Chapter 344: If Something Really Happens, the Sterling Family Will Have No Descendants
Adrian Lancaster didn’t take Simon Sterling’s words seriously.
He knew his uncle’s personality. The man’s words were always harsh, but his heart was soft. He obviously cared for Sean Sterling more than anything, yet he habitually hid all his concern behind the coldest facade, never willing to reveal even a hint of it.
"Uncle, my cousin is your and Aunt’s only son. He’s in the hospital fighting for his life right now. Can you really be so heartless as to ignore him?"
Simon Sterling’s knuckles turned white from how tightly he was gripping his phone.
He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in his study, hands clasped behind his back. Outside, rain pelted against the glass, blurring the night and making the aura around him seem all the more cold and ruthless.
In reality, however, a tempest of panic and anxiety was already churning within him.
Sean Sterling was his only son. Even though the two of them often argued, and even though he resented Sean for cutting all ties with the family over a woman, how could he, as a father, truly remain indifferent upon hearing his son had collapsed and was now in the hospital? He was simply unable to let go of his pride as an elder in front of Adrian Lancaster.
"He refuses to see reason. This is his own doing. He’s the one who cut ties with the Sterling family; he’s the one who disowned me as his father first."
"Now that he’s in trouble, I can’t be bothered with him. Whether he lives or dies is up to fate."
Simon Sterling’s tone was icy and resolute, as if the person lying in the emergency room truly had nothing to do with him.
Adrian glanced toward the door of the emergency room, already getting a headache from this father-son pair.
"Uncle, I understand you’re angry, but my cousin is in the hospital with his condition unknown. At a time like this, his family should be by his side."
"He’s unconscious and needs someone to look after him. No matter how angry you are, you can’t let your pride put his health at risk."
Simon Sterling snorted coldly, his hand balling into a fist at his side. He was the very definition of someone who would rather suffer than lose face.
"Spite? I don’t have time for that, and I’m certainly in no mood to go to the hospital to see him."
"If you have time, you can watch over him. If not, just let him be."
"Unc—"
Before Adrian could say another word, Simon Sterling hung up.
Staring at his dark phone screen, Adrian Lancaster leaned resignedly against the wall outside the emergency room and waited patiently for the doctor’s diagnosis.
...
The Sterling Residence.
Simon Sterling clutched his now-dark phone, remaining motionless for a long time.
He slowly closed his eyes, his tight jawline trembling slightly. His usual composed, imposing demeanor completely crumbled, leaving only unconcealable panic and worry.
It felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, making it ache terribly.
He didn’t even dare to imagine what state Sean was in at the hospital.
"Pathetic fool, landing himself in the hospital over a woman."
Simon Sterling muttered curses as he paced back and forth in his study, every step fraught with a restless anxiety that made it impossible for him to calm down.
Sean was his only son. If something were to truly happen to him, the Sterling family line would end.
After mulling it over, Simon Sterling ultimately couldn’t stop worrying about his son. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to lose face by rushing to the hospital alone.
He had sounded so heartless on the phone. If he hung up and then immediately scampered off to the hospital, wouldn’t he just be eating his own words? Wouldn’t Adrian laugh at him?
After a moment’s hesitation, Simon Sterling pushed open the study door and walked toward the living room with heavy steps.
Yvonne Donovan sat listlessly on the sofa, holding the remote and aimlessly flipping through the channels.
Although she was back home from the hospital, her complexion was poor. She was gloomy every day and couldn’t seem to cheer up.
Hearing familiar footsteps, Yvonne Donovan looked up at Simon Sterling.
Seeing his furrowed brow, she asked with concern, "What’s wrong? You look so grave."
Simon Sterling deliberately slowed his pace, feigning a nonchalant air as he sat down on the sofa.
"It’s nothing."
Yvonne Donovan didn’t believe him. They had been married for many years; she knew her husband.
"If it’s nothing, then why are you frowning?"
"I..." Simon Sterling trailed off.
The more he hesitated, the more anxious Yvonne Donovan became.
"Simon, what is it? Don’t hide it from me. If something’s really happened, we’ll face it together."
"Adrian called just now. He said... he said Sean..."
Yvonne Donovan shot to her feet, her whole body visibly tensing.
"What happened to our son? Tell me, quickly! Don’t make me call Adrian myself."
Simon Sterling’s worried expression finally broke through; he couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer.
"Sean collapsed. He’s being treated at the hospital."
"What did you say?!" Yvonne Donovan’s voice shot up, sharp and shrill, refusing to believe what she’d just heard.
"How could he just collapse like that out of nowhere?"
Her eyes instantly reddened, and her heart felt like it was being twisted in knots.
She had carried Sean for ten months and endured a difficult labor to bring him into the world. How could any mother remain calm after learning her son was in the hospital?
"Which hospital is he in? We need to go now."
Yvonne Donovan didn’t even bother to change, rushing for the door.
Simon Sterling’s voice came from behind her. "Do we really have to go?"
Yvonne Donovan shot him a glare, a mixture of anger and panic on her face.
"Sean is our son! He’s collapsed, and you expect us, his parents, not to go? Are we supposed to just let Adrian stay there watching over him alone?"
Simon Sterling’s face was grim. "But he’s the one who cut ties with the family. He disowned us first."
"This is no time for that! If you don’t want to go, I won’t force you. I’ll go by myself."
With that, Yvonne Donovan turned and left without a backward glance.
Watching his wife’s tearful, frantic expression, the last shred of Simon Sterling’s stubborn resolve crumbled.
He hurried after her, grabbing an umbrella on his way out.
"It’s raining. I’ll hold the umbrella. Don’t rush, the ground is slippery."
...
The Sterling family’s driver pulled the car to a smooth stop in front of the hospital’s emergency building.
It was still raining.
Yvonne Donovan threw open the car door. Without waiting for Simon Sterling or caring about the rain, she got out and dashed into the building. Her high heels splashed through puddles, kicking up water and mud, but she paid it no mind.
Simon Sterling got out and hurried to catch up, the composed, imposing air he usually carried now completely replaced by panic.
The hallway outside the emergency room was silent, bathed in the cold, white light of the overhead lamps.
Adrian Lancaster was still leaning against the wall. When he heard hurried footsteps, he looked up to see Simon Sterling and his wife rushing over.
"Uncle, Aunt."
Yvonne Donovan hurried forward and grabbed Adrian Lancaster’s arm, her voice choked with emotion and her eyes filled with desperation.
"Adrian, how is Sean? What did the doctor say? Is he out of danger?"
Adrian steadied her. "Aunt, please try to calm down. My cousin is still being treated, and the doctor hasn’t come out yet. No news is good news for now."
This only made Yvonne Donovan more frantic, and tears began to fall.
"He’s been at the hospital for so long and he still hasn’t woken up?! It must be serious."
Simon Sterling looked up at the glowing red "EMERGENCY" sign, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously.
He deliberately kept a stern expression, maintaining his usual seriousness as he stared intently at the emergency room doors. He appeared cold, but the slight twitch in the corner of his eye and his tense shoulders betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Adrian, what exactly happened? How could he just collapse like this out of the blue? Does it have something to do with Isla Griffith?"
Adrian let out a heavy sigh.
He recalled what Wren Sutton had told him before he left: let Sean recover first and don’t reveal anything about Isla Griffith’s whereabouts.
"Isla Griffith was hospitalized after a miscarriage, and my cousin was watching over her. The day before yesterday, in the morning, she suddenly disappeared. She still hasn’t been found."
"My cousin has barely slept or eaten for two days and nights, searching for Isla Griffith the entire time."
"His body couldn’t take the strain anymore. That, combined with his emotional distress, caused him to develop a sudden high fever."
"The doctor’s initial assessment was physical exhaustion, which led to stomach spasms. We won’t know the full details until they finish the examination."
Yvonne Donovan’s heart ached as she listened. Her vision blurred with tears, and she felt so unwell she couldn’t speak, nearly fainting herself.
Simon Sterling’s heart clenched. He quickly helped his wife to a bench and gently patted her back to soothe her.
Once his wife was settled, the air around him turned cold, and a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
There was anger and frustration at his son’s foolishness, but more than anything, there was heartache.
"I knew it had to do with that woman. First, he cuts ties with his family for her, and now he’s landed himself in the emergency room because of her. Does he have no shame? Think of the embarrassment if this gets out."
The more Simon Sterling thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed his fist into the wall beside him with a dull THUD.
"Uncle!"
"Simon, what are you doing!"
Just then, the emergency room doors swung open, and a doctor walked out, removing his mask.
"Are Sean Sterling’s relatives here?"
Yvonne Donovan, forgetting all about her husband’s injured hand, quickly rose and went to the doctor.
"Doctor, I’m Sean Sterling’s mother. How is my son? Is he awake?"
Simon Sterling and Adrian Lancaster crowded around as well, anxiously awaiting the doctor’s answer.
"The patient’s life is not in danger. It was a combination of prolonged overexertion, an irregular diet, and extreme emotional distress. This led to a high fever, fainting, and severe physical exhaustion. He also has a mild gastric ulcer. We’ve already treated the fever and have him on an IV. Once he wakes up, he’ll be fine with plenty of rest, better nutrition, and a few days of recovery."
Hearing the doctor say his life wasn’t in danger, Yvonne Donovan could finally breathe again.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Simon Sterling also let out a long sigh of relief and gave the doctor a slight nod.
"Thank you, Doctor. We’ll be relying on you for his continued care."
A few minutes later, a nurse wheeled a gurney out of the emergency room. Sean Sterling was lying on it.
His face was deathly pale, his eyes were squeezed shut, and his lips were chapped. A cooling patch was stuck to his forehead, and an IV line was attached to his arm.
His brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were tormented by pain even in his sleep.
Seeing her son in such a haggard state, Yvonne Donovan’s tears fell even faster.
"Sean, it’s only been a few days. How did you let yourself get into this state? It’s breaking my heart."
Simon Sterling stood by the gurney, looking down at his sleeping son with a storm of conflicting emotions in his heart.
He reached out a hand, only to let it hover in mid-air before pulling it back and clenching it into a fist. He said nothing.