.
It seemed he had committed a grave mistake, considering he usually despised Odin the most.
Averi's already heavy heart sank even further.
She asked Dr. Smith, "Dr. Smith, what happened? How severe is it?"
Dr. Smith sighed, "It looks like a stroke, but luckily we caught it in time."
"He's always been in good health. How could just a fall lead to a stroke?"
"Given the chairman's age, a stroke isn't uncommon," he deliberated for a moment, carefully saying, "Sometimes emotional fluctuations can also trigger a stroke."
Dr. Smith was willing to do her a favor, speaking softly, "Third Miss, I suggest you prepare yourself mentally. Many people are left with some degree of aftereffects after a stroke—like muscle weakness, sensory numbness, or even communication difficulties. The first three months after surgery are the golden recovery period. You must make the most of this time, because once it's missed, recovery becomes much harder."
Having been Christopher's doctor for over twenty years, Dr. Smith was extremely cautious. If he said this, it was likely that severe after-effects were almost certain.
Averi solemnly replied, "Dr. Smith, thank you, I appreciate your efforts."
Dr. Smith understood that she had grasped the gravity of the situation, nodding, "It's part of my duty."
After inquiring about the condition, Averi looked around and noticed Mareli's absence, asking the butler, "Where's mom?"
The butler replied, "Madam went to France and should still be on the plane. After the incident, I called Madam, but no one answered. The situation was urgent, so I didn't try again."
"Was she alone?"
"The master was supposed to go as well, but he returned home early between five and six o'clock, looking unwell. Upon entering, he asked me to call Eli back home. After Eli came back, the master went to the study with him."
"Later, seeing the time was about right, Madam went upstairs to urge them, but was shouted at by the master, and then, Madam left on her own."
Left on her own?
Had Mareli become so comfortable that she developed a temper?
Averi murmured a low "Hmm," and said, "Don't worry about it, I'll take responsibility for informing her."
The butler vaguely guessed her intentions, his eyelids twitching. Meeting Averi's calm gaze, he hurriedly nodded in agreement.
She was someone Teagan had recruited and had grown up watching Averi, so naturally, she favored Averi.
As for Mareli, there were certainly people in the family loyal to her, and even if she didn't inform them, others would.
With surgery still ongoing, Averi didn't immediately deal with Eli. Instead, she turned into a corner and dialed Teagan's number.
"Hello, Averi? Why are you calling me at this time?"
Averi went straight to the point, "Mom, Dad had a stroke, he's currently being treated in the hospital. While we're not sure of the specifics yet, it's definitely related to Eli. From what Dr. Smith implied, Dad's condition seems tricky, and there's a good chance he could be left with lasting aftereffects.
After finishing, she asked, "Mom, can you come back?"
Teagan understood immediately. "You want me to go back and play the family card, right?"
Averi forced herself to endure the headache, calmly saying, "Things have escalated to this point, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect Eli."
If Christopher holds a grudge, even she might suffer.
Teagan hesitated, "I've been with him for so many years…"
Averi said, "You said it yourself, people start valuing family ties as they grow older. Besides, Mareli is in France. Even if she gets off the plane and rushes back immediately, it will still take several hours."
Upon hearing that Mareli wasn't there, Teagan immediately realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a seriously ill person is extremely emotionally vulnerable. At this time, whoever is by their bedside showing care and concern becomes their closest and dearest.
Teagan made up her mind, "Alright, I'll head to the airport now and catch the next flight."
Hearing this, Averi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Hanging up, she hurriedly went to find Eli, aiming to settle everything before Johnathan arrived at the hospital.
By the water dispenser, Averi saw only Odin.
He had been waiting for her here, stepping forward upon seeing her, "Averi, I've had Eli wait for you in that empty ward." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "I checked, there's no surveillance."
Their relationship hadn't been sorted out yet, Averi didn't know how to approach him, and in the end, she simply said, "Thank you."
