Chapter 197: Whose Idea?

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Whose Idea?

She offered the servant a gentle smile.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you."

Seeing her pale, haggard expression, the servant looked as if they wanted to say something but ultimately held their tongue.

The servant went straight back to the main hall, bowed, and reported.

"Patriarch Forrester, as per your instructions, I have settled Miss Hughes in the guest room at the end of the second-floor hallway."

Tristan Forrester and Bella Thorne’s bedroom was on the third floor, while Patriarch Forrester himself lived on the second. Anyone wanting to go to Justine Hughes’s room would have to pass by his bedroom, ensuring their every move would be under his watchful eye.

Patriarch Forrester lifted an eyelid and asked, "What was her reaction? Was she the least bit displeased?"

"No, Miss Hughes accepted it calmly."

"Mm. She’s sensible, a smart woman."

Master Hawthorne, who was at his side, chuckled teasingly.

"You old coot, you were born to worry."

Patriarch Forrester sighed in resignation.

"What can I do? My grandson gives me nothing but headaches!"

Master Hawthorne’s expression grew serious as he asked, "These deliberate arrangements of yours... is it because you don’t trust Tristan, or you don’t trust that Miss Hughes?"

Patriarch Forrester huffed. "I don’t trust either of them."

And for that very reason, he had to keep watch himself, secretly keeping an eye on them, and give them absolutely no chance to get entangled in private.

After all, he was the only one looking out for that girl, Bella. If even he didn’t protect her, she would be utterly pitiful!

...

The next day, Vesper Grayson had just finished giving Dolly Hughes instructions about work over the phone when she received a call from Tristan Forrester.

She asked warmly, "Mr. Forrester, did you need something?"

"I just arrived in Northolme yesterday. A friend of mine is sick, and I was hoping you could take a look. Is there any way to treat her without surgery?"

"In that case, bring your friend over in two days when I go to give Grandpa Forrester his acupuncture. I’ll take her pulse and see."

She casually added, "Do you know what her condition is?"

Tristan Forrester’s tone grew heavy as he answered, "Breast cancer. It’s still in the early stages, with no metastasis. She saw a doctor abroad, and they recommended a unilateral mastectomy to prevent the cancer from worsening and recurring."

Vesper Grayson was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then her tone turned grave as she spoke.

"In this situation, I’m afraid I can’t help much. It requires surgical intervention. If it’s confirmed to be a malignant tumor, it must be removed as soon as possible. Delaying will only worsen her condition. Once the cancer cells are out of control, they could metastasize at any time."

’I’m just a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine,’ she thought. ’I’ve only ever done acupuncture and prescribed herbal remedies. I saw my grandmaster and grandfather operate on small animals in the mountains, but I’ve never done it myself, let alone on a person.’

"Isn’t there a better way?" Tristan Forrester asked grimly.

Vesper replied helplessly, "My hands are tied."

After hanging up, Vesper continued to binge-watch her show.

For the past two days at home, she had spent her time binge-watching a major drama series, completely engrossed.

Afterward, she would call Shiloh Sloan to discuss the plot.

Sometimes, when Shiloh Sloan was free, she would come over in the afternoon to watch with her, and the two of them would snark at the show while they watched.

Her days were rather pleasant and carefree.

「Two days later.」

It was the day Vesper Grayson was scheduled to give Patriarch Forrester his acupuncture treatment.

Jared Hawthorne said he would go with her.

"Things aren’t busy at the office?"

"Mm, I worked overtime yesterday and got today’s work sorted out."

On the way to White Horse Estate, Jared Hawthorne toyed with her long, slender fingers and spoke nonchalantly.

"When we get to the estate, I’ll introduce you to a friend. She’s an old acquaintance I met in New York years ago. She’s also Tristan’s ex-girlfriend."

"Huh?"

Vesper’s eyes went wide with astonishment.

’She suddenly remembered the call from Tristan Forrester two days ago. Could the friend he mentioned—the one with breast cancer seeking treatment—be this ex-girlfriend?’

"Do you have to be so shocked? She heard I was getting married and came back specifically for the wedding."

"She’s staying at White Horse Estate now too?"

"Mhm, she’s just staying here for a few days."

’This is so ridiculously melodramatic!’

She pondered for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Whose idea was it for her to stay at White Horse Estate?"

"It was Tristan’s idea. He called to give me a heads-up. Since we’re all old acquaintances, it would have been awkward to refuse, so I agreed."

’The estate has plenty of rooms, anyway. It’s no big deal for her to stay for a while.’

Vesper frowned upon hearing this. "How could Mr. Forrester do something like that... Poor Bella, she must be so heartbroken and feel so wronged."

"Tristan has always had a good sense of proportion. Besides, she’s only staying temporarily, and Grandpa Forrester is at the estate keeping an eye on things. There’s no way those two would dare do anything out of line under the old man’s nose."

"But Mr. Forrester is already married! He’s being far too attentive to his ex-girlfriend. Any woman would feel uncomfortable and upset watching her husband dote on his ex, let alone a young girl like Bella, who’s prone to overthinking. She has probably already imagined a whole dramatic saga in her head."

Jared Hawthorne chuckled lightly. "Mrs. Hawthorne, this isn’t our problem."

"My heart just aches for Bella!" Vesper grumbled.

"Actually, this might not be a bad thing. It’s a good opportunity to test Tristan’s feelings. If he really is still hung up on Justine Hughes and is just forcing himself to be with Bella, that’s not fair to Bella either. Rather than the two of them torturing each other later on, it’s better to see things clearly now."

"So you deliberately agreed to let Miss Hughes stay at White Horse Estate?"

"Oh..."

Vesper pulled her hand away, chiding, "How could you be so bad! You just love to watch the drama unfold, don’t you?"

Jared Hawthorne reached out, pulled her into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her cheek. "Some things have to be faced eventually. Seeing them clearly sooner means less hurt later."

’It made sense, but she still felt it was too cruel to Bella Thorne. She wondered if the young woman could handle it.’

’I just hope that Miss Hughes knows to behave herself. Since she chose to walk away back then, she shouldn’t come back now and interfere in someone else’s marriage.’

’Otherwise, Bella would just become a pawn in their relationship games.’

The car soon arrived at White Horse Estate.

The moment she walked into the estate’s main hall, she spotted Miss Hughes.

She was tall and statuesque, with the perfect posture that comes from years of dance. The line of her shoulders and neck was elegant and fluid, her figure light on her feet yet exuding a supple grace.

Her features were exceptionally striking. It wasn’t the gentle prettiness of a girl next door, but a beauty that was brilliant, poised, and dignified. Her eyes were exquisite and deep-set. Her temperament was cool and aloof, yet tinged with a frail, sickly air, giving her a distinctive beauty. Even though her complexion was pale from her illness, it did nothing to diminish her innate radiance.

To be honest, Justine Hughes and Tristan Forrester were of a similar age, and both possessed a natural air of aloof, refined nobility.

One was stunningly beautiful and poised; the other was calm and reserved with a powerful presence. Standing together, they were unexpectedly easy on the eyes, looking like a perfectly matched pair.

Bella Thorne, however, was still young. Her eyes were bright and lively, her features sweet and adorable. She exuded the unique, endearing innocence and vitality of a young girl, but in comparison, she was merely cute.

"Jared, long time no see!" Justine Hughes greeted with a soft smile.

Jared Hawthorne nodded. "It has been a few years. I hear you’ve become a famous dancer? Even joined The Royal Dance Troupe?"

"Mhm, it shows my efforts these past few years haven’t been in vain," Justine Hughes’s gaze fell on the graceful woman by his side. "This must be your wife?"

"Yes, Vesper Grayson," Jared Hawthorne introduced.

"You’re just as Tristan described—an absolute beauty!"

’As the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face. Since the woman was complimenting her, Vesper couldn’t just be rude in return.’

"You’re too kind, Miss Hughes. You’re very beautiful too."

’She had studied dance herself, so she knew just how difficult it was to get into The Royal Dance Troupe.’

’A woman like this—clear-headed, goal-oriented, ambitious—should be above interfering in someone else’s marriage.’

She lifted her medical kit. "You two chat. I’m going up to give Grandpa Forrester his acupuncture."