?Chapter 262:


    With this in mind, Belinda felt a wave of relief and texted back, “I appreciate the birthday gift. I know you meant well. However, please avoid rash actions from now on. I will speak with Kristopher and handle the situation.” She then rose from her bed.


    Fred’s actions were all meant to support her. She did not wish to see this benevolent young man suffer consequences.


    Earlier, as she ascended the stairs, she noticed Cathy’s agent on thending between the ninth and tenth floors. This indicated that Cathy’s hospital ward was likely on one of these floors.


    Belinda stored her phone and exited the ward, climbing the stairs to continue her search. She did not locate Cathy on the ninth floor, so she proceeded to the tenth.<fn0db5> Readplete version only at </fn0db5>


    “Grandpa, you’ve got it all wrong about Cathy. She’s not the person you think she is!”


    Upon reaching the tenth floor, even before she could step out of the stairwell, she heard a familiar, deep male voice defending Cathy.


    When Belinda reached for the door, she hesitated for a moment. Was Anthony here too? Without realizing it, she squinted and peered through the narrow gap of the slightly ajar door into the corridor. There, Anthony was seated in his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on a document resting on his knees, his expression clouded with concern. Beside him stood Kristopher, who wore a grave look as he exined, “Cathy didn’t leave because she knew about my condition; she left because she was unwell. The news of my vegetative state hadn’t even broken when her ne took off. She truly was unaware of it all.”


    Anthony remained silent, his brow still furrowed as he absorbed the words on the paper. Undaunted, Kristopher leaned closer, his voice calm but insistent. “I had hoped to bring her to you, to exin everything, but you never allowed her that opportunity. Now that you’re here seeking answers, I willy everything out clearly. She had her reasons…”


    From her vantage point, Belinda watched the interaction with a mix of amusement and intrigue. It seemed Kristopher would go to great lengths, exining repeatedly, all for Cathy’s sake. They had shared three years together, yet this was the first asion Belinda had witnessed such humility in Kristopher. Previously, he had never shown such deference. Whenever he failed to sway Anthony, Belinda would feel a pang of sympathy for Kristopher. Unbeknownst to him, she would often step in to mediate and appeal to Anthony on his behalf.


    Back then, her humility surpassed what Kristopher now disyed. She found herself exining intricate business terms she barely understood, managing household duties, and attending to Anthony’s every whim. At times, these responsibilities prevented her from going home for days on end. Kristopher remained oblivious to her efforts. He assumed Anthony’s change of heart was spontaneous.


    He thought Belinda was merely trying to strengthen her standing as Mrs. Cox by pandering to Anthony. Despite her considerable contributions, she chose not to seek recognition from him, never mentioning her own sacrifices.


    “So, Cathy left five years ago because of her own health problems?” After a brief pause, Anthony looked up and met Kristopher’s gaze with an indifferent expression. In a low, deep voice, tinged with mockery, he asked, “Has her condition improved?”


    Kristopher lowered his voice and responded, “Not yet. I’ve secured a doctor for her…”


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