Chapter 88
Marcus spoke with unshakable confidence, his eyes gleaming as he talked about Cordelia. “Don’t think of Cordelia as just any woman. She’s more capable than you realize and would never back down from a challenge.” His smile widened as he added, “I’m giving her a seat in the front row to watch. She’ll see her man beat the hell out of everyone and be proud of me, thinking I’m her hero!” The thought filled him with happiness, his grin spreading as he imagined Cordelia’s admiration.
He pushed the door open and rushed back to his house, eager to prepare for the match. Josiah watched him go, standing in stunned silence for a moment before chuckling and turning to Fredric and Robert. “Did he take his medicine today?” he asked with a grin.
“Finally!” Robert and Fredric both let out a sigh of relief. Now that Marcus was gone, they didn’t have to pretend to be serious anymore. They joined Josiah in enjoying themselves.
“You two are so fake!” Josiah teased. “You came here, but acted like you weren’t interested.”
“There’s nothing we could do!” Robert laughed. “Didn’t you see his face? It was so dark, I thought he was going to kill us all.”
“Anyway, let’s toast!” Josiah raised his glass of wine, a mischievous glint in his eye. After a pause, he added, “Let’s wish him success in his match… and in his relationship, too.”
While they celebrated in the private room, a shadowy figure lurked outside. He peered around cautiously before ducking behind a pillar and pulling out his phone. In a hushed voice, he spoke, “Mr. Jones, I just saw Marcus leaving a private room. It looks like he was partying with some friends…”
He hesitated, clearly uncertain of what to say next.
“Did you hear what they said?” came Oliver’s voice on the other end of the line.
The figure gritted his teeth. “No, but when Marcus was leaving, I heard something about a boxing match…”
“Forget it!” Oliver snapped, irritation in his tone. “Did you hear anything useful?”
The man hesitated before replying, “I think it’s connected to boxing. They were talking about it.”
Oliver hung up, deep in thought. After a moment, he ordered his men to look into any boxing matches happening in Jangasas.
…
Later that afternoon, Cordelia arrived at the mental health hospital. Upon seeing her, the nurse smiled warmly. “Are you here to visit your mother again?”
“Yeah,” Cordelia answered. “How has she been lately?”
“Her vital signs are great,” the nurse replied. “She doesn’t talk much, but she’s awake now. You can go in.”
The ward doors were made of heavy, reinforced materials, with an iron door behind the regular door. A nurse stood guard outside each room. Cordelia recalled the first time she had brought her mother here. Back then, she was terrified and thought she’d never see her mother again. The sight of the imposing door had made her feel helpless.
The nurse opened the door to her mother’s room. “Xyla,” she called gently, smiling as she placed a warm towel on the woman’s hand. “Your daughter’s here to see you again.”
Cordelia placed some things on the table as the nurse left, leaving the two of them alone. She sat beside her mother and began combing through Xyla’s hair. Her mother, despite her illness, still had a delicate face and beautiful black hair. Cordelia smiled as she carefully pinned her mother’s hair with a hairpin.
“Mom, look,” she said softly, holding up a mirror. “Do you like this hairstyle?”
Xyla’s eyes flickered as she looked at herself in the mirror before lifting her gaze to Cordelia. “You are… Lia?”