~Chapter 63~
The hospital director watched me closely.
“If you were going to look at me like that, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place.”
I spoke with a sigh.
“Please understand that I knew it was wrong, but I still had to do it. If Marquis Graham contacts me one more time, your mother won’t be able to get her medicine anymore.”
I stared at the director with cold eyes.
“That can’t happen. Have you forgotten which bank funds Sezares Hospital?”
My grandfather not only donated to the hospital himself, but the bank also invested a lot.
I wasn’t the only one doing calculations in my head.
The director turned pale and whispered,
“I’m acting on Marquis Graham’s orders! Graham Bank’s investments can’t be withdrawn! That’s business, not personal! Mixing personal feelings into business isn’t right!”
Of course, a good businessperson should never do that. But the other side had already attacked me with no hesitation.
From the director’s point of view, he was just caught between two powerful forces. What I did next would depend on which side he chose.
“So was your decision really business-like? Wasn’t my parents’ stay at this hospital a business matter? Marquis Graham didn’t invest in the hospital, so he can’t punish the hospital itself.”
Egbert could only threaten the director, not the hospital. But I was the one who could actually harm the hospital itself.
If the hospital suffered a big loss because of the director, he would be forced to step down.
The hospital’s board would not just watch.
“The choice is yours.”
The director closed his eyes in distress.
He must have thought about this very moment since Egbert came to him with his request.
He was smart.
Now that I had shown him the stick, it was time for the carrot. If you only push like Egbert did, you’ll end up being pushed back. In business, you have to know when to pull, too.
“What did Marquis Graham threaten you with?”
“He said he’d ruin all my children’s marriage prospects. My eldest son works in the capital. He’s about to get married… His fiancée’s family is under Marquis Graham’s influence.”
Egbert had done his research, for once.
Why was he so obsessed with me?
Does he really want me back?
Why now?
Maybe he was only realizing what he’d lost.
I let out a bitter laugh.
I thought he would live happily ever after with Sophia once I left, and that made me feel resentful sometimes.
But ever since I left, Egbert had only chased after me.
I remembered Sophia visiting me not long ago, begging me to give Egbert back.
A man who never held on when I wanted him, now desperate to belong to me—it was ridiculous.
But I needed Baldwin.
I needed someone by my side to hold me. I wanted him to tell me things would be okay.
Even though I came prepared for anything, why did I feel so weak now?
It was all Baldwin’s fault. That gentle man, always telling me to hide behind him, kept making me weaker.
Even though I wanted to cry, the director sounded like he would cry first.
“I really can’t do anything, Your Grace…”
“I’ll give you a new path.”
“What…?”
I had come to make this offer from the start. Everything until now was just to show him the worst that could happen.
Even now, the director was looking for a way out.
He was only interested in his own gain, so appealing to his emotions was useless. I just had to offer him a deal that made sense.
“Quit your job at the hospital.”
“Your Grace!”
He shouted in shock.
It was understandable. The director was a greedy man—he never wanted to give up anything he had.
So I would offer him something else. He hadn’t actually treated patients in years; he only did administration now.
He had proven his abilities by running Sezares Hospital so well.
“Go to Hertel. I’m opening a new branch there. I’ll make you the branch director. It’s going to be the biggest bank in the south, so it’ll be a good deal.”
The director’s eyes shook.
Graham Bank’s biggest project was about to launch. It was risky, but this was the best card I had.
I planned to have regular audits done, with good staff in place.
“Are you saying I should leave the decision to someone else?”
“Yes. If you resign, someone else will take your place.”
Every member of the hospital board had used Graham Bank’s money. I could pick a new director who wouldn’t bend to outside pressure.
“Can I… think about it…?”
I pretended to look at my watch.
“You must have a lot of time. I don’t.”
I had to push him before he changed his mind.
“Then… then…”
The director drank his water quickly, his throat dry from nerves.
“I’ll do it!”
He squeezed his eyes shut and agreed.
I smiled.
That was it.
I already had someone in mind for the new director’s position.
“Resign soon and get ready to move. I’ll wait for your call.”
“When will the branch open?”
“Before late autumn at the latest. There’s a lot to prepare.”
This was my warning not to cause any more problems.
“I’ll look forward to working with you, Your Grace!”
“Me too. I hope we stay on good terms until the end.”
Before returning to the capital, I visited my mother’s hospital room. I took a deep breath at the door.
“Why are you just standing there? Come in if you’re here.”
A thin, sharp-eyed face looked at me when I turned around.
“I heard you were doing better.”
She was so skinny it made me sigh.
No matter how much I tried to hate her, I could never truly let go of my mother.
“Sick people can get better and then worse again. Your father visited recently.”
“Let’s go inside.”
Mother nodded. Her room was a comfortable private suite.
“Your father’s out for a bit. He’ll be late.”
“I didn’t come to see him.”
“Okay.”
She sighed.
“Did you come to see if I’m dead?”
“Mother.”
“…I’m not dead. It’s too soon for that. I’m still a burden to you…”
Her words were harsh, but I could hear a bit of regret in her unfinished sentence. Sometimes, her vulnerable side reminded me of happier times—before she got sick, when our family was still normal.
“Of course not.”
“You got married, I heard.”
“Are you going to blame me?”
“It was too soon. In the end, they’re all the same. No man is perfect. I wonder who you take after, being so hasty.”
She clicked her tongue and just looked at me. Her thin fingers clutched the blanket tightly.
After a long moment, she spoke.
“Still, I hope this one is better than the last. At least, I hope he won’t trade your life for anything.”
‘Anna.’
That gentle voice from my dream came back. It sounded like someone comforting me.
It was like Baldwin’s kindness.
I really had become weak.
When did I start relying on Baldwin so much? What if I lose him one day?
Nothing lasts forever.
It was better if Baldwin and I stayed as a contract relationship. But my heart kept leaning toward him.
I missed him. As my mother said, at least he wasn’t that kind of man.
I had never seen Baldwin’s darkest side, but I trusted him.
“…You’re not going to get kicked out, Mother.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just what I said. You really won’t get kicked out, so don’t worry.”
I took a breath.
“Just eat your meals on time.”
Mother nodded.
“Your new husband…”
“Don’t worry about that either. I’ll handle it.”
“Fine. You always do. Go on now. I’m tired.”
She pulled the blanket over her head, both telling me to leave and showing her silent protest.
