Chapter 3 The Eldest Daughter Of The Aniston Family

• Isaac's eyes lit up, for he had been searching for the woman he had encountered six years ago. She had left a lasting imprint on his heart.
• He found himself unable to develop any romantic interest in other women as her lingering presence plagued him.
• It was indeed Grandpa who arranged for that woman to sleep with me.
• Beep, beep, beep!
• Right after Phillip said that, the equipment by the bed began to blare.
• Isaac's response was swift as he assured Philip, “I understand, Grandpa. I will fulfill your wish and marry the eldest daughter of the Aniston family.” His words were an attempt to alleviate Philip's concerns.
• Upon hearing the alarm, Nikola Ortega, along with the other doctors, swiftly rushed into the room to provide Phillip with immediate medical attention. He was then transferred to the ICU.
• At the entrance of the ICU, Patricia approached the doctor. With anxiety evident in her voice, she pleaded, “Doctor, when can my daughter be discharged? Can I go in and be with her?”
• Her eyes were swollen and red, and she looked as though she was on the verge of shedding tears at any moment.
• Sylvie has never been apart from me for this long since she was born. It's all my fault. I failed to take good care of her. I'm not a good mother...
• The nurse gently informed her, “Your daughter needs to be observed for twenty-four hours. It would be best for you to go home and return twenty-four hours later. We will take good care of her.” The nurse spun on her heels and made her way back to the ward.
• “Thank you!”
• There was no way Patricia would head home. She nodded and continued waiting at the door.
• Half an hour later, Isaac arrived at the ICU, where a nurse was waiting for him.
• “How is my grandpa doing?”
• The nurse swiftly scanned the report in her hand and responded, “Mr. Arnold, Old Mr. Arnold is currently in critical condition and requires continuous monitoring for the next twenty-four hours. Mr. Ortega has arranged a room for you to rest in.”
• Isaac was a familiar figure at the hospital, well-known to everyone as a close friend of Nikola, the hospital director. Over the past few years, he had made a habit of visiting the hospital regularly, demonstrating his deep filial devotion to his grandfather.
• Isaac nodded slightly. “All right.”
• He turned around and immediately noticed a woman curled into a ball in a corner.
• Isaac's heart skipped a beat as he locked eyes with her huge and dazzling ones. She looks familiar. Have I seen her somewhere before?
• The woman sat huddled, clutching her knees and burying her head between her legs. She was an image of vulnerability and despair with her toes curled up.
• As Isaac looked at her, he shrugged off his black coat and gently placed it over her shoulders. He then turned and headed toward the elevator.
• Feeling the warmth on her shoulders, Patricia raised her head.
• Watching the man stride away, she called out, “Thank you! How can I return it to you?”
• After entering the elevator, just before the doors closed, Isaac responded, “You can keep the coat. Your well-being is important. You need to take care of yourself first in order to care for others.”
• Isaac was surprised he would say those words to a stranger, as he was usually merciless.
• The elevator doors slid shut. He flashed a self-deprecating smile and shook his head.
• Patricia wrapped the coat around herself. She found comfort in the lingering warmth it provided as it shielded her from the cold winter night.
• A delicate fragrance wafted through the air, capturing her attention. It was a pleasant and strangely familiar scent.
• Before she could dwell upon it, a high-pitch voice pulled her out of her reverie. “Mommy!”
• The elevator doors opened to reveal an adult and two children.
• A young boy dashed toward her, wearing a black trench coat and clutching a white long down jacket.
• Following closely behind was another boy in a grey and white baseball jacket, carrying a pair of winter boots.
• The striking resemblance between the two boys was undeniable. They were undoubtedly twins, handsome ones at that.
• The eldest boy, Scott, made his way to Patricia calmly with a hint of distress in his eyes.
• “Mommy, put this on.”
• He noticed that Patricia was wearing a man's coat and guessed that a kind person had offered it to her.
• Stellan, the younger of the two, gave her an earful. “Mommy, why didn't you bring Scott and me along? We can help you.”
• The boy knelt down and gently cradled Patricia's icy feet in his hands, aiming to provide them with warmth before helping her wear the boots.
• The handsome man who had escorted the boys wore a stylish grey coat. His name was Zachary Selwyn.
• He poured a cup of steaming hot water from the thermos flask and gently handed it to Patricia. Concern filled his voice as he said, “Tricia, why didn't you tell me Sylvie was sick? I promised to take care of your family, remember?”
• Patricia gratefully accepted the cup of hot water from Zachary, clutching it in her hands as the warmth seeped into her body.
• “Zachary, you've already done so much for us, and I can't thank you enough. I don't want to burden you any further.” A faint smile graced her lips.
• Anguish flashed across Zachary's eyes when he realized she couldn't understand his feelings for her.
• Six years ago, Patricia's life had taken an unexpected turn when she rolled down the mountain and collided with Zachary's car.
• He became her savior, rushing her to the hospital and ensuring she had a place to stay by helping her rent a house.
• Filled with remorse and a sense of responsibility, Zachary was determined to support her in any way he could.
• And he soon found himself falling deeply in love with her.
• He longed to be by her side, to take care of her and her children for the rest of their lives.
• However, he couldn't ignore the fact that Patricia seemed to be avoiding his advances, leaving him feeling helpless and uncertain of how to win her heart.
• “Is Sylvie okay?”
• “Yeah, she's fine for now. She's still under observation.”
• Zachary helped her to the bench to sit down. “I heard that you resigned from the finance company. Is that true?”
• A few days after being transferred to the branch company in Lochner, Patricia decided to resign from her position and returned to Appleby today.
• “I will never work for that kind of company again,” Patricia declared indignantly. “They scam people, especially the elders! I refuse to engage in activities that go against my conscience.”
• Zachary extended an offer yet again. “Tricia, why don't you consider working with me? I have full confidence in your abilities.”
• He saw it as an opportunity to provide her with protection and support within his own organization.
• Patricia shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, Zachary, but I've already begun searching for a new job. Considering my educational background, I believe there are more suitable opportunities out there for me.”
• Scott and Stellan shared an exasperated look.
• The boys were adept at earning money through stock trading, but they kept it a secret from their mother. They feared she would misunderstand their methods and think they had engaged in illicit activities.
• They had been discreetly transferring the funds to her account. However, she remained oblivious to the added funds and continued to work multiple jobs tirelessly, solely focused on supporting their family.
• It pained them to see her work so hard.
• A few days later, Isaac was busy signing documents in his office at Arnold Corporation.
• His assistant, Liam Dorchester, came in to report the findings of the investigation.
• “President Arnold, I've looked into the eldest daughter of the Aniston family. Her name is Adeline Aniston, and she's twenty-four years old this year. She's the only daughter of Andy Aniston.”