Chapter 631 - 627: Emergency Return to Veridia

Before Cecilia could respond, Emeric Grant had already rushed into the elevator. Turning back as the doors slowly slid shut, he mouthed to her from across the hall, ’I love you.’

Cecilia offered a faint smile. She didn’t feel the slightest bit of resentment toward Emeric over the sudden turn of events. He was a doctor, and his patients always had to come first.

She found a nearby chair and sat down, preparing to wait for word from Emeric. A moment later, a young nurse hurried over with a message. "Ma’am, Dr. Grant asked me to tell you a patient went into premature labor. He said you shouldn’t wait for him."

Cecilia nodded, her expression calm. "I understand. Thank you."

Just then, her phone rang. She figured it was another spam call about buying land in the Sunstone District, but she froze when she looked at the screen.

’Ronald?’

Cecilia quickly answered the call. Before she could say a word, Ronald’s voice, choked with tears, came through the line. "Sis..."

Cecilia’s brow furrowed instinctively as she asked cautiously, "Ronald? What’s wrong?"

"My... my mom, she..."

Cecilia didn’t need him to finish the sentence. Those few words were enough to make her heart pound and a chill run down her spine.

"What’s wrong with Auntie?"

"They found a tumor..."

A flash of white exploded in her mind, leaving it completely blank. Stunned, she clutched the phone, momentarily forgetting how to react. All she could hear was Ronald’s sobbing.

A few seconds later, Cecilia snapped back to reality. She desperately suppressed her own panic, forcing a calm tone. "Ronald, don’t be scared. I’m here for you. Don’t be scared!"

Her mind was a tangled mess, her body moving on autopilot. It wasn’t until she was seated in a first-class cabin on a flight to Veridia that she finally began to come to her senses.

Meanwhile, Emeric Grant emerged from the delivery room after successfully helping a patient deliver a baby boy. He asked the young nurse standing nearby, "Did you talk to my girlfriend?"

"I did," the young nurse explained. "But she took a phone call right after, and she looked really pale. Then she just rushed off. Dr. Grant, maybe you should call and check on her."

Emeric Grant nodded, walked over to a window, and dialed Cecilia’s number, but the call couldn’t connect.

’Her phone is off?’

Puzzled, Emeric tried calling two more times, but with no success.

He sent Cecilia a WhatsApp message: "Cecilia, I’m out of surgery. Are you okay? I couldn’t reach you by phone. Text me back when you see this."

Cecilia didn’t see the missed call alerts and the WhatsApp message from Emeric Grant until after her plane landed.

"I had to go back to Veridia for a family matter. Don’t worry."

It was a simple message, with no further explanation. Cecilia didn’t even know the full situation herself, so she didn’t want to dump her stress and emotions on Emeric. He was all the way in Lorcain; knowing would only make him anxious, and there was nothing he could do to help.

After receiving her message, Emeric didn’t bother her further. For her to return to Veridia so suddenly, it must be urgent. He decided he should give her some space for now.

So, he just replied, "Okay. If you need anything, call me anytime. I’m always here for you."

After landing, Cecilia took a taxi straight to her aunt’s house. As she got out at the entrance to the residential complex, her eyes instinctively darted across the street to her aunt’s Cantonese BBQ Shop. It had been open for many years, and with the local residents as regulars, business was always good.

But now, the doors and windows of the Cantonese BBQ Shop were shut tight, coated in a hazy layer of dust. It looked like it hadn’t been open in a long time.

Shaking off the thought, Cecilia hurried into the complex.

"Ronald, dinner’s ready!"

Inside the apartment, Yvonne Sterling finished cooking and called toward her son’s room. "Head back to school after you eat, okay? Don’t you have that fitness test tomorrow?"

Ronald emerged from his room at the sound of her voice. Nearly six-foot-three, the tall young man had his head hung low, his eyes red and swollen. He had clearly been crying.

Yvonne sighed helplessly at the sight of him. She walked over, patted his shoulder, and said gently, "What are you crying for? We don’t even have the results yet. I’m not even worried, but here you are, a big guy like you, bawling your eyes out."

Her words of comfort had the opposite effect. Ronald’s nose tingled, his lip quivered, and he burst into tears again.

He threw his arms around his mother, wailing, "Mom, I’m scared..."

Yvonne patted her son’s back, speaking softly. "Don’t be scared, Ronald. If it’s benign, everything will be fine."

In truth, she was terrified herself. But she could only force herself to be optimistic. ’It has to be benign,’ she thought. ’It has to be. Nothing bad will happen.’

"But what if... what if..." Ronald sobbed, not daring to finish the sentence.

"Then we’ll get treatment. I’ll focus on getting better, that’s all. There’s nothing to be scared of," Yvonne said, her own eyes turning red. "And don’t tell your sister, okay? She’s a bigger worrier than you are. The news would scare her to death."

"She’ll find out eventually," Ronald sobbed.

"Let’s just wait for the results first," Yvonne said, pulling her son over to the table. "Come on, eat. I made strawberry sweet and sour pork, your favorite."

Ronald wiped his tears and glanced at the time. "Is Dad not back yet?"

At the mention of her husband, Yvonne sighed. "You eat first. Don’t wait for him. I’ll make him some wonton noodle soup when he gets home."

Ronald finally nodded and sat down. But just as he took his seat, there was a knock on the door.

"Dad’s home!"

Yvonne patted her son’s shoulder and went to open the door. "How are you home so... Cecilia?"

Cecilia stood in the doorway, stunning Yvonne into a silent stupor. A moment later, a look of surprised delight washed over Yvonne’s face as she grabbed her niece’s hand. "What are you doing back all of a sudden?"

She glanced behind Cecilia as she spoke. "Where’s your mom? Did Lily and Ethan come with you? You’re here by yourself?"

Cecilia nodded. Then, under Yvonne’s bewildered gaze, she stepped forward without a word and pulled her aunt into a tight hug.

Yvonne froze for a second, but realization dawned on her almost instantly, especially when Ronald walked over, tears of relief streaming down his face. "Sis!"

Yvonne sighed silently and gently patted Cecilia’s shoulder. "It’s okay. We don’t have the results yet. Ronald gets scared easily, that’s all. It’s not that serious!"

"A tumor isn’t serious?" Cecilia pulled away from her aunt to look her in the eye. "Regardless of the results, this is a big deal. Why didn’t you tell my mom? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I was just going to wait for the final results before deciding what to do," Yvonne said, forcing a casual tone. "You came all this way without even a call. Come on, get inside."

"Why is the Cantonese BBQ Shop closed?" Cecilia asked. "Did you and Uncle close it down?"

Yvonne gave an unnatural nod.

A puzzled look crossed Cecilia’s face. That Cantonese BBQ Shop was her aunt’s entire livelihood. When she had tried to convince her aunt’s family to move to Lorcain, her aunt had refused specifically because she wanted to hold onto the shop.

’So why would she just close it down like that?’

’And she didn’t say a word to anyone. If I hadn’t come back, who knows how long it would have been before I found out.’