CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: LIVING WITH HIM

Her voice truly sounded weary, making Nathaniel momentarily unsure if it was real or not.

"Then you should rest."

Nathaniel hung up directly, no further words were exchanged.

These years, he had been very busy, rarely focusing his attention on Grace Lynch.

This woman was placed by Grandpa Quinn; he had done something wrong to her then, and coupled with the fact that she had saved him and Nathaniel when they were young, he had no right to oppose.

To him, it just meant another mouth to feed.

Over the years, even though Grace had been following him abroad, they had always lived separately; he was not accustomed to having a woman at home.

Even when they returned domestically, Grace didn’t live with him, only stopping by briefly to see Marcus.

He had always thought, as long as she was obedient and behaved, that was enough; as for other matters, he didn’t care to manage.

But now, many mysteries lay before him, such as why Marcus particularly favored Eleanor Hollis, and why Grace, being an adoptive daughter, was unaware of their grandmother’s illness.

He took out his phone, called his assistant, and asked to look into Grace’s interactions with her grandmother over the years.

The results were as expected; Grace indeed had no involvement in the grandmother’s medical treatment, not even a phone call for the past few years, and only recently gave Eleanor some money.

"Boss, that’s the situation in detail."

The assistant respectfully stated over the phone but hesitated slightly, "Perhaps during the years abroad, the boss’s wife wasn’t aware of the elderly’s health issues."

This possibility couldn’t be excluded.

Nathaniel’s eyes flickered; after hanging up the phone, he sat silently in front of Marcus’s hospital bed.

Marcus’s body had fully recovered; he could be discharged immediately.

"Marcus, shall we go home later, alright?"

The hospital’s all-white walls could easily make one feel depressed. The child was already prone to such problems and absolutely couldn’t stay longer.

He had initially planned to discharge a few days later but now had to test Marcus’s attitude toward Eleanor, hoping she could help Marcus walk out.

"No...no..."

Marcus was a bit agitated, tightly gripping the bedsheet, his eyes slightly red, which made Nathaniel’s heart ache.

"Your body is well now; there’s no need to stay here any longer."

"No..."

Marcus still shook his head, finally slowly getting out of bed, glanced at Nathaniel, then hurriedly walked toward the door.

"Marcus!"

Nathaniel frowned and followed, looking up just in time to see Marcus enter the adjoining ward.

Eleanor was wiping their grandmother’s hands, pausing in surprise as she saw Marcus coming.

"Luna, who’s this?"

Bridget Sutton’s face was all kindness, lighting up with joy at the sight of a child.

Since birth, Marcus had been abroad, only returning to see the elders of the Quinton Family during festivals, not meeting outsiders, so Bridget not recognizing him was normal.

"Grandma, this is Grace’s son."

Mentioning Grace, Eleanor paused.

Grace had given birth on the same day as she did, and seeing this child, Eleanor couldn’t help but think of the child she once carried.

"So this is Grace’s child."

Bridget’s spirits lifted a bit as she beckoned, smiling amiably at Marcus, "Great-grandchild, come and let me take a look."

Marcus paused, pursing his lips, standing by Eleanor, reaching out to cling to her sleeve as if afraid of being abandoned.

Eleanor was even more surprised. What happened to this child?

She looked up and saw Nathaniel at the door, quickly speaking, "Mr. Quinn, this is?"

Nathaniel was now utterly convinced that Eleanor held a special place in Marcus’s heart, believing that her help was crucial in curing Marcus of autism.

"I plan to discharge him, but he doesn’t want to."

Eleanor’s expression softened, pinching Marcus’s cheek, "How nice it is to be discharged; at home, you can eat tasty food without smelling the disinfectant in the hospital. Why not go home with your father?"

"No..."

Marcus still clung to her sleeve, speaking softly.

"Miss Hollis, even after the surgery, the elderly will need a period of rest. Are you planning to head out to find a job? I remember you mentioning you’re currently staying at a friend’s place; imposing on your friend for so long isn’t ideal either."

Nathaniel spoke, making a significant decision in his heart.

Eleanor wasn’t sure what he intended, but seeing Marcus’s pitiful expression, she couldn’t bear to refuse any decision.

"Mr. Quinn, go on."

She didn’t like Grace but felt a connection with Marcus.

When the child looked directly at her, she was willing to offer everything good to him.

"I’d like Miss Hollis to move in with me. I will have a doctor specialized in treating children with communication disorders frequently visit. Miss Hollis, you can see it yourself—Marcus is very special to you. I’ve tried many methods over the years but have not been able to return him to normal. Perhaps with your help, Marcus will recover. I will pay you a salary of a hundred thousand a month."

Bridget, hearing this somewhat incoherently, coupled with being older and hearing impaired, couldn’t quite grasp what Nathaniel meant.

But she caught one detail: the child seemed to be unwell, suffering from a communication disorder.

"Luna, since this is Grace’s child, you should help him. I think he’s quite likable and very well-behaved."

Marcus indeed appeared well-behaved; when quiet, he was as soft and gentle as a cat.

The conditions offered by Nathaniel were enticing; Eleanor had indeed been searching for a place lately.

Unwilling to disturb Samantha Sullivan indefinitely, though Samantha said she didn’t mind, it seemed improper to hinder her like that when she would eventually want to date.

Serenford was not safe; living alone as a single woman could be risky. Eleanor couldn’t afford the high-end apartments like Samantha, resulting in personal safety concerns.

Thinking this over, accepting Nathaniel’s offer seemed like the best choice.

Even though Grace once said, after Grandma’s recovery, they would leave here, their grandmother’s body couldn’t endure a move post-surgery, necessitating a stay in Serenford for some time.

"Alright, Mr. Quinn, I agree."

Marcus seemed to understand the adults’ conversation, first smiling at the kind old lady, then grabbing Eleanor’s arm excitedly.

Eleanor patted his head, "Now you must be good and get discharged, or else I won’t come to accompany you. I’ll go pack in the afternoon and then move in to live with you."

Marcus smirked, even though silent, his curved eyes revealed his emotions.

"Mr. Quinn, but you must agree to one condition."

Eleanor thought for a moment before putting out one last request.

"What condition?"

At this point, no matter what conditions Eleanor proposed, he would agree; Marcus’s health issue had become an almost overwhelming concern for him.

"As you know, I just divorced Nathaniel, and the Quinton Family isn’t fond of me. I hope you can help keep my stay at your place a secret."