A moment later, Bethan sucked in a deep breath, turned, and exited the ward.
Brettley and Alice were still standing in the corridor.
She walked toward them and bowed to Brettley respectfully. “President Morrison. I would like to take a few days off and spend more time here in Sea City. Is that possible?”
Brettley’s gaze was cool and emotionless. “What if I say no?”
Bethan bit her lip, raised her eyes stubbornly, and looked straight at Brettley. “Why?”
Since something like this happened to Gwen, she would still worry even if she went back to Banyan City, it was impossible for her to concentrate on work.
Brettley’s gaze remained emotionless. “Even if you want to stay here in Sea City, what can you do for Gwen? Continue to feel guilty and blame yourself, keep reminding her of what happened, so you can both be sad together?”
The man’s words made Bethan take a step back involuntarily.
She stared at him in disbelief, opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single word came forth.
Brettley frowned, his voice calm but cold. “Firstly, you can’t take back what has happened to her. The most important thing now is to stop her from seeing the people who are related to this incident, so her mental and physical wounds can start healing. You should know, all of these happened to her because of you. Even if she doesn’t blame you, can you guarantee that she won’t be reminded of this incident every time she sees you?”
Bethan’s heart ached dully as if it was punched by a heavy object.
Brettley could not bear seeing her pale face and hurt expression.
But he frowned and continued. “Secondly, since she doesn’t remember the reason why Walter wanted to kill her, you shouldn’t force her to remember. Even if she does remember, can you stay by her side and protect her constantly? Forgetting is the best form of protection for her. And finally.”
The man sucked in a deep breath. “Luke Jones owes me a favor. If I ask him to protect Gwen and her father here in Sea City, he can do it.”
With that, Brettley lowered his eyes and looked at Bethan, her complexion pale and sallow from her emotional turmoil. “If you stay here, not only will you make it difficult for Gwen to forget her traumatic memories and sadness, you’ll also make yourself feel more and more guilty, more and more ashamed.
That’s why you have to follow me back to Banyan City.”
Bethan looked at him, he seemed so far away from her. His voice seemed to drift over from another distant world.
She had to admit, his words were calm and reasonable.
But also cold and unfeeling.
He reiterated coldly the fact that she got Gwen involved, that she failed to protect her.
Her incapability, her weakness, and the harm she brought her friends.
In a split second, her well of emotions surged up in her chest.
She looked at Brettley and was about to say something but she swallowed back the words at the tip of her tongue.
She stared at him, and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, then her vision turned black.
The second she fainted, Brettley tore his arm out of Alice’s grasp and rushed forward.
She landed in his arms in a soft heap.
Beside them, Alice watched as Brettley held Bethan and flattened her lips. “Brettley, put her on a chair, I ’11 ask Brettley to get the doctor.”
“No need.”
The man heaved Bethan up in his hands in a bridal- style hug. “She’s just We should go back to the hotel now.”
Alice frowned. “We’re not returning to Banyan City today?”
He lowered his head and looked at the woman in his arms. “Tomorrow.”
She did not want to leave Gwen so badly… Maybe he should give her another days’ time.
He carried her and strode toward the direction of the elevators.
Looking at his retreating back, Alice stomped her foot in anger and rushed to follow him. “Her mental strength is so weak…”
The elevator doors opened and Brettley walked inside with Bethan in his arms.
Alice hurried in too. “You didn’t say anything out of line, why is she so vulnerable…”
Brettley knitted his brows together slightly.
The Bethan Peterson from six years ago would never make such sarcastic remarks about a woman who just fainted.
But now…
He had almost gotten used to her being mean. He did not like her like this.
But he could only tolerate her and accept her for who she was now.
Because she once threw away everything she had in Sea City and married him without a single word of complaint. She gave him two children, endured incomprehensible and unbearable pain.
Even if she turned into someone he did not like at all, he could not abandon and leave her.
This was his responsibility as a husband and as a father.
But he really did not understand. “I remember, you and Gwen were desk-mates and best friends throughout your three years of high school. When this happened to her, I thought you would have the same reaction as Bethan.”
Alice paused violently.
A second later, she turned and looked at the buttons on the elevator. “We weren’t really friends, just desk
-mates. Besides, we never kept in touch after high school. To me, Gwen is just an old classmate I haven’t seen for years.”
Brettley narrowed his eyes. “But Gwen even argued with Bethan for you.”
“That’s because she knew I married well and wanted to heighten her social position, “
Alice said lightly, “
Later on she realized I don’t care about our ancient friendship and immediately became friends with Bethan. Just days ago she was arguing with her, calling her a mistress, and now they’ve become fast friends, even willing to die for each other. How fickle. No wonder she was…”
“Alice.”
She was interrupted by Brettley before she could finish her sentence.
The man frowned and was about to say something but the elevator had already reached the ground floor.
Alice bolted out of the elevator and found Lucas who was standing in the entrance, waiting beside their car.
“Go and help Brettley! “
Lucas paused, then jogged to Brettley’s side. “Sir, let me.”
Brettley frowned, looked at Lucas’s outstretched arms, and walked past him, striding toward the direction of their car.
Lucas’ empty hands paused awkwardly in mid -air. Alice rolled her eyes at him silently.
But she did not enter the car.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Bethan who lay unconscious in the backseat. “Since we’re not returning to Banyan City today, you guys go on ahead. I ‘ll visit some of my old friends here in Sea City.”
Brettley raised his lips in a cold smile. “Do you still have old friends here in Sea City who you can contact?”
This was his response to her comments about Gwen just now in the elevator.
Alice paled instantly.
“At least I still have some family in the city.”
Then, she looked at him coolly. “Would you like to join me?”
He hooked his lips in a taunting sneer and closed the car door.
The car drove away into the distance.
Alice remained where she stood until the car was nothing but a black dot in the distance, then breathed out a long sigh in relief and walked to the side of the road, “To the police station.”
At the police station. Alice saw Old Mr. Walter.
“Why were you so careless?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.