Chapter 108

A dull ache spread through Liliana's chest. "Hale... what's wrong with him?"

"You should go see for yourself."

Chuck's desire to restore the family's glory was real, but so was his urgent need for money to save his son. A pained expression crossed his face. "Without the Forrests' support, the Preston family will go bankrupt in no time. Then we won't just be unable to afford his treatment-we'll still owe the bank millions!"

Two years ago, after the failed investment, Cedric had married Liliana. He had provided business opportunities and resources, but no direct cash infusion. Chuck had been forced to take out bank loans to keep the business afloat. While he'd made some profit over the past two years, greed had gotten the better of him. He'd wanted to expand, which meant more investment, which meant more loans. He'd leveraged everything again and again, and now, Preston Group was nothing but an empty shell.

"Where is Hale?" Liliana asked, her mind racing past the family's finances, focusing only on her brother.

"He's at Riverbend Central Hospital..."

Before Chuck could finish, Liliana pushed past him, threw open the door, and ran.

Chuck didn't know the real reason for the divorce, but with Liliana gone, he had no grounds to face Cedric again. He turned and followed her out.

Timothy reported their abrupt departure to Cedric.

Cedric's brow furrowed. "They left?"

"It seemed like something urgent came up," Timothy said. He hadn't been tracking the Prestons and was unaware of Hale's condition.

"Find out," Cedric ordered, loosening the watch on his wrist, his expression unreadable.

Timothy immediately began making calls. About half an hour later, he had an

answer.

"Hale was admitted to Riverbend Central Hospital last night. The report says he's suffering from a rather severe mental breakdown and is currently undergoing treatment."

Cedric had met Hale a few times. The boy had always been polite but reserved around him, a bright and energetic young man with a determined spirit. Cedric had a decent impression of him.

He also knew how close Liliana was to her brother.

After a moment's thought, he stood up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair.

"We're going to the hospital."

***

At Riverbend Central Hospital, Hale's night had been a nightmare.

After returning home, he had barely touched his food before retreating to his room. In the middle of the night, Vida and Chuck were jolted awake bya loud crash from his bedroom

They burst in to find him huddled in a corner, clutching his head, sobbing and screaming.

"I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't mean to kill you..."

They rushed to him, trying to comfort and console him, but nothing could stop his hysterical cries. Left with no other choice, they brought him to the hospital.

The guilt from the car accident had haunted him throughout his time in prison, a relentless pressure that had finally erupted upon his release. The doctor diagnosed him with a severe case of acute stress disorder. Due to prolonged sleep deprivation, the doctor recommended a sedative to allow him to rest before starting intensive therapy.

When Liliana arrived, she found Hale asleep in his hospital bed. She had just reached his side when Vida pulled her away.

"Stay away from him! You'll wake him up!"

"What did....." Liliana started to ask, but Vida was already dragging her out of the room. "We can talk outside!"

Hale was in a VIP room on a floor

ay Vinet

with only two patients, so it was quiet Once in the

collapsed onto a bench, buried her

face in her hands, and began to sob.

"What did I do to deserve this? I finally have a son, and now this! This is all your

fault! I told you to get him out sooner, but you wouldn't listen!"

The 'you' was aimed squarely at Liliana. It was as if she were a curse, the source of every misfortune, the root of every problem.