29 Chapter 29- The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
29 Chapter 29 – The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
Caleb’s face darkened. “That’s unacceptable. The Sterlings don’t-” @
“Mrs. Dubois,” I began gently, “I’m so sorry about what happened. Are you feeling better?”
Something flickered in his eyes–amusement, perhaps. “No? Then why the dramatic reveal?”
The silence in the room was deafening after my revelation. Three pairs of eyes stared at me with varying degrees of shock, disbelief, and confusion.
I stepped forward, but Fiona blocked my path again. “I said no. My mother needs rest, not more of your lies.”
“Move aside, Fiona,” came a quiet voice from inside the room. Beatrice was sitting up in bed, looking pale but determined. “I want to speak with Elara.”
I trailed behind them, watching as Beatrice was settled into a luxurious private room. The doctor assured us she was stable–just a stress–induced episode, he said. She needed rest.
“Actually, I graduated with honors,” I corrected. “And then went on to earn those degrees under a different name.”
The door closed in my face. I leaned against the wall, exhausted and worried. What had triggered Beatrice’s reaction? It wasn’t just my claim about being Dr. Wilson. It was something else.
I straightened my spine. “Nothing. She-”
“Mother!” Fiona shrieked, jumping forward.
The words stung more than I wanted to admit. I watched as they climbed into the ambulance with Beatrice, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk.
I remained calm, meeting her gaze steadily. “I am Dr. Wilson.”
I froze. “No, she’s not. My mother is Genevieve.”
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29 Chapter 29- The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
I stared at him, too tired to be angry. “I didn’t claim to be Dr. Wilson to impress
anyone.”
“Sir, there’s nothing I can do,” the nurse interrupted. “We’re at capacity.”
Arthur didn’t move from his protective stance until Alistair had disappeared into Beatrice’s room. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Caleb barked out a laugh that sounded forced. “That’s ridiculous! Dr. Wilson has three PhDs and revolutionized the field of sustainable energy. You barely finished college.”
But that was impossible. I had never taken such a photo with Beatrice. Ever.
“Dr… Wilson…” she whispered, looking at me with wide eyes before her lids fluttered closed and she slumped in her chair.
The old woman shook her head fiercely, pulling out her phone. “Nonsense. Look at this photo you sent me.”
Caleb straightened, clearly pleased. “Well, it’s about time you recognized-”
Relief flooded through me as I entered the room. Beatrice was alive, conscious, and asking for me. Whatever had happened earlier hadn’t been fatal.
Alistair’s face reddened. “This doesn’t concern you, Sterling.”
“My grandmother would disagree,” Arthur replied coolly. “She’s quite fond of Elara, as you know. I’d hate to explain to her why I allowed someone to assault her favorite granddaughter–in–law.”
“This is your fault!” she hissed. “You upset her with your ridiculous lies!”
Before I could answer, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Alistair Dubois stormed toward us, his face contorted with fury.
Fiona clutched Caleb’s arm. “Your uncle? Why would he do that?”
“Elara, dear, why do you keep calling her Mrs. Dubois? She’s your mother.”
Fiona planted herself at the door when I tried to enter. “Family only.”
“No,” she interrupted softly. “It wasn’t that. It was… something else. Something I should have seen long ago.”
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29 Chapter 29 – The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
Eventually, a harried nurse approached. “I’m sorry, but all private rooms are occupied. Mrs. Dubois will need to stay in the general ward.”
Hours passed with no updates. I watched as Caleb paced, making calls and announcing importantly, “My fiancée’s mother was just admitted. The Sterling family requires your
best attention.”
He turned to me, his expression still neutral. “Don’t thank me. I’m just keeping the peace for my grandmother’s sake.”
A nurse approached us. “Mrs. Sterling? Mrs. Dubois is awake and asking for you.”
“What did you just say?” Caleb’s voice cracked.
Caleb recovered quickly. “Obviously he respects my position in the family. Come on.”
But something in his eyes told a different story.
She studied my face with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. “Dr. Wilson,” she murmured. “I never made the connection…”
“That’s enough,” Arthur said, his voice dangerously soft.
Her eyes narrowed. “Haven’t you done enough damage? You show up after years, tell ridiculous lies, and give my mother a near heart attack. Stay away from us.”
I ignored her, focusing on keeping Beatrice comfortable until help arrived. Whatever had caused her reaction, it wasn’t what I’d expected. The shock in her eyes hadn’t been about my professional identity–it was something deeper, something personal.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Fiona pushed past me. “You’re not family. You never were.”
“Where… where did you get this?” I whispered, my world tilting sideways.
Alistair’s hand flew up as if to strike me. I flinched, bracing for the impact that didn’t come. Arthur had moved with surprising speed, his body now between Alistair and me, his hand gripping Alistair’s wrist mid–air.
The hospital waiting room was crowded and sterile. I sat in a corner chair, ignored by the nurses and avoided by the Dubois family. Fiona had made it clear I wasn’t welcome, but I refused to leave. Something about Beatrice’s reaction haunted me.
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29 Chapter 29 The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
Fiona recovered first, her lips twisting into a condescending sneer. “Oh, please. Is this some pathetic attempt to seem important?”
“Still here, I see.”
Caleb was already on his phone, barking our location to emergency services. Fiona knelt beside us, pushing my hands away from her mother.
“I just want to see that she’s okay,” I said quietly.
“Mrs. Dubois?” I reached for her instinctively. “Are you alright?”
She thrust the screen in front of my face. There on the display was a picture I’d never seen before–a younger version of myself, maybe sixteen, smiling happily beside Beatrice. We were in a garden I didn’t recognize, her arm around my shoulders in a maternal embrace.
I took the opportunity to lean closer to Beatrice. “Mrs. Dubois, I never meant to upset you. If my revelation about Dr. Wilson-”
Fiona’s face had gone from mocking to furious. “Stop lying! You’re just a servant’s daughter trying to sabotage my fiancé’s business deal!”
Before I could ask what she meant, Old Mrs. Sterling pushed through the chaos to grab
my arm.
“I’m coming to the hospital,” I insisted.
I was about to respond when Beatrice suddenly grabbed the table’s edge. Her face had gone pale, her breathing shallow and rapid.
Ten minutes later, the same nurse returned with a completely different demeanor. “Mr. Sterling? We’ve arranged a VIP suite for Mrs. Dubois.”
The tension was palpable. Alistair finally yanked his hand free, glaring at both of us. “Keep her away from
from my
wife.”
The nurse looked confused. ‘I’m sorry, but she specifically asked for Elara.”
“About Mrs. Dubois? Or about your failed attempt to impress my nephew with your
scientist charade?”
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29 Chapter 29 – The Unexpected Guardian and the Mysterious Photo
The room erupted in confusion again. Fiona protesting loudly, Alistair trying to calm the elderly Sterling matriarch, and Beatrice watching it all with tired eyes.
I moved to the window, needing space from their entitled complaints. Below, I could see the hospital parking lot where a sleek black car had just pulled up. Arthur Sterling stepped out, his tall figure unmistakable even from this distance. Our eyes met briefly through the glass.
“What’s this about my grandson’s wife being kept from visiting family?” she demanded.
“Haven’t you done enough?” he growled. “Stay away from her.”
I turned to find Arthur Sterling watching me, his expression unreadable. “I was concerned,” I said simply.
Fiona’s head snapped around from the doorway. “No, she’s not. My mother doesn’t
want to see her.”
I was faster, catching Beatrice before she could hit the floor. “Call an ambulance!” I ordered, gently lowering her to the ground and checking her pulse. It was rapid but steady.
I opened my mouth to explain, but the door burst open behind us. Old Mrs. Sterling shuffled in, her nurse hovering anxiously at her side.
The paramedics arrived within minutes, efficiently transferring Beatrice onto a stretcher. As they wheeled her toward the exit, I moved to follow, but Caleb stepped in front of me.
“The arrangements were made by Mr. Arthur Sterling,” she continued. “If you’ll follow
me.”
“She showed up and started claiming she was some famous scientist,” Fiona’s voice cut in as she emerged from the room. “Mother was so shocked by her lies that she collapsed.”
“You!” he snarled, pointing at me. “What did you
do to
my wife?”
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