To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 35

"Patriarch Gage Linden had another severe heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. She went with him," Yves Caldwell reported.

At this, the old woman's gaze sharpened.

"You know, the only reason you can marry her is because of Gage's illness."

"I know what needs to be done," Brian replied, turning to leave the study.

Felice understood her grandson all too well.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Brian!"

He stopped in his tracks and looked back. "Is there something else, Grandma?"

Mrs. Vincent gripped the edge of the table.

"It was me. I ordered the staff at the Oldborough estate dismissed. I was the one who had Lina thrown out of the hospital."

A storm of emotion surged inside Brian, his fingers unconsciously clenching.

Felice continued, her voice steely, "Those two are troublemakers. They don't deserve the kindness or comfort of the Vincent family. If you keep letting this woman come between you and your wife, don't blame me for not tolerating her any longer."

Brian forced himself to mask any reaction. "I understand, Grandma."

Yves Caldwell was stunned.

So it wasn't Mrs. Vincent who orchestrated all this. They'd all blamed her for nothing…

Downstairs in the living room, Lina clung to her mother's arm, glancing anxiously up the staircase.

When she saw Brian coming down, her expression grew complicated, as if she were waiting for a verdict on her fate.

"After your father's memorial tomorrow, I'll have someone take you back to Oldborough," Brian said, passing by without stopping.

Lina's disappointment lingered beneath her calm facade.

She called after him, "Thank you, Brian, for speaking up for me and convincing the lady of the house to let me stay with my mother, even for a little while."

Though she had changed her last name, the old matriarch never acknowledged her as a granddaughter. Lina didn't have the right to call her "Grandma."

"The GL8's dashcam shows Mrs. Vincent stopped by the bakery where the explosion happened, but after that, her route makes no sense. The car ended up in the sea—everything inside was destroyed. There were crash marks on the left door, but all the surveillance cameras along that stretch of road just happened to go out…"

"You actually believe what my father said?" Brian asked.

Of course Yves didn't.

"But Mr. Ellis is an adult. If he wanted to do something, he wouldn't let Gareth know."

Brian slid into the car, his eyes clouded and unreadable.

"If we have no leads, we keep following our own plan."

Yves started the engine. "But if we do, Mrs. Vincent will misunderstand you even more."

Brian stared out the window, suddenly feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him.

After a long pause, he murmured, "She's my wife. She'll understand me."

At the hospital, her grandfather's condition had stabilized for now, and he was moved into intensive care.