Chapter 42 The Apology
Chapter 42 The Apology
Jason looked ruthless without saying anything for a long while.
Eric was waiting for his decision silently.
A few moments later, Jason asked, "Does Nova have a meal?"
Eric was so surprised that he was lost for words the moment he heard Jason's question. It turned out that he spent such long time thinking about Nova not the report.
"Miss. Graham is staying with her family. I think she has no time for it."
"OK, I will eat with her."
In his preoccupation with Eric's last sentence, Jason got out of bed and walked out directly with the medical flask.
Eric took a deep breath behind Jason, thinking that without the high salary of more than a million, he would not choose to take care of a childish man.
Now Nova's ward was crammed full of people, to be exact, her family.
Toby was frowning angrily because the news was likely to stigmatize the Graham and the bad reputation was hard for them to shake. Besides, when he tried to leave with Nova unobserved by the media, she refused, which made Toby more furious.
Nova looked at him indifferently and said softly but clearly, "My dear father, you don't understand what I said. I mean, what I have done has nothing to do with the Graham."
Toby was annoyed at once but he said nothing, in an attempt to calm down.
"Nova, what are you talking about? You are the daughter of the Graham and everything about you must be related by others to the Graham. Are you going to cut all ties with us?"
Ella took Ewan's arm and fondled her belly -- she was pregnant, saying like she cared for Nova.
Nova gave her a blank glare and turned to Toby, "Do you know how the accident happened?"
Ella was stunned, wearing an unnatural expression.
Toby kept frowning, feeling confused by her words.
Nova looked down and seemed to smile. Then she begged quietly, "Dad, I want to talk with you privately."
Toby was surprised. He had not heard Dad from Nova for many years seemingly since he endlessly quarreled with his first wife Ivy or maybe after Ivy died and he brought Lucie and Ella back home. It's been years for Nova no longer called him so affectionately. Recalling that she once acted in pettish to him on his shoulder in the childhood, he was lost in his mind.
Lucie kept examining his face coldly and remained silent.
Ella became anxious because of Nova's expression. Ayan's death relieved her, who's her scapegoat, but she still felt unsettled. Now hearing what Nova said, she turned more uneasy so she tried to stop them.
"We are family, Nova. Why not talk in front of us? You don't want us here?"
Nova looked at her and said plainly, "Yes. Definitely"
Ella was lost for words and asked Ewan for help bitterly.
But this time, Ewan just caressed her hair without helping her; he whispered, "Be quiet honey. Don't scare our baby."
Ella was not unpleased with what he said, and before she expressed her satisfaction, Lucie said, "Ella, while you are in hospital, just have a pregnancy examination with Ewan." NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.
Ella had to keep silent and left with Ewan.
After Lucie sent them away, she closed the door intentionally.
Noticing what Lucie had done, she thought that Lucie was acting so inclusively, quietly and keeping everything exactly right, which could account for the harmony between her and Toby. Toby was a successful businessman who was in want of a wife who was considerate and dependent on him. However, her mother, Ivy, was the opposite. Ivy was bossy and independent. So, to Toby, Lucie was much better than Ivy.
Aware that they all left, Toby sat on the chair beside her. The father and the daughter now even had a difficult conversation.
"Dad, I understand that you don't want me to get involved. But you know, I have my own feeling. I want to make choice by myself."
After a long while, Nova seemed to make a great effort to express herself. She seldom blamed Toby for his partial love because it's too sad for her to beg her father's love.
Toby was speechless. Ella had lived with Lucie outside the Graham for ten years so he paid more attention to Ella. Besides, Nova shared her personality and appearance with his first wife, which made him reluctant to communicate with Nova. And finally, he got used to his own bias.
Not waiting for his answer, Nova continued, "When Ayan was driving towards me, I felt that I must die. But at that time, Jason pulled off the safety belt and protected me in his arms."
Tears filled her eyes again but didn't drop down.
"Apart from my Mom, he is the only one who values me above his life. Now, my Mom was gone, and he's still with me. I love him. So, whether he is involved in the Thompson's collapse or not, I will stand by his side. As for the Graham, I will try my best to keep it safe because it's the only legacy my Mom left to me."
Toby stared at her in a complex emotional state. He then asked her after a long time, "Nova, tell me the truth. Do you hate me these years?"
Nova looked into his eyes and answered, "When I knew you had another daughter, you were no longer my father."
Then she looked away and continued plainly, "I remember that when Ella was you smiled so happily which I never saw before. When you gave her a gift from the business travel and lifted her up to make her laugh, I was always staying on the desk in my bedroom. To me, the desk was expensive but cold. And I also remember there's a time she slept in the living room, you brought her back to her room carefully when you returned home. You know, I am so jealous of her so I did like her on purpose one day waiting for your hug, but what you did was only to wake me up by patting -- I should go back to the bedroom by myself. From then on, I noticed that to you, she was more a daughter than me, and I was just your burden."
Toby listened to her silently and suddenly was about to burst into crying. He now understood that they were becoming a stranger to each other because of his unconscious behaviors. He was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt in front of his eldest daughter who lost her mother and learned to depend on herself.
"Nova, I...I am so sorry."