Female Novel
Chapter 938
Chapter 938
The couple exchanged a glance and changed the subject. Some things were too secretive, and themore people who knew, the more dangerous it became. Not knowing was their best protection.Jasmine felt a slight sense of guilt for hiding things from her loved ones, but she had to abandonthat feeling for his and their own protection.
She handed Giancarlo a pair of disposable fork and said, "Eat up! You must have gained at leastfive pounds during your hospital stay."
"Jasmine, you always like to expose my weaknesses," Giancarlo replied with a smile as he took thefork from her hand and tasted some mushrooms.
As they were eating dinner, they heard knocking on the door outside. Clare put down her fork toanswer it and saw Sylvia and Franklin standing there.
Clare's face lit up with joy as he greeted them warmly. "Sylvia, Mr. Maskelyne! You've come!"
"Uncle," Franklin corrected him with a smile. "No need to be so formal; we're all family here." Heplaced his gift in the corner cabinet while Jasper carried two boxes inside.
"You bring so many skincare products; we can never finish them all," Jasmine chuckled softly asshe welcomed them in her elegant manner that made even every wrinkle around her eyes seemgentle.
"You're too kind," Sylvia replied before walking over to Giancarlo's side asking about how he wasfeeling lately while calling up his medical records on phone along with recent prescriptions used byhim.
After getting accurate answers regarding Giancarlo's health status from him or doctors' reports ifneeded, Sylvia nodded approvingly before asking if he had gone through any check-ups earliertoday?
"We have almost daily check-ups now; let me call someone over." He immediately called out forsomeone nearby who could help take care of this matter quickly before turning back towards Sylviaand Franklin again. "Have you guys eaten yet? My uncle brought extra food tonight; would you likesome?"
"We already ate earlier; please enjoy your meal!" Franklin sat elegantly on one of their sofas withlegs crossed looking quite refined and sophisticated while waiting patiently for further updatesregarding Giancarlo's health condition which soon arrived thanks to diligent efforts by both doctorsand nurses alike who kept track of everything meticulously including prescriptions used during thisperiod since admission into hospital till date etcetera...
"Dr. Sylvia, take a look at these." The doctor handed over all these things to Sylvia.
Sylvia took them and started looking down.
The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead due to running and stood next to Sylvia.
After a few minutes, Sylvia handed all these things back to him. "The recovery is quite good, muchbetter than I expected."
"The old man has been wanting to leave the hospital..." The doctor looked at her with somedifficulty. "What do you think, Dr. Sylvia?"
"Good recovery doesn't mean he can be discharged immediately." Sylvia smiled with bright eyes."Let's observe for another two days and give him two more days of IV fluids to reduce inflammation.It's better safe than sorry."
"Sylvia, I'm so tired of staying here," Giancarlo said even during his hospital stay; his hair wascombed very carefully without any messiness visible in it. His silver strands were clearly visibleagainst slightly sunken eye sockets while deep brown eyes quietly spoke of the marks left by time.
"When it's time for leisure, you have to take a few days off," said Sylvia as she handed him anothersmall steamed bun jokingly. "Eat more; when you're discharged later on, you'll have to walk outyourself."
"Of course I have to walk out myself! If I keep lying in bed every day like this, I'll turn into amushroom!" Giancarlo directly accepted her joke and laughed.
"Stay for two more days; discharge on the day after tomorrow," said Sylvia comfortingly as shelooked at him. "Your illness is not trivial; after barely saving your life back then, you must cherish itwell now! Besides that my uncle's engagement banquet has chosen a date next Saturday so if youleave early then there won't be any chance for you attend!"
Hearing what Sylvia had just said made Giancarlo finally accept this fact. "Okay then... I'll stay herefor another two days."
It really feels like living here will make me go crazy!
The Ritter Villa.
Mrs. Ritter tearfully handed over a bunch of keys to the buyer before carrying her luggage andsaying, "Let's go."
Ashlyn's eyes were also red and swollen but she still took one last reluctant look at their homewhere they had lived together for many years before saying. "Alright, let's go."
After Ritter Group declared bankruptcy, Mrs. Ritter was forced to sell their valuable villa in order topay off debts
"Mom, don't be too sad," Ashlyn said as she opened the car door. "Dad still needs a lot of money forhis medical treatment, and we have so many debts to pay off. Our family is falling apart, and ourrelatives and friends can't even help us anymore."
"Thank goodness, we still have this car," she continued as she got in the driver's seat. "Otherwise, itwould be inconvenient for us to go anywhere. Taxis are expensive, and buses waste time."
The Ritter family had owned several luxury cars, but they had all been sold off. Only the cheapestBMW X3 remained - it was meant for their driver to use.
Now all of their drivers and servants had been dismissed.
The Ritter family... had truly fallen from grace.
"Oh..." Mrs. Ritter got into the car and rolled down the window before turning back to look at theirformer home - the Ritter Villa - as they slowly drove away until it was out of sight.
"Don't worry, mom," Ashlyn said while driving. "I'll work hard in order to make you proud once againwhen dad wakes up from his coma."
"Even though our new apartment is small," she continued trying to comfort her mother who startedcrying again after speaking up about how small their new living quarters were compared to whatthey were used too; "As long as we're together with dad, once he wakes up, then that's all thatmatters."
"A small two-bedroom apartment is better than sleeping on the streets right?" She tried reassuringher mother some more by saying. "It's easier for me clean since I'm not good at cleaning big housesanyway plus we can't afford maids anymore"
"Why did things turn out like this?" Mrs. Ritter sobbed quietly while reflecting on how far they'vefallen from being high society members; She couldn't accept what has happened now that they're
just ordinary people struggling through life day by day.
"It's like one minute you're in heaven but then suddenly everything changes," Ashlyn spoke softlytrying her best not upset her mother any further with words such as these.
"Besides Mom," She added trying another way of comforting her mother. "I found a job! I'll earneight thousand dollars a month!"
Mrs. Ritter listened intently but felt more heartbroken than ever before hearing those words comeout of Ashlyn's mouth.
"Eight thousand dollars? Back then you couldn't even buy yourself clothes with that amount," Hervoice trailed off into sadness once again; "And now you have to work so hard just so you could earnenough money?"
"I didn't raise you just so you could become someone else's teacher."
"Mom, only that piano institution is willing to take me. Everyone in the piano circle knows I'mJenna's underachiever. It's already good enough that someone is willing to give me a job. If I teachwell, my salary will increase in the future. Once I become a famous teacher, how can I not have ahigh salary?" Ashlyn said as tears fell down her face. She wiped them away and continued,"Everyone else can survive, why can't I? But I know for sure that I will make it! Mom, from now on,I'll work hard and take care of you and dad."
She knew she was no longer the little princess of the Ritter family or the spoiled heiress who reliedon her family's wealth.
From now on, she had to work hard and earn money to support her parents.
The rain quietly fell as cars honked their way through the misty drizzle.
Today was Giancarlo's discharge day from the hospital.
Despite it being a rainy day outside, he looked full of energy with a smile on his face. To keep himwarm from the cold rain outside due to his surgery recovery process Jasmine had prepared himwith a black hat for him to wear over his head.
He didn't let anyone help him but walked towards his car by himself where he saw Clare and Molliewaiting for him.
"Clare! Will security say anything if we park here at this entrance?" He asked jokingly while openingup their car door.
"Sylvia has already taken care of it so don't worry," Clare replied with a smile before adding "Uncle-in-law come inside quickly because The Gibson family has prepared dinner for you!"
"What? The Gibson family?" Giancarlo looked confused.
"A few days ago Old Mr. Gibson personally invited my parents over as guests at their house theninsisted we stay there too since we're all going to be one big happy family soon." Clare explainedsheepishly before continuing "It was nice staying at our hotel but..."
Giancarlo could see Clare blushing slightly which made things even more awkward especially sinceMollie was present too.
"You guys are shameless!" Jasmine chimed in after getting into their car "How could you just gostay at someone else's house like that?"novelbin
"Oh my, isn't this a generous offer? If I refuse again, it would seem too distant." Clare blushed evenmore. "Sylvia went to the Gibson family early this morning to help with their home banquet.Although they hired a chef, she still wants her uncle and you to taste her homemade dishes."
"Sylvia is really filial! I'm so touched," Giancarlo exclaimed. "I'm really lucky to have such agranddaughter-in-law..."
He wanted to share his research results with her even more now.
"So she couldn't come pick you up," Clare said as she started the car. "Franklin is also therechatting with the elders of the Gibson family."
"Auntie, Uncle, my family is easygoing and friendly. You don't have to be nervous," Mollie whisperedfrom the passenger seat.
"We're not nervous at all. We're old folks; how could we be nervous? Only children get nervous,"Giancarlo laughed again, feeling very good after being discharged smoothly despite the rainyweather causing some discomfort in his wound.
Jasmine remained silent as they drove towards the Gibson family's location.