Chapter 104 What had Marcus done now?
Aria’s POV
I answered the call quickly and stepped into the adjacent conference room for privacy.
"Grandma Rose?"
"Aria, dear, I’m afraid I’m not feeling well. I’m at the hospital right now."
My heart lurched. "What happened? Are you okay? Is it your heart condition acting up again?"
I’d been worried about Grandma Rose’s health for months now.
Even though she hated being fussed over, I’d been quietly arranging for high-quality supplements to be sent to her regularly, making sure someone checked on her when Ethan was tied up with Pack business.
"Oh, sweetheart, when you get to be my age, you don’t have much time left anyway." Her voice sounded weak, trembling slightly.
"It’s not really my old ailments—the doctor says it’s more emotional stress. My blood pressure spiked from worrying too much, so they want to keep me here for observation for a few days."
Guilt twisted in my stomach. She’d come all the way to see me, and now she was in the hospital. "I’ve been thinking about you constantly, dear," she continued, her voice growing softer. "Could you possibly come visit your old grandmother?"
"Of course. I have something to wrap up here first, but I’ll come see you right after. Just send me the room number."
How could I refuse? Grandma Rose had always been kind to me, even when the rest of the Holt family treated me like an inconvenience.
After hanging up, I immediately called my assistant over.
"I need you to put together a gift for an elderly woman—something thoughtful.Organic teas, maybe some soft blankets, good quality fruits."
The moment the meeting with the V&A Group executives wrapped up, I grabbed the gift plastic bag and headed to my car.
My mind raced the entire drive to the hospital. What would I say to her? How could I explain the separation without revealing the truth about Ethan and Clara?
Grandma Rose was sharp—sharper than most people gave her credit for. Ethan’s clumsy lies probably wouldn’t fool her for long.
I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice the messages from Damian piling up on my phone.
When I pulled into the hospital parking garage, I killed the engine and grabbed the gift plastic bag from the passenger seat, already planning what I’d say upstairs.
"Bad woman! You’re a bad, bad woman! All you do is hurt people! Give Aunt Clara back!"
I froze.
That voice.
I turned slowly, spotting Marcus being led toward a car by one of Ethan’s assistants.
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Ethan’s POV
She’s coming. The thought sent a surge of anticipation through me that I tried to suppress.
Then Grandmother settled back against the pillows.
"There. A simple invitation, nothing suspicious. She’ll come around.Now get out, both of you. I need rest."
"Mom—"
"Out!"
We filed out of the room obediently. In the hallway, I finally allowed myself to exhale.
That had been close. Too close.
"You need to fix this," Mom hissed once we were far enough from the room.
"Whatever it takes, get Aria back to the house. The last thing we need is Grandmother getting suspicious and digging deeper."
"I know."
"Do you?" She grabbed my arm, nails digging in through my jacket. "Because from where I’m standing, you’re making a spectacular mess of everything. Clara, Aria, the company—"
"I said I know!" I yanked my arm free. "I’ll handle it."
"You’d better." She smoothed down her skirt, composing herself.
"Because if Grandmother finds out the truth—if she finds out about Marcus, about the Mark, about everything—it won’t just be you who suffers."
She was right, and I hated it.
I watched her stalk down the hallway toward Sophie and Marcus, my mind already churning through possibilities.
Then my phone rang. Aria’s name flashed on the screen, and despite everything, my heart jumped. But her first words weren’t what I expected.
"Are you at the hospital? Marcus just had an incident. You need to get down here and handle this."
The warmth I’d felt at hearing her voice instantly evaporated, replaced by cold dread.
"What kind of incident?"
But all I got in response was the dial tone. She’d already hung up.
What had Marcus done now? Couldn’t he and Clara just give me a moment’s peace? Was choosing Clara really a mistake?