Vivica thought about her promise to Joseph earlier that day. Looking at her sleeping son, she carefully typed out a message.

[Mr. Baird, I’m so sorry. I had to work late, and then I got stuck in traffic. By the time I got to the hospital, my son was already asleep. Would it be possible to bring him to visit your parents tomorrow or this weekend instead?]

Joseph had just arrived at his mother’s room. Seeing the old woman fast asleep, he replied with a single word.

[Ok.]

Vivica stared at the curt reply, her mind racing. Did he think she was trying to keep her son away from his parents? Was he displeased? Or was he angry that she’d broken her promise?

She was still somewhat intimidated by the man. Joseph possessed a natural air of authority and dignity that made everyone around him feel slightly inferior.

In reality, Joseph wasn't angry or displeased at all. He had also been delayed by an unexpected matter and had only just arrived himself. It was late, and both his mother and Chaim were patients. It wouldn’t be wise to disturb them now.

That night, for the first time in a long while, Vivica slept soundly.

Ever since her son had been hospitalized, she had been consumed by anxiety, either suffering from insomnia or waking up frequently throughout the night. But now, with a reliable lawyer handling her divorce and her son’s medical expenses covered, she could finally rest.

Her peace, however, was short-lived. Visit novelсeo.com for the full chapter.

The next morning, as she was helping Chaim with his breakfast, her phone rang. Seeing the unfamiliar number, she initially thought it was Fletcher or Riley and was tempted to ignore it. But the caller was persistent. She had just finished eating and set down her fork, so she picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Is this Vivica Lynn?” The voice on the other end was authoritative yet polite.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“This is the police. Your mother, Evelyn, is threatening to jump from a building. She says she wants to see you one last time. Please cooperate with us and come home immediately.”

Vivica’s mind went blank, then she remembered her parents’ threat from the day before—if she didn’t give them the money, they would die to show her. They were actually doing it!

“Okay, I understand. I’m on my way.”

Though she was seething with anger, Vivica couldn’t bring herself to ignore her mother’s life being on the line.

She immediately called Ruby, but due to the morning rush hour traffic, Ruby couldn't get there quickly. Chaim had a check-up soon and couldn’t be left alone. Overwhelmed with anxiety, an idea struck her. She quickly dialed a number.

“Hello,” the man’s deep, commanding voice came through the line.

“Mr. Baird, are you at the hospital by any chance?” Get faster updates on novelceo . com.

“What’s wrong?” Joseph, who had just stepped into an elevator in the north wing, heard the panic in her voice and his tone immediately sharpened.

“There’s a family emergency, and I have to go home right away, but my nanny isn’t here yet. Chaim has an appointment in a little while, and I can’t wait… So I was wondering if you were at the hospital, and if you…”

Before she could finish, Joseph cut in firmly, “I’m here. Go handle your business. I’ll go stay with the boy.”

“Oh, thank you! That’s wonderful! I’ll wait for you to get here.”

After the call ended, Joseph immediately turned around and headed back to the elevators. Roderic, standing beside him, reminded him, “Boss, we have a morning meeting.”

“I know. Coordinate with the team. Postpone it or cancel it, either is fine.”

Roderic’s eyes widened in surprise. His boss, a notorious workaholic, was actually setting aside work to help “babysit.” He couldn’t help but remark, “Boss, you really have a soft spot for that little guy.”

Joseph didn’t reply, but the thought of spending time with Chaim again, like he had yesterday, wasn't unwelcome. In fact, he found himself looking forward to it.