Chapter 938

The couple exchanged a glance and changed the subject. Some things were too secretive, and the more people who knew, the more dangerous it became. Not knowing was their best protection. Jasmine felt a slight sense of guilt for hiding things from her loved ones, but she had to abandon that feeling for his and their own protection.

She handed Giancarlo a pair of disposable fork and said, "Eat up! You must have gained at least five pounds during your hospital stay."

"Jasmine, you always like to expose my weaknesses," Giancarlo replied with a smile as he took the fork from her hand and tasted some mushrooms.

As they were eating dinner, they heard knocking on the door outside. Clare put down her fork to answer it and saw Sylvia and Franklin standing there.

Clare's face lit up with joy as he greeted them warmly. "Sylvia, Mr. Maskelyne! You've come!"

"Uncle," Franklin corrected him with a smile. "No need to be so formal; we're all family here." He placed his gift in the corner cabinet while Jasper carried two boxes inside.

"You bring so many skincare products; we can never finish them all," Jasmine chuckled softly as she welcomed them in her elegant manner that made even every wrinkle around her eyes seem gentle. "You're too kind," Sylvia replied before walking over to Giancarlo's side asking about how he was feeling lately while calling up his medical records on phone along with recent prescriptions used by him. After getting accurate answers regarding Giancarlo's health status from him or doctors' reports if needed, Sylvia nodded approvingly before asking if he had gone through any check-ups earlier today? "We have almost daily check-ups now; let me call someone over." He immediately called out for someone nearby who could help take care of this matter quickly before turning back towards Sylvia and Franklin again. "Have you guys eaten yet? My uncle brought extra food tonight; would you like some?"

"We already ate earlier; please enjoy your meal!" Franklin sat elegantly on one of their sofas with legs crossed looking quite refined and sophisticated while waiting patiently for further updates regarding Giancarlo's health condition which soon arrived thanks to diligent efforts by both doctors and nurses alike who kept track of everything meticulously including prescriptions used during this period since admission into hospital till date etcetera...

"Dr. Sylvia, take a look at these." The doctor handed over all these things to Sylvia.

Sylvia took them and started looking down.

The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead due to running and stood next to Sylvia.

After a few minutes, Sylvia handed all these things back to him. "The recovery is quite good, much better than I expected."

"The old man has been wanting to leave the hospital..." The doctor looked at her with some difficulty. "What do you think, Dr. Sylvia?"

"Good recovery doesn't mean he can be discharged immediately." Sylvia smiled with bright eyes. "Let's observe for another two days and give him two more days of IV fluids to reduce inflammation. It's better safe than sorry."

"Sylvia, I'm so tired of staying here," Giancarlo said even during his hospital stay; his hair was combed very carefully without any messiness visible in it. His silver strands were clearly visible against slightly sunken eye sockets while deep brown eyes quietly spoke of the marks left by time.

"When it's time for leisure, you have to take a few days off," said Sylvia as she handed him another small steamed bun jokingly. "Eat more; when you're discharged later on, you'll have to walk out yourself." "Of course I have to walk out myself! If I keep lying in bed every day like this, I'll turn into a mushroom!" Giancarlo directly accepted her joke and laughed.

"Stay for two more days; discharge on the day after tomorrow," said Sylvia comfortingly as she looked at him. "Your illness is not trivial; after barely saving your life back then, you must cherish it well now! Besides that my uncle's engagement banquet has chosen a date next Saturday so if you leave early then there won't be any chance for you attend!"

Hearing what Sylvia had just said made Giancarlo finally accept this fact. "Okay then... I'll stay here for another two days."

It really feels like living here will make me go crazy!

The Ritter Villa.

Mrs. Ritter tearfully handed over a bunch of keys to the buyer before carrying her luggage and saying, "Let's go."

Ashlyn's eyes were also red and swollen but she still took one last reluctant look at their home where they had lived together for many years before saying. "Alright, let's go."

After Ritter Group declared bankruptcy, Mrs. Ritter was forced to sell their valuable villa in order to pay off debts

"Mom, don't be too sad," Ashlyn said as she opened the car door. "Dad still needs a lot of money for his medical treatment, and we have so many debts to pay off. Our family is falling apart, and our relatives and friends can't even help us anymore."

"Thank goodness, we still have this car," she continued as she got in the driver's seat. "Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for us to go anywhere. Taxis are expensive, and buses waste time."

The Ritter family had owned several luxury cars, but they had all been sold off. Only the cheapest BMW X3 remained - it was meant for their driver to use.

Now all of their drivers and servants had been dismissed.

The Ritter family... had truly fallen from grace.

"Oh..." Mrs. Ritter got into the car and rolled down the window before turning back to look at their former home - the Ritter Villa - as they slowly drove away until it was out of sight.

"Don't worry, mom," Ashlyn said while driving. "I'll work hard in order to make you proud once again when dad wakes up from his coma."

"Even though our new apartment is small," she continued trying to comfort her mother who started crying again after speaking up about how small their new living quarters were compared to what they were used too; "As long as we're together with dad, once he wakes up, then that's all that matters."

"A small two-bedroom apartment is better than sleeping on the streets right?" She tried reassuring her mother some more by saying. "It's easier for me clean since I'm not good at cleaning big houses anyway plus we can't afford maids anymore"

"Why did things turn out like this?" Mrs. Ritter sobbed quietly while reflecting on how far they've fallen from being high society members; She couldn't accept what has happened now that they're just ordinary people struggling through life day by day.

"It's like one minute you're in heaven but then suddenly everything changes," Ashlyn spoke softly trying her best not upset her mother any further with words such as these. "Besides Mom," She added trying another way of comforting her mother. "I found a job! I'll earn eight thousand dollars a month!"

Mrs. Ritter listened intently but felt more heartbroken than ever before hearing those words come out of Ashlyn's mouth.

"Eight thousand dollars? Back then you couldn't even buy yourself clothes with that amount," Her voice trailed off into sadness once again; "And now you have to work so hard just so you could earn enough money?"

"I didn't raise you just so you could become someone else's teacher."

"Mom, only that piano institution is willing to take me. Everyone in the piano circle knows I'm Jenna's underachiever. It's already good enough that someone is willing to give me a job. If I teach well, my salary will increase in the future. Once I become a famous teacher, how can I not have a high salary?" Ashlyn said as tears fell down her face. She wiped them away and continued, "Everyone else can survive, why can't I? But I know for sure that I will make it! Mom, from now on, I'll work hard and take care of you and dad."

She knew she was no longer the little princess of the Ritter family or the spoiled heiress who relied on her family's wealth.

From now on, she had to work hard and earn money to support her parents.

The rain quietly fell as cars honked their way through the misty drizzle.

Today was Giancarlo's discharge day from the hospital.

Despite it being a rainy day outside, he looked full of energy with a smile on his face. To keep him warm from the cold rain outside due to his surgery recovery process Jasmine had prepared him with a black hat for him to wear over his head.

He didn't let anyone help him but walked towards his car by himself where he saw Clare and Mollie waiting for him.

"Clare! Will security say anything if we park here at this entrance?" He asked jokingly while opening up their car door.

"Sylvia has already taken care of it so don't worry," Clare replied with a smile before adding "Uncle-in-law come inside quickly because The Gibson family has prepared dinner for you!"

"What? The Gibson family?" Giancarlo looked confused.

"A few days ago Old Mr. Gibson personally invited my parents over as guests at their house then insisted we stay there too since we're all going to be one big happy family soon." Clare explained sheepishly before continuing "It was nice staying at our hotel but..."

Giancarlo could see Clare blushing slightly which made things even more awkward especially since Mollie was present too.

"You guys are shameless!" Jasmine chimed in after getting into their car "How could you just go stay at someone else's house like that?"

"Oh my, isn't this a generous offer? If I refuse again, it would seem too distant." Clare blushed even more. "Sylvia went to the Gibson family early this morning to help with their home banquet. Although they hired a chef, she still wants her uncle and you to taste her homemade dishes."

"Sylvia is really filial! I'm so touched," Giancarlo exclaimed. "I'm really lucky to have such a granddaughter-in-law..."

He wanted to share his research results with her even more now.

"So she couldn't come pick you up," Clare said as she started the car. "Franklin is also there chatting with the elders of the Gibson family."

"Auntie, Uncle, my family is easygoing and friendly. You don't have to be nervous," Mollie whispered from the passenger seat.

"We're not nervous at all. We're old folks; how could we be nervous? Only children get nervous," Giancarlo laughed again, feeling very good after being discharged smoothly despite the rainy weather causing some discomfort in his wound.

Jasmine remained silent as they drove towards the Gibson family's location.

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