The Contract Said No Strings Attached (Charlotte) novel Chapter 269

William murmured under his breath, “I understand…”

With that, he rose slowly from his seat and left the exam room.

As he stepped out, a troubling thought struck him: Dr. Brown, the physician who’d always overseen his grandfather’s health, couldn’t possibly have been in the dark about this. Why, then, had the truth been kept from the family for so long?

The more William considered it, the more unsettled he felt. He decided he needed answers from Dr. Brown himself.

Not long after, William strode purposefully down the corridor, stopping in front of Dr. Brown’s lab. Without hesitation, he threw open the door.

Startled, Dr. Brown nearly dropped the instrument he was holding, his hands shaking. “Mr. Thomson! What are you doing here?” Dr. Brown’s face was a picture of shock.

William marched forward, anger radiating from him. “Dr. Brown, you’ve known about my grandfather’s condition for a while now, haven’t you? Why did you keep it from us?”

Dr. Brown’s eyes widened. He stammered, nerves overtaking him. “Mr. Thomson, you—you know?”

William gritted his teeth. “Tell me. Why did you hide it from us?”

Dr. Brown lowered his gaze, a heavy silence hanging in the air. After a moment, he looked up at William and said, “Mr. Thomson, I know I was wrong, but it was your grandfather’s request. After he learned about his illness, he insisted I keep it from the family...”

“So, because he didn’t want us to know, you just went along with it?” William’s voice rose, eyes blazing with fury.

Dr. Brown kept his head down, his voice apologetic. “Mr. Thomson, I was in a difficult position. You know what your grandfather’s like—once he makes up his mind, there’s no persuading him. He didn’t want you all to worry. He hoped you could go on with your lives without this burden. I tried to change his mind, but he refused to listen. I couldn’t go against my patient’s wishes—that’s my professional duty.”

“Professional duty?” William’s tone was sharp and cold. “You call it professional duty to conceal a diagnosis—letting us lose our chance to help him, to prepare ourselves, all in the name of some misplaced obligation?”

Time dragged on. When William still hadn’t returned, Mrs. Thomson finally broke the silence. “What’s taking William so long?”

George frowned. “I’ll go check on him.”

Rebecca stepped in gently. “Dad, stay here with Grandpa. I’ll go.”

George nodded, grateful.

Rebecca was just heading for the door when William reappeared.

He looked ashen, eyes hollow and unfocused—like a man whose world had just come undone.