?Chapter 81:


    Forced or not, Kaiden was a better choice than the scoundrel Erick.


    A few meters away, at the corner, Kaiden’s cold gaze darkened as he observed Ellie with his nephew — or rather, with her ex-fiancé — holding hands!


    Huh!


    So, Ellie wasn’t just pressured into marrying him; she also had her heart broken by Erick’s infidelity.


    Ellie married him out of necessity, and she certainly didn’t deserve to be treated this way. Outside the in-patient department, Bruce was waiting for them.


    As soon as Kaiden appeared, Bruce rushed over. “Mr. Thorpe, it’s only been ten minutes. Why the hasty exit? Where is Mrs. Thorpe?” Bruce nced over Kaiden’s shoulder, but Ellie was nowhere to be seen.


    “Shut up! Don’t mention her!” Kaiden snapped coldly as he got into his Bentley.


    Bruce sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere but decided to hold his tongue.


    After hearing about Ellie’s hospital visit, Kaiden had swiftly left the party, even though he was already near the banquet hall gate. This was the first time Bruce had seen Kaiden leave an engagement for a woman at thest minute.


    As a result, Kaiden ended up at the in-patient department, visibly agitated.


    Bruce couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had set Kaiden off, but he felt it had something to do with Ellie. When Kaiden’s temper red, his expression turned cold, the calm before the storm. Yet, as Bruce approached, he could feel the suffocating tension around Kaiden.


    “Ellie, I’ve told you Kaiden’s a no-go. You can only count on me,” Erick proimed, tilting his head and expecting Ellie to give in. “Let me be!”


    With an icy, razor-sharp gaze, Ellie carefully untangled Erick’s fingers, one by one.


    “Don’t you want to save Cecelia?” Erick asked in disbelief. Of course, saving Cecelia was important to Ellie, but that didn’t mean she was going to fall for Erick’s maniptions.


    “You want to share a bed with me?” Ellie suddenly chuckled. “Head to the riverbank bushes at night and check if the toads there resemble you.”


    Your escape begins at g?lnσν???s


    “Ellie, you’re asking for trouble!”


    Erick was infuriated by her audacity topare him to a toad. He snarled, “Alright, be stubborn. Just wait for your grandma’s final curtain call!”


    After Erick stormed off, Ellie quickly dialed Houston.


    For the time being, she kept Demi out of the loop. Instead, she briefed Houston directly on Cecelia’s situation, hoping he could talk some sense into Erick.


    However, Houston’s response was curt. “Life and death follow their own script. My mom’s too old. Who operates on her doesn’t matter. Besides, surgery might not be a silver bullet. No need to rack up debts.” Ellie understood.


    For Houston, this wasn’t a sweet deal. He wasn’t yet Erick’s father-inw, and if he called in a favor now, it couldplicate future negotiations with Erick. That was Houston—driven by profit.


    Ellie stayed up outside the ward all night. The air dried her rain-soaked clothes and hair, leaving her looking a bit disheveled.


    She didn’t want to bow to that scoundrel Erick, but she couldn’t just watch Cecelia slip away.


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