Begging For A Reconciliation

Chapter 279 Slipped Away

Leah took some time to calm down before shaking her head. “I can let go of him,” she finally said.

Her answer satisfied Shawn, so he chose not to pursue the matter any further even though he knew that Leah was not telling the truth.

The next day, Leah and Shawn dominated the headlines of Linkville’s major tabloids. Speculation was rife about their relationship and whether good news was to be expected soon. Shawn eyed the magazine on the table with a devious glint in his eye. He was all too pleased.

Mr. Carling, the family’s butler, noticed the magazine on the table and approached Shawn tentatively. “Mr. Shawn, do you want me to get in touch with the paparazzi?”

“No need,” Shawn responded. He closed the magazine and headed upstairs with a cup of hot milk in his hand. He went into Leah’s room and placed the cup of milk on her bedside table. He then informed Lucy to allow Leah to roam around the house as she wished before he left the house.

Leah slept until it was past noon. She noticed the cup of milk on her bedside table almost immediately.

“Ms. White, Mr. Ford brought this up for you this morning,” Lucy explained before Leah even had time to ponder on the origins of the mysterious cup of milk.

“Mm,” Leah made a curt sound. Instead of feeling comforted, Leah only felt more suspicious of Shawn’s motives. Although Shawn had not done anything untoward, she wondered why he kept her locked in this place.

Lucy picked up a pair of house slippers and gently placed them right in front of Leah’s feet. Leah quickly slipped them on and got out of bed without another look at the cup of milk.

“Ms. White, are you not going to drink the milk?” Lucy asked. She had worked for the Fords for almost five years and never once saw Mr. Shawn bring a woman home nor show any sign of affection toward a woman. Leah was the first, but she did not seem to appreciate Shawn’s rare gesture.

Leah dragged her feet toward the bathroom sleepily. “You can have it if you want to,” she told Lucy before stepping into the shower. Once she was done washing up, she headed downstairs for breakfast. As she was eating her meal, Mr. Carling came into the dining room with a paper bag.

“Mr. Ford prepared this for you and asked me to pass on a message. He said you should know who you can contact and who you shouldn’t,” Mr. Carling explained before passing her the paper bag.

Leah peeked inside the paper bag. It was a brand new cellphone, to replace the phone that Shawn had forcefully taken away from her. Leah knew exactly what he meant in his message delivered via Mr. Carling. She was not allowed to contact Han.

“I understand,” she nodded as she took the new cellphone out of the bag. She barely even looked at it properly before carelessly tossing it aside. Lucy could tell that Leah was not having a good time, so she suggested a walk around the courtyard after breakfast.

“It’s alright, I’m tired,” Leah muttered glumly before she headed upstairs once again.

…

At the hospital, Alfred had kept all the tabloids and magazines out of Han’s sight. Last night after Leah had left with Shawn, Han stood waiting in the cold until his body turned numb. Unable to watch a despondent Han any longer, it was Alfred who decided on his behalf to bring him to the hospital immediately, knowing his legs could not take much more.

Alfred held the surgery notice in his hands while observing Han carefully. “Mr. Howard, the doctors have arranged your surgery for tomorrow. Is that alright with you?” Alfred asked cautiously. There was a possibility that Han might not be happy with the arrangement, but he was willing to take the blame for it. However, Han’s eyes looked unfocused and dispirited as he looked out the window with a blank stare.

“Mm,” was all he said. Alfred breathed a sigh of relief. He would have never made such a big decision on his own if he was not so worried for Han.

…

Ron had also read the news about Leah and Shawn through the tabloids. His eyes glazed with cynicism as he let out a bitter chuckle. He wondered how Shawn must feel after finding out about Leah and Shawn.

Leah had dumped him for Han Howard, and now she did the same to Han for Shawn Ford. It was a vicious cycle indeed. Of course, Ron was the kind of man who did what he wanted, so he headed to hospital himself once he found out about Han’s whereabouts.

In the hospital ward, Han was in the middle of a pre-surgery examination. Ron pushed open the door to come face to face with Han who was seated on a wheelchair. He was about to let out a mocking laugh before his eyes caught Han’s, which made him clear his throat nervously instead. Han Howard did not look much different from the last time Ron saw him, but the coldness in his eyes made Ron shift his gaze away uncomfortably.

“Yes, Ron?” Han’s tone was frigid.

“Oh, no, Han, I heard you were hospitalized so I decided to pay you a visit,” Ron said with a crooked smile.

Han’s expression remained hollow as he stared at Ron. He knew Ron was here to mock him, and he supposed it was karma. What comes around goes around, after all.

Ron, on the other hand, felt like he had made his point and was ready to leave. “You seem alright, so I’ll leave you to it then,” he said before heading for the door.

“Did it hurt when she left you back then?” Han spoke all of a sudden. He never really knew how to love someone or what love felt like. All he knew was a strong sense of helplessness and desolation when Leah left him.