Chapter 6

Gordon's face was dark with anger on the way to the hospital. He snapped, "Claire, you're way out of line! You're glued to that Bennett brat all day long—what do you take Tristan for? Don't forget that he's your husband!

"I know what you think. I'm old now, and you're the one who holds the power in the Grayson family. You don't take me seriously anymore."

Claire's brows drew tight, a flicker of displeasure flashing in her eyes. She took a slow breath, forcing her voice to stay calm as she said, "Grandpa, you're overthinking this. I've always had plenty of respect for you. How could I not take you seriously?

"As for Adrian and me, we really are just friends. There's absolutely nothing going on beyond that. I've already explained the situation to you, haven't I? He doesn't have a place to stay right now, and as his friend, I'm letting him stay at our place for a few days. Things between us are nowhere near as complicated as you're imagining."

Gordon wasn't convinced by that. His chest heaved as he tried his best to keep his temper in check. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said firmly, "I may be old, but I'm not senile yet. You and Adrian have been holding hands everywhere you go, and you say there's nothing beyond pure friendship between you two?

"Whatever excuses you cook up, just know that as long as I'm alive, you're never getting together with that punk. If you dare sneak around with him behind my back, I'll never forgive you!"

He paused, then barreled on, changing targets. "Forget that Bennett brat for a second—let's talk about Ruby. You're her mother, yet you don't even bother to visit her when she's sick and in the hospital! What kind of cold-blooded person does that? Don't you care about your own child at all?"

Claire knew she was in the wrong and felt a wave of shame crash over her as Gordon berated her. She lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her blouse. Her lips trembled, as if she wanted to defend herself. In the end, she couldn't get a single word out.

"Oh, you…" Gordon let out a long, weary sigh and shook his head helplessly, his face etched with worry.

Before long, the car rolled to a smooth stop in the hospital parking lot. Gordon got out first, and Claire hurried after him. The two of them strode into the hospital and headed straight for the cardiology inpatient wing.

As they approached the entrance to the ward, Gordon said, "Claire, call Tristan. Ask him which room Ruby's in."

The thought instantly rubbed Claire the wrong way. Truth be told, the last thing she wanted to do right now was call Tristan first. But with Gordon watching her, she didn't dare refuse. She pulled out her phone and called Tristan, reluctance written all over her face.

The call rang on and on, but no one picked up. Claire's expression grew darker by the second. Finally, she clenched her teeth and spat, "That bastard! How dare he stay mad at me and refuse to take my call!"

Seeing how mad she was, Gordon took out his own phone and called Tristan.

At that moment, Tristan was passed out drunk and completely out of it, so there was no way he was answering any calls.

When the call went unanswered, Claire's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. She said a little sarcastically, "See, Grandpa? He doesn't even bother picking up when you call. He clearly doesn't respect you at all."

Gordon shook his head. "He must be too busy taking care of Ruby to answer. Since we can't get through to him, we'll just find Ruby ourselves. Let's ask at the nurses' station."

With that, the two of them walked over to the nurses' station. Gordon smiled politely and said, "Hi, I'd like to ask which room Ruby Grayson is in."

The nurse, a young woman with a gentle face, immediately turned to her computer and started typing. A few seconds later, she shook her head, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I checked and there's no one named Ruby Grayson on the inpatient list.

"You might want to try another department or another wing. It could be a clerical issue, or she might have been transferred."

Gordon frowned. "That's impossible. She was rushed here because of an acute heart episode. She should've been admitted here. Could you please check again?"

The nurse nodded in understanding and ran another search. Then, she said, "I'm sorry, but there really isn't any patient by the name of Ruby Grayson."

Gordon nodded. "Thank you for checking."

His brows stayed knitted, his face clouded with confusion and unease. "This doesn't make sense. Did Tristan take Ruby to a different hospital?"

Just then, Claire's eyes lit up. "Grandpa, I get it now!"

Gordon turned to her, his frown deepening. "Get what?"

An icy, mocking smile slowly spread across Claire's lips. "It means Ruby's condition was never that serious. Tristan must've already taken her out of the hospital."

Gordon shook his head. "No way. If they'd already left the hospital, why wouldn't they have gone home?"

Claire launched into a full analysis, looking confident. "Because he's still mad at me over Adrian staying with us. That's why he didn't bring Ruby home—he wants to force me to apologize first. You heard what he said, didn't you? He told me to go to 32, Falcon Ridge in three days, or I'd never see Ruby again."

She snorted. "But there's no way I'm apologizing to him. He's the one who needs to say he's sorry to me. Otherwise, I'm not forgiving him."

Gordon mulled it over for a moment, then nodded. "You do have a point. Still, don't be too hard on Tristan. He's your husband, and he's treated you well over the years. I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Alright, alright." Claire nodded. She'd been studying Gordon's face the whole time and relaxed only when she saw him unfurl his brows.

She slipped her arm through his and leaned in close, putting on a playful, affectionate act. "Grandpa, since Ruby's condition clearly isn't that serious, you can finally stop worrying yourself sick."

His features softened with fondness when he saw her being so cute with him. "You're right. If Ruby's fine and Tristan's with her, then there's nothing for me to worry about. Let's go home."