The Ex and Her Riches
Chapter 422

Chapter 422

Half an hour later, Gwendolyn and Cedrick returned to the Harris residence at Mount Tranquil together.

Kieran and Treyton still had not arrived, while Sienna was pacing back and forth before the door as ifshe’d been waiting for them.

She hurried toward them the moment they stepped out of the car. “You’re finally here, Gwen.”

Gwendolyn noticed her swollen eyes and inquired calmly, “How’s Dad?”

Sienna shook her head. “Not good. The doctor says he’ll probably last around two days at most. Butwe’ll have to wait for Kieran’s diagnosis when he’s back.”

“Okay.”

They strode into the mansion.

The door to Marcus’ bedroom was open, and a man was sitting before his bed.

Gwendolyn had not seen Asher for around seven to eight days.

He looked completely different from before.

He’d lost a lot of weight, and his skin was dull. Moreover, the stubble on his face gave him a weatheredlook, making him seem to have aged a decade, although only several days had passed.

Gwendolyn had no idea, nor was she interested in knowing what he’d gone through.

“Could you please excuse us? I wish to talk to Dad and don’t want to see you here.”

Her voice was devoid of emotion, as if she were talking to a stranger.

Asher’s eyes were lowered as he departed the room in silence.

Despite his efforts to appear normal, Gwendolyn astutely observed a slight limp in his gait as he walkedby her.

Is it his knee?

“Are you sure you’ve been obediently reading scriptures at the ancestral hall for the past few days?”She directed the question at Asher.

He froze and opened his mouth to speak up for himself.

Yet no sound came out from his lips as the words were trapped in his throat. As such, he left the roomdefeatedly without uttering a word.

Sienna entered and clarified discreetly, “Gwen, he lost his voice and hasn’t spoken for several days.He’s recently been hand-copying scriptures and has gone for an entire day without having a meal.”

Gwendolyn listened silently and refused to comment on it.

Sienna sighed at her remote expression. “I’ll wait for Kieran and Treyton at the entrance while you keepDad company for now.”

“All right.”

Gwendolyn sat beside Marcus’ bed after Sienna was gone. She rested his wrinkled hand against herface and gently stroked it.

“Ceddy, I would like some time to speak privately with Dad as well.”

Cedrick inclined his head understandingly and excused himself, shutting the door after him.

He went straight to look for Asher after exiting the bedroom.

Asher was holding onto the banister while making his way downstairs.

He no longer had to put on an act without Gwendolyn around, and it was evident that each step wasexcruciating at the snail’s pace at which he moved.

The ancestral hall’s tiles were cold and hard. Therefore, his knees were swelling with pain afterkneeling on the ground for days on end.

The doctor had given him a check-up the day before and voiced the possibility of him being diagnosedwith rheumatism in the future.

Cedrick stood at the top of the stairs and quietly observed Asher, noting how challenging it was for himjust to get down a level, so much so that his entire forehead was drenched with sweat.

Asher took a deep breath and was about to take another step down when Cedrick held his arm frombehind.

“Why hide everything you’ve done as atonement for your crimes from Gwenny?”

Asher turned back and met Cedrick’s gaze.

Is there any point in her knowing?

He knew better than anyone what his sister’s temper, whom he’d cared for since childhood, was like.

Even if he were bedridden, she would interpret anything he said as a ploy to fish for sympathy, whichwas counterproductive.

He withdrew his gaze and released Cedrick’s hand to continue his journey down the stairs.

Cedrick didn’t try stopping him. Instead, he uttered unexpectedly, “Gwenny wouldn’t believe you did allthis even if she saw it with her own eyes. While Evelyn was the main culprit, you were the one who hurt

Gwendolyn the most. What you owe her is a sincere apology. Unfortunately, you have no idea how todo that.”

Asher took it all in wordlessly and resumed his excruciating crawl downstairs.

Cedrick stared at his back and shook his head exasperatedly.

The wound on his left hand from peeling fruits throbbed in pain, reminding him of its existence.

He went to the housekeeper to get it disinfected and covered it up with an inconspicuous patch.

Kieran and Treyton arrived hastily, one after the other two hours later.

Kieran immediately made a beeline to Marcus’ room and conducted a full-body check-up on him.

Gwendolyn stood at the side and offered assistance when needed.

After a nerve-wracking half an hour, Kieran helped Gwendolyn downstairs.

Asher, Treyton, Sienna, and Cedrick were all seated on the couch in the hall, awaiting theirappearance.

Sienna got to her feet. “Kieran, how is it? Is there hope?”

Kieran lowered his gaze and shook his head while solemnly delivering the result of his check-up.“There’s still a blood clot in his skull that hasn’t been removed from the last time he took a fall. It hasnow spread and is affecting his central nervous system. He will be brain-dead soon. Even if we insistedon operating on Dad, he wouldn’t survive due to his age and inherently frail physique.”

The atmosphere of the hall was shrouded with despair at the news.

Gwendolyn felt the energy drain from her and swayed on her feet.

Cedrick instantly dashed to her side and wrapped her in his arms to offer comfort.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she curled up in his arms. Her right hand clung tightly to the fabric ofhis suit.

She attempted to repress the sorrow she felt for the sake of her unborn baby.

Deathly silence lingered in the hall for an extended moment until Gwendolyn’s enraged bellowsounded. “Evelyn, you’ll be next if Dad dies!”

Evelyn had been keeping to herself all this time in the countryside after it was revealed that she wasseducing Norman Nixon.

Ezra and William were starting to let down their guard against her.

Margaret also stopped victimizing her and let her labor at her own devices.

After all, she wouldn’t be trying anything anytime soon due to her leg injury from kneeling.

Yet, the truth was that Evelyn was still plotting her escape despite such circumstances.

She was toiling in the fields in the afternoon when there was a sudden downpour.

Ezra and William weren’t keeping an eye on her as they were taking a nap after working in the fieldsduring the day. Margaret, on the other hand, was sheltering from the rain under a tree, leaving Evelynalone in the field.

Evelyn intended to go on with work since sudden showers like these tended to clear up in about half anhour.

Alas, that was not the case this time around.

It poured for several hours non-stop, as if the heavens were crying their heart out.

Evelyn couldn’t hold it up any longer.

Margaret had an uncanny feeling about the deluge as she was soaked to the skin despite seekingcover under a tree.

As such, she had no choice but to bid Evelyn stop her labor to return home and change her clothes.

It was almost time for dinner, which meant that Evelyn was due for her whipping after that.

They made their way back in single file.

Norman was waiting attentively for them at the shack’s front door with a towel.

He offered to wipe the rainwater from Margaret’s face.

Margaret eyed him dubiously. “Since when did my son become so helpful?”

Norman laughed drily in response.

Evelyn had a poker face while drying her hair when a loud thud suddenly sounded.

Margaret had fainted in Norman’s arms.