Chapter 3 Apologize
To keep a low profile, Sharon was transferred to Cloudies’s most exclusive private hospital, where her brothers rented an entire floor for her recovery.
Bodyguards were stationed on the top floor around the clock, and a personal medical team was on hand at all times. No one in the hospital knew the identity of the
mysterious patient, but the private room was far from quiet.
Sharon sat on the bed with a blank expression, her small frame gaunt, her face
hollowed.
Her oldest brother Richard spoke first, “Shari, I had the best steaks flown in fresh from abroad just for you. Want to try them?”
Her second brother Wallace chimed in, “I made you some soup, sweetie. A top doctor brewed it, and it’s perfect for helping you regain your strength. Steaks are not suited for you now.”
Julian, her third brother, added, “How about trying this pie? It’s a northern specialty, really unique.”
Patrick, her fourth brother, spoke up, “I’ve got something spicy here, perfect for opening up your appetite.”
Sharon’s brothers surrounded her and kept introducing the food they made for her.
Just then, the door slammed open. A man in a floral shirt rushed in–Sharon’s eighth brother, Marvin. “Shari, I’ve brought you all kinds of food you might like and a head chef of a Michelin three–star restaurant. I personally got him here with my private plane.”
Sharon turned her gaze to the middle–aged man in his pajamas, who looked like he had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. He was silently seething with frustration but daring not to complain.
As she watched the men fawn over her, Sharon felt a headache coming on.
She wasn’t the kind of person who was good at expressing her feelings, and now, with eight brothers suddenly appearing in her life, she didn’t know how to respond.
Martin also showed up then. “Shari, I heard your appetite’s been off. Dad… I made you some creamy tomato pasta. You used to love it when you were younger.”
Martin was about to say “Dad“, but with all the Vance brothers around, he quickly
corrected himself.
Sharon’s eyes landed on the plain bowl of creamy tomato pasta, and she felt an unexpected craving.
“Oh, you’ve got so many choices here,” Martin said as he glanced at the spread of
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exquisite dishes around the room. For a moment, he felt embarrassed–his simple pasta seemed out of place among the extravagant offerings.
“I’d like some creamy tomato pasta,” Sharon finally spoke up. She took the bowl and fork, slowly eating, and was surprised by how good it tasted.
The eight men were stunned as they saw Sharon chose the plainest one among the food.
With all this expensive food in front of her, Sharon ignored everything but chose to eat the simple creamy tomato pasta.
Martin scratched his head and explained, “Gentlemen, it’s not that Shari dislikes the food you guys prepared. The truth is, whenever she’s sick, she insists on eating the pasta I make for her.”
Martin hoped they wouldn’t misunderstand Sharon.
Richard waved his hand and replied, “I see. Your cooking must be good. Thank you for taking care of Shari all these years.”
“I didn’t take good enough care of her. She got hurt,” Martin replied, looking guilty.
After eating, Sharon glanced out of the window and said, “I’d like to take a walk in the garden for some fresh air.”
Richard rolled up his sleeves, saying, “You’re not in the best condition to move around. Let me carry you out.”
The other seven men spoke in unison, “Let me help her.”
Marvin piped up, “I’m the youngest, so of course, I’m the one for the job.”
Sharon said coolly, “No need.”
*****
Ten minutes later, Sharon sat in a wheelchair and left her ward, pushed by Martin.
They made their way to the garden, which was eerily quiet–clearly, other people had
been cleared out.
Martin spoke in a gentle tone, “Ms. Vance, your brothers do care about you. They just don’t know how to express it.”
Sharon couldn’t help but smile faintly, recalling how, just moments earlier, all eight of them had nearly come to blows over who should push her wheelchair. She thought they were so childish.
She just wanted some peace and quiet, so she didn’t want them following her around.
The eight men watched her like eager puppies, clearly disappointed that she didn’t take them along for the stroll.
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Just then, a voice rang out. “Hey, Martin Crawford, you’re hiding here, huh? Wow, you‘ re able to afford a private hospital.”
A group of people burst into the garden. At the front was a middle–aged couple, both dressed in flashy designer clothes, though those clothes looked like knockoffs on
them.
Keith pointed at Martin, livid. “Let me tell you, Martin, my son is still in the hospital. I’m not leaving here until I get the medical and emotional damages paid in full. Besides, I want your daughter to apologize to my son–bow and apologize.”
Sharon’s expression remained stone–cold as she watched the circus unfold before her.
Keith, furious, stormed toward her, clearly intending to make a scene. But before he could get any closer, a group of men dressed in black, looking like trouble, burst into the garden and quickly surrounded the area.
“How arrogant. I’ll show you what happens to make my sister apologize. Your whole family is over.” A man with a buzz cut appeared at the top of the stairs, his arms covered in tattoos, a deep cross–shaped scar shining on his forehead.
Behind him were several men who looked identical but whose vibes were vastly
different. It was clear that they were no strangers to power.
The eight handsome men lined up in a row while rolling up their sleeves. They spoke in unison, “Let me handle him.”
The next moment, they all shot each other displeased looks. “I said it first. Leave it to
me.”
The others stood by, watching as the eight men began to argue over who would make
the first move.
Sharon pressed her forehead in exasperation, sinking into silence.
At first, Keith was intimidated by the spectacle, but upon seeing the men’s argument, he became confident again. “Hey, are you this brat’s family? You look pretty rich. You’d better pay up, or I’ll make sure you regret it.”
The eight men immediately stopped arguing and turned their heads to look at Keith, their eyes sharp, cold, and intimidating. The sheer intensity of their glares made Keith’s blood run cold.
Richard sneered, “It’s been years since anyone dared speak to me like that.”
He slowly walked up to Keith, his eyes dark as night, exuding an icy light that made the atmosphere even more chilling.
In the blink of an eye, Keith let out a painful scream, yet no one saw exactly how it happened. He clutched his mouth, blood pouring out, his front teeth knocked out.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me? Help! Call the police,” Keith’s wife
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screamed in panic, but before she could do anything, a group of black–clad men pushed her out of the way, rendering her powerless to resist.
Sharon wasn’t surprised by the outcome.
“These scumbags,” Richard muttered. “I don’t have time to deal with them. Since they‘ ve delivered themselves to my doorstep, I’ll make sure to take their heads off and use them as soccer balls.”
Richard wiped his hands with a tissue. When the blood splattered on his hand, his eyes flicked to Sharon, and he noticed her freeze for a brief moment.
He scratched his head and forced a smile at her. “Shari, I was just kidding. I only went over to talk some sense into them, you know? I was just trying to make them realize their mistakes through love.”
Sharon shrugged. “Oh, whatever.”
She thought to herself, ‘You look more like a mafia boss, okay? Don’t try to fool me. I’m not three years old. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about Martin being dragged into this mess with how powerful my brothers are.’
After Richard turned away, his expression instantly turned gloomy, and his sharp gaze became even more menacing.
Two men, both dressed in white shirts and with identical looks, stood up at the same time. “Wait, Wallace, I’m coming too.”
Wallace rubbed his forehead. “Julian, stay and keep an eye on Marcus and Jeffrey. One’s a doctor, and the other’s a virologist. Hope they won’t make things too terrible.”
Marvin leaned toward Sharon, his voice warm and reassuring. “Shari, don’t be scared. We’re here now, and you’re not alone anymore.
“The Vance family will always be your backbone. Even if you make a mess of things, we will clean it up for you.”
He grinned and added, “Not just clean it up–if you want, we can make a bigger mess and handle that too.”
Sharon looked at him, slightly moved. “Why are you all so nice to me?”
Marvin smiled, “Because you’re our princess. Sorry, as your knights, we came too late.”
Hearing that, Sharon flashed a soft smile.
The sun broke through the clouds, casting golden rays that bathed them all in light.
*****
Sharon soon got discharged from the hospital.
On the day she left, the eight men stood in the room, looking at her with reluctant
expressions. “Shari, we have some urgent matters to take care of. We’ll be back to pick
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you up in a few days. Just wait for us at home, okay?”
Sharon sighed in relief. After two days of nonstop attention from her brothers, she was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.
After saying goodbye to her brothers, Sharon was sent back home to an old residential neighborhood by a stretch limousine.
The appearance of the luxury car sent waves of excitement through the neighborhood
A man teased, “Martin, is your daughter really. from a wealthy family? This car must cost a fortune.”
Another neighbor added, “Looks like you guys are flying high now. Don’t forget about us neighbors.”
Martin looked awkward, wondering how the entire neighborhood already knew about this.
His wife, Alyssa, stepped out of the car, beaming with pride. Finally, after so many years, she could hold her head high and slap all the gossiping neighbors in the face. For years, they had been mocked by the neighbors, all because of Sharon–known as Martin’s illegitimate daughter.
Sharon, however, remained expressionless. Once arriving home, she noticed that everyone seemed to treat her much more kindly now. Her younger sister and brother were even cautious not to provoke her.
She lay alone in her bed, quietly thinking to herself, ‘The old me, Zero, is gone. Someone is looking into me, so I’d better lay low for a while. Or maybe it’s time for a new identity.‘
The next day, the Crawford family received a call from the Vance family, asking Sharon to go to Aerions. They said they would send someone to pick her up.
Martin was confused. “This doesn’t match what the young masters said before. Should I call them and ask about it?”
After all, Sharon’s brothers had said they would come to pick Sharon up in person.
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