Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1404

The assistant stood trembling by the door, unsure whether to enter or retreat. Seeing her son's absolute resolve, Ella realized that further argument was futile. She took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and forced herself to maintain the dignified poise of a wealthy matriarch. "Fine. Fine, you focus on getting plenty of rest and calming your mind. Tomorrow, I will make absolutely sure your father drops all his work so we can visit you together." With one final, lingering look at her son, Ella turned and marched out of the hospital suite. The sharp clicking of her heels gradually faded down the corridor.

Steve slowly opened his eyes, the whites completely bloodshot. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before reaching for the phone resting on his pillow. He dialed the direct number of his most trusted private intelligence operative. When the call connected, his voice was painfully hoarse. "I need you to take a trip to the Moore family estate. Deliver a message to Sylvia for me."

Meanwhile, in Seaview, darkness had completely enveloped the Moore family villa. Up in the second floor bedroom, Sylvia lay curled into a tight ball in the corner of her bed. Her stomach felt as though it were engulfed in raging flames, the excruciating cramps forcing a thick layer of cold sweat from her pores. She had been strictly starving herself for several days now. Dark spots constantly danced across her vision, and she lacked the strength to even lift a single finger. The bedroom door creaked open. The dim yellow light from the hallway spilled inside, illuminating the chaotic pile of empty wine bottles scattered across the floor. A sharp, overpowering stench of alcohol permeated the room. Sylvia's mother stood in the doorway, pinching her nose in absolute disgust before turning her glare to the servant beside her. "Exactly how much has she been drinking? Did I not explicitly order you to keep alcohol away from her?"

Panicked, the servant quickly explained. "Madam, the young miss has been on a strict hunger strike. She absolutely refuses to eat anything. The young master was terrified she might actually starve to death, so he instructed us to bring in one bottle of red wine every day. Right now, wine is the only thing she is willing to touch." Scowling deeply, her mother marched over to the bed. Looking down at Sylvia's trembling, curled up form, a familiar surge of furious resentment boiled over. She raised her foot and sharply kicked Sylvia in the shin with the pointed toe of her designer shoe. "Stop playing dead. Get up right now."

Sylvia shuddered violently, her eyes fluttering open in a daze, entirely unable to focus her vision. Her mother glared down at her with vicious contempt. "Sylvia, a messenger from Steve just arrived. The man claimed that Steve has completely severed all ties with the Michell family. Were you aware of this nonsense?" A faint flicker of light sparked in Sylvia's dim, lifeless eyes, but she merely offered a weak shake of her head. Her mother's frown deepened into a harsh scowl. Unable to control herself, she kicked Sylvia again, cursing her as a pathetic disappointment. "Are you deaf and dumb? What exactly do you know, then? If he truly severed ties with his family, does that mean that old witch Ella is going to keep punishing us for his idiotic choices?"

Her mother began pacing aggressively around the bedroom, the sharp clacking of her heels against the wooden floorboards creating an agonizingly grating rhythm. "Steve must have water on the brain. The Michell family is the apex of Capital elite society, and he is the sole heir. As long as he does not actively ruin his own life, that entire corporate empire will eventually belong to him. But the moment he walks away from the Michell name, he is absolutely nothing." Halting her pacing, her mother let out a disdainful snort, her face twisting with greed and arrogance. "And he had the audacity to send a message claiming he would personally rescue our family once he recovers. What a delusional fantasy. Without the immense power of the Michell family backing him, what exactly is he going to use to help us? Empty promises?"

Seeing Sylvia lying there with her eyes closed, seemingly entirely deaf to her ranting, her mother gnashed her teeth in absolute fury. She crouched down, violently grabbing Sylvia by the collar and jerking her upward, forcing her to open her eyes. "Can you show even an ounce of ambition? If Steve is truly rebelling against his family just for your sake, this is your golden opportunity. You need to leverage this exact moment to convince him to remarry you." Unrestrained greed poured from her mother's eyes. "I do not care how fiercely Steve is fighting with his parents right now. Blood is thicker than water. Eventually, the Michell empire will fall into his lap. As long as you firmly secure your position as his lawful wife, we will reclaim absolutely everything the Moore family lost."

Being violently choked by her collar cut off Sylvia's air, sending a fresh wave of agonizing spasms tearing through her stomach. Her face was ashen, her forehead slick with a dense sheen of cold sweat, and both of her hands were desperately clutching her abdomen. She remained entirely silent, but her brow furrowed tighter and tighter as a violent tremor overtook her entire body. The servant standing nearby noticed the severe distress and bravely stepped closer to intervene. "Madam... the young miss looks to be in excruciating pain. She is completely drenched in sweat. Should we call an ambulance?"