Chapter 128

Angela POV

I hurried through the hospital corridors toward the high-end ward. Thomas's panicked call had cut through my professional resolve, leaving me with little choice but to come.

As I approached the nurses' station, I overheard a conversation that made me slow my steps.

"He's already coughing up blood. If Mr. Shaw continues to refuse treatment and the necessary rest, we cannot guarantee his safety." The doctor's voice was sharp with frustration.

"Dr. Keller, I'm truly sorry. When Mr. Shaw wakes up, I'll do my best to convince him," Thomas replied, his tone defeated.

"If he's intent on suicide, he shouldn't waste our time and resources at the hospital. We have too many patients who genuinely want to live and need our help."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Despite everything that had happened between us, the thought of Sean deliberately harming himself sent a chill down my spine. The doctor's harsh assessment suggested this was far more serious than I'd imagined.

After the doctor stormed off, I spotted Thomas leaning against the wall, hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders hunched in dejection. I hesitated before approaching him.

"Ms. Wilson." Thomas straightened when he saw me, looking exhausted behind his glasses.

He quickly turned away, taking a deep breath. I waited silently as he gathered himself. When he finally faced me again, his expression was professional, though strained with worry.

I gently placed my hand on his shoulder. "Where is he now?"

"He just came out of emergency treatment. He's in the ICU for observation."

"Take me to him," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

"Yes, Ms. Wilson."

As we walked through the long, sterile corridors, Thomas repeatedly thanked me for coming.

"I'm truly grateful you came, Ms. Wilson. I didn't know what else to do."

"Did you only contact me? What about his family? Victoria or Alexander?" I asked, wondering why I was the one being called for this.

"Ms. Wilson, this has happened before. If Mr. Shaw would listen to his family, things wouldn't have progressed to this point."

"What about Christina Jordan? I thought he valued her opinion." The words felt bitter on my tongue.

"Honestly, he doesn't listen to anyone. I'm deeply concerned about him."

I swallowed hard, pushing aside personal feelings. "How severe is his stomach condition?"

"Very serious. The doctors say it's acute gastric ulcers with risk of perforation."

"Has he been refusing treatment all along?"

"Not entirely. Mr. Shaw occasionally takes medication, but he barely eats. It's as if he's completely lost interest in food, not that he's deliberately avoiding it."

"That sounds like some form of anorexia," I observed.

"The doctors haven't diagnosed it as such. Sometimes when he's in the mood, he'll eat a little, but it's rare."

"How long has this been going on?"

"About three years, I think? I'm not certain of the exact timeline. Mr. Shaw's condition seems to have deteriorated significantly after Elizabeth passed away."

I stopped abruptly, my heart skipping a beat. "What did you just say?"

"I was saying that when Elizabeth was still alive, Mr. Shaw's condition was much better. He drank, yes, but before visiting Elizabeth, he always strictly controlled himself-avoided alcohol completely so she wouldn't smell it and worry. But since Elizabeth passed away, there's been no one who could restrain him."

My world seemed to stop. Elizabeth-gone? The woman who had been more of a mother to me than my own, who had welcomed me into her family with open arms, who had taught me what unconditional love truly meant-was dead?

"Ms. Jordan has tried to persuade Mr. Shaw, but it's been completely ineffective. He even refuses to see her. But you're different, Ms. Wilson. Mr. Shaw will listen to you, which is why I took the liberty of..."

Thomas's voice faded as a rushing sound filled my ears. The corridor seemed to blur around me. I felt my knees weaken, and then darkness claimed me.

The first sensation was pain-a sharp ache in my chest that had nothing to do with the fall. Elizabeth is gone. The thought consumed me completely.

In the five years I'd been away, I had imagined countless changes that might have occurred in my absence. I'd pictured Sean marrying Christina, Christina having his child, even the Shaw Tower being renamed-but never once had I considered that Elizabeth might no longer be in this world.

My eyes flew open suddenly, and I gasped for air.

"You're awake," a familiar voice said.

I turned to find Sean sitting beside my bed, his face tired and drawn. For a moment, our eyes locked-emerald green meeting my gaze with an intensity that made my breath catch. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, uncertainty written across his features.

I pushed myself up, ignoring the slight dizziness that accompanied the movement. "When?" I asked, my voice low but firm.

Sean's eyes widened slightly, recognizing immediately what I was asking.

"When did she die?" I clarified, my voice breaking despite my best efforts.