Chapter 294

Vivian Dempsey suddenly slapped her thigh. "Could it be complications from that abortion procedure?"

The traffic light turned green.

Gregory Wilson pressed the accelerator lightly, brows furrowed. "Uncertain."

Evelyn Carter shook her head. "Dr. Porter is highly experienced. The surgery shouldn't be the issue."

"If the surgery wasn't the problem, maybe her recovery was poor?" Vivian leaned closer. "Evelyn, wouldn't a late-term abortion require postpartum care like a mini-confinement? Could she have developed complications?"

Evelyn replied seriously, "So-called 'confinement illnesses' are essentially the irreversible physical toll of childbirth. Ancient societies blamed 'poor postpartum care' to encourage more births."

"No wonder. Annabelle's family is wealthy—her postnatal care should've been impeccable." Vivian propped her chin on her hand. "Then why does she look so sickly?"

Gregory interjected quietly, "Her condition might be unrelated to the surgery."

"Then what's the cause?"

"She was... quite unrestrained abroad."

The implication was clear.

Vivian scoffed. "Alexander Hamilton's love runs deep, huh? How could he not know Annabelle was so wild overseas?"

"Didn't he choose to marry Evelyn and give up on Annabelle?"

Vivian smirked. "And yet he still divorced to go back and clean up her mess."

Gregory sighed. "As Yvonne said, none of us understand what Annabelle means to Alexander."

Vivian shot a glance at Evelyn.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked.

Vivian linked arms with her. "Nothing. Just some good news."

"What good news?"

"Natalie Stapleton just called. Simon refuses to divorce."

Evelyn recalled Alexander's interrupted words earlier. "What exactly happened?"

Vivian animatedly explained, "Simon and his mother had a falling out. He's desperate to divorce and climb the social ladder, but his mother wants to extort more from the Zhao family—thinks her son shouldn't have been a gigolo for nothing."

Evelyn frowned. "A gigolo? If Natalie wanted a gigolo, shouldn't she at least get someone with looks or stamina? What does Simon even have?"

"That mother-son pair operates on a different wavelength. Greedier than the next."

"What happened then?"

Vivian grinned triumphantly. "Your hospital director kicked them out. Natalie said her father's already hired a lawyer to file for divorce. Even if it takes a decade, the Stapletons won't get a single cent!"

Evelyn exhaled in relief. "It won't take that long. Simon's shrewder than his mother—he knows what's at stake."

"Hah! Of course. Alexander did alright this time. That Lora girl looks so... influencer-ish. But men seem to eat that up. Their taste is baffling. Add the 'Oceanic Group heiress' title, and Simon was bound to take the bait."

Gregory remarked dryly, "Most free lunches are poisoned."

"Poisoned or not, a social-climbing leech like Simon would sprint onto any escalator he sees."

"True." Gregory nodded. "Then we'll just wait for his inevitable fall."