Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary)

"Ms. Bradley, why don't you come upstairs with us and meet the patient? We need to confirm that there's no other issues," one of the staff members suggested.

Natasha thought that sounded fair, but Nicole quickly stepped in front of them before Natasha could say anything.

"There's no need. She's my sister, and I've already asked Ms. Spencer on her behalf."

Although the things Nicole said didn't completely add up, the staff members didn't press her further.

After all, people sometimes had reasons for keeping things private.

Natasha followed them out and signed the incident report. Only then did the paramedics finally leave the hospital.

Meanwhile, Nicole stayed behind in the lobby, glancing around shiftily, her gaze constantly darting toward Natasha.

The more Natasha watched, the more curious she became. Without a word, she turned and left the hospital.

Seeing her go, Nicole finally let out a sigh of relief.

But what she didn't realize was that Natasha had circled around and was now riding the hospital's external elevator up.

Earlier, she had spotted Molly's room number on the report.

She knocked lightly on the door, but no one answered. Pushing the door open cautiously, she finally saw for herself why Nicole had been so nervous.

"Are you a family member?" a nurse asked, walking in to change Molly's IV bag. She started rattling off a list of instructions. "Make sure the patient doesn't overwork herself. No matter how strong someone is, the body has its limits, you know?"

Just then, Molly stirred awake.

Her eyes snapped open, and when she saw Natasha, her face darkened.

"Who let you in? Get out!"

The force of her voice sent her into a coughing fit.

"You're not family. You can't just barge in here. Get out. You're disturbing the patient," the nurse scolded, finally looking up. But by then, Natasha was already gone.

At that moment, Nicole rushed in, all smiles, carrying a cup of water.

"You're okay, right? I was only gone a minute, and you're already coughing so badly?"

Although her words sounded as if they came from a warm place, her eyes were full of blame.

If Molly hadn't fainted, Nicole would have been out having a romantic candlelight dinner with Matthew instead of babysitting Molly.

"I'm fine. It's getting late, so you should go home and rest," Molly said.

Molly had lived alone for so many years that she was used to taking care of herself. Even though she had a son, he barely paid attention to her health.

Maybe that was why, when she finally met someone who showed her a little warmth, she held onto it all the more tightly.

She didn't guard herself around Nicole for two reasons. One, because Nicole had saved her life. And two, as the Foster family's future daughter-in-law, Nicole didn't seem to have anything to gain from her.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about Ms. Simon-" Nicole started carefully.noveldrama

But before she could finish, Molly cut her off.

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm not handing the factory over to her," Molly said firmly. "If she wants it, she can pay a deposit first. She wants the goods upfront so she can make a profit before paying me. What does she think this is a charity?"

Molly had survived decades in business. She knew exactly how to protect herself, and no amount of smooth talking was going to change her mind.

"But you and Ms. Simon go way back. She's not going to stiff you. Can't you just do it for old times' sake?" Nicole pressed, her voice a little desperate.

She had already promised Matthew she'd get this done.

"Nicole, I thought you were smarter than this. Smart people know better than to let emotions get in the way of what they say," Molly said coldly.

Her words were final, and Nicole's pride was starting to take a hit.

"Alright, then. Get some rest. I'll see myself out."

Without a second glance, she turned and stormed out, dialing for Matthew the moment she stepped into the hallway.

"I swear, that stubborn old woman is impossible! She's dead-set on getting a deposit first. Why don't you grab some stock yourself and help your mom out?"