As Nevaeh stepped through the door, her face lit up with a bright smile. "Grandpa, Cassius and I came to see you!"
Cassius?
Even though it was just for show, hearing his own name like that sent a strange shiver down Cassius's spine.
Grandpa noticed the way she called him and immediately broke into a warm smile when he saw Nevaeh approaching.
He reached out to grab her hand.
"This girl, what brings you here? I'm fine, really."
"Grandpa, I missed you! How are you feeling today?" Nevaeh, being a girl who rarely let her guard down, found a sense of ease when she was with the elderly.
As she held her grandpa's hand, she subtly checked his pulse.
Feeling that his condition had improved so much finally allowed her heart to settle.
"As long as that rascal doesn't upset me, I'm doing just fine," the old man said with a pointed look. "You tell me, has he been bullying you? Grandpa will take care of it."
Just thinking about how his own grandson had tried to starve Nevaeh to force her into a divorce made his blood pressure rise.
If Cassius weren't his own family, he'd have smacked some sense into him by now.
Nevaeh was such a good kid.
The moment she walked in, Cassius seemed to come alive. The old man was convinced, she really was the family's lucky charm.
With her around, the family would surely thrive and prosper.
Unaware of her grandpa's thoughts, Nevaeh turned to Cassius and said softly,
"Grandpa, Cassius treats me really well. We both hope you get better soon."
"Is that so?" The old man shot a skeptical glance at his grandson.
He knew his grandson's true nature far too well. Why was it so hard to believe those words?
Seeing her grandpa's doubtful expression, Nevaeh quickly grabbed Cassius's arm and shook it lightly. "Right, Cassius?"
With her delicate arm linked through his, Cassius felt something electric ripple through his chest, making his heart stir.
This strange, unexpected sensation made him lose his composure for just a moment, and his gaze toward Nevaeh unconsciously softened.
How could someone like him, usually so cold and distant, feel this way about her?
To avoid raising any suspicions from his grandfather, he forced himself to suppress the feeling and gritted his teeth before answering,
"Yes."
"Hmph." The old man snorted. "If that's the case, treat Nevaeh well and give me a great-grandson soon."
The mention of children instantly brought a wave of awkwardness over both of them.
Just when Cassius thought his grandfather might continue talking about kids, the door opened and two men walked in.
The first man had a stylish brown pompadour and an easygoing smile, with charming dimples that showed as he stepped forward.
He handed over a basket of fruit.
"Grandpa, I came to see you. Are you feeling better now?"
The second man was tall and striking, carrying an almost ethereal beauty that was somewhat similar to Cassius.
But while Cassius radiated a cold, untouchable aura, this man's calm demeanor gave off a gentle warmth.
He held a bouquet of sunflowers, walked over, and simply said, "Grandpa," before handing the flowers to a nearby nurse.
"I'm feeling much better, and I appreciate your concern," the old man said. Then, glancing at his grandson, he added,
"Cassius, since Finlay and Samuel are here today, why don't you introduce Nevaeh to them?"
At that moment, both men turned their attention to Nevaeh, their gazes lingering on her face.
Samuel's eyes darkened suddenly, something deep and unreadable flickering in them as he stared at her.
Nevaeh, feeling their sharp gazes, instantly grew nervous and a little embarrassed.
However, Cassius remained silent, his expression calm as he looked at her, showing no intention of making introductions.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Finlay suddenly chuckled, his dimples deepening as he broke the silence.
"Cassius, look at you! You just woke up and already have a wife. Impressive!"
He then pointed to himself and the man standing next to him.
"Sister-in-law, I'm Finlay, and this is Samuel. We're all buddies of Cassius."
Nevaeh gave them a polite smile. "Nevaeh."
Standing behind Finlay, Samuel had already regained his calm demeanor. He offered a gentle smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
After Finlay's playful comment, he pushed Cassius out of the hospital room, turning to greet the old man before leaving.
"Grandpa, we need to talk, see you later."
With that, he grabbed Samuel by the arm and walked out.
---
Once the three left, only the old man and Nevaeh remained in the room.
The air grew quiet. Nevaeh sat on the stool by the bed and asked, "Grandpa, has your leg been hurting these past few days?"
The old man shook his head, his earlier cheerful expression softening into something more serious. "Nevaeh, please close the door. I have something to discuss with you."
Nevaeh nodded, closed the door, and sat back down.
The old man's gaze was full of sincerity.
"Nevaeh, I can tell you're a good girl. Cassius is still young. If he ever does something to hurt you, please give him another chance. He doesn't know how to cherish what he has yet. If this continues, he'll regret it someday."
Nevaeh blinked in confusion. Did he sense something?
She felt suddenly nervous.
"Grandpa, we're fine. He's not even talking about divorce anymore."
The old man shook his head, his voice trembling with emotion.
"When I was young, I didn't know how to cherish the girl I loved, and I lost her. That's my biggest regret in life. I don't want Cassius to end up like me, living a life full of guilt and remorse."
"Grandpa..."
The old man waved his hand and went on,
"Don't be fooled by Cassius's success. He lost his mother when he was just a child. And as for his father... well, that's a story I won't tell now. He's had a hard life, and it's not been easy for him to get to where he is today."
Hearing this, Nevaeh was stunned. She hadn't expected Cassius, like her, to have grown up without the love of his parents.
Her heart softened, just a little.
She took a tissue and handed it to her grandfather, noticing how tears welled up in his tired eyes.
Thinking of her own grandmother made her chest tighten, and soon her own eyes grew wet.
The old man wiped his tears and looked at Nevaeh with a plea in his tone.
"Promise me, okay? No matter what he does to hurt you in the future, give him a chance."
Nevaeh wanted to tell her grandfather the truth, that she and Cassius were only pretending.
But when she saw the sorrow in his eyes, an unexplained sadness washed over her. She nodded.
At that moment, Cassius had no idea his grandfather was pleading on his behalf.
---
Around the corner of the staircase, three men stood with cigarettes, the smoke curling up and clouding the air.
Finlay finished his cigarette first and flicked the butt aside, an amused smirk on his face.
"Cassius, you're something else! You just wake up and already have such a wife by your side. My sister-in-law is amazing, she's a real lifesaver!"
"It wasn't her," Cassius said calmly, extinguishing his cigarette.
His dark eyes glimmered with something unreadable.
"It was Elizabeth who saved me."
"What the hell?" Samuel exclaimed, his voice shooting up in shock.