Chapter 541 Josiah Grant Is Gravely Ill

• Joaquin Levisay fell silent, eyes dark and unreadable. After a moment, he spoke in a cold voice: “Hold her for now. Hand her over to me. I’ll deal with it.”
• Katherine Cornell had planned the same. Since it concerned his birth mother, it made sense for him to handle it himself. She nodded and agreed. When they got home, they sat with Noah for a while, then went back to their room to rest. Kathy was dead tired. She skipped dinner, showered, and crashed the second her head hit the pillow. Somehow, she jolted awake in the middle of the night. She stared at the ceiling for a long time before coming back to herself. Realizing she was in her own home, she relaxed a bit, turned her head—and saw the man beside her lying flat on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. “You… haven’t slept? Or did you wake up?” she asked softly, a little stunned. Joaquin seemed lost in thought. Her voice brought him back; he turned his head and said in a low tone, “I haven’t slept.” That snapped Kathy fully awake. In the cool moonlight slipping through the window, she caught the depth in his eyes. She blinked, then turned on her side to face him. “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” she asked gently. He gave a quiet “Mm.” After a beat, he spoke first, asking, “My mother—what really happened back then?” Kathy knew he’d ask sooner or later. She considered and said, “Are you sure you’re ready? If you are, I’ll tell you the truth now.” Joaquin didn’t even hesitate; a faint, bitter laugh slipped out. “Ready or not, I have to know. I’ve wanted the truth for years. Now that we’ve found it, better to hear it sooner and understand it sooner.” Since he said that, Kathy didn’t hold back. She sat up and flipped on the bedside lamp. Warm yellow light softened the room, pooling at the headboard, bringing a touch of comfort. It didn’t feel warm to Kathy. She settled against the headboard, shoulder to shoulder with Joaquin, tugged the covers up, then laid out everything she’d learned from Mrs. Levisay. The more she said, the colder Joaquin’s face grew—those sharp brows knit tight, his gaze hard as a blade. The air around him turned fierce. The pressure dropped so low it felt like the room itself had frozen. Kathy watched him closely. She pressed her lips together, then reached for his hand and laced their fingers. “I know this truth is hard to take. But it is what it is. It’s been so many years—arguing changes nothing. Your father betrayed your mother. Hera Robinson played her. The Levisay family drove her to the edge. You can blame anyone in the Levisay Residence, but don’t—absolutely don’t—blame yourself.” That was what she feared most. And it was true: after hearing it all, Joaquin’s hatred for the Levisay family was tangled with deep guilt. “My mother… she killed herself to protect me. If Hera hadn’t used me to trick her, she wouldn’t have fallen for it. She cared too much and lost her judgment… If it weren’t for me—” Kathy’s brows tightened. She squeezed his hand hard. “This isn’t on you. Even without you, Hera would have found another excuse to push your mother to end it. She knew your father would never divorce your mother, so she looked for a way to climb into the wifey seat. She needed your mother gone. If not by using you, she’d use something else. Don’t shoulder this. Put the blame where it belongs—on the Levisays.” Joaquin’s other hand curled into a tight fist. He drew a long breath and forced himself steady. His eyes stayed razor-sharp, the darkness in them deep. “You’re right. I should blame the Levisays.” His mouth tipped into a cold smile, his gaze turning icy. “They were ruthless to my mother. Every one of them owes her. I’ll make the Levisay Residence pay back a thousandfold.” Kathy finally relaxed a little and smoothed the tight crease between his brows. “As long as you don’t beat yourself up, we’re good. The Levisays do need to pay. I didn’t call the police because prison would be too easy on her. I knew you wouldn’t be okay with that, so I had her tied up. What comes next is yours to decide. And your father—” Joaquin let out a hard laugh. “He’s no father. He’s unfit to be human. I won’t spare a single one of them. The old lady’s got her eyes on Robert Levisay? I’ll make sure she ends up with nothing.” Just then, Kathy’s phone rang. She jumped and glanced at the time—three in the morning. Who would call this late? Joaquin grabbed the phone off the nightstand, checked the screen, and looked surprised. He handed it to her. “It’s Josiah.” Hearing that name, Kathy was surprised too. She took the phone, glanced at the lit screen, then answered. “Hello. It’s late. What’s going on?” Josiah’s voice came through fast, edged with urgency. “Kathy, are you in Hovington right now?” “Yeah,” Kathy said, confused. “What’s wrong?” “Can you come to Kyoland?” Josiah asked, hesitant. “My father… he collapsed.” Kathy froze, sitting up straight. “Collapsed? What happened? Did he see a doctor?” Josiah answered quickly, “He did, but it didn’t help. He’s critical and failing. He’s weak. I was hoping you—” Kathy understood right away. She bit her lip, thought for just a second, then said, “I’ll head out immediately.” She hung up. Joaquin had heard everything. His dark eyes settled on her. “You’re going to Kyoland? To save Mr. Grant?” Kathy swung out of bed. “Yeah.” She paused, remembering something. “Are you staying to handle the Levisay mess? If you are, I’ll go alone. Don’t worry about me.” Joaquin shook his head. “No need. You’ve already got her locked down. Let the team keep an eye on her. We’ll deal with the Levisays when we get back. I’m coming with you.” With that, Kathy didn’t argue. She nodded. They quickly packed their bags, called Xavier Yates, and asked him to watch Noah. Then they headed straight for Kyoland. Around seven in the morning, they reached the Grant Group estate. Josiah was already waiting at the gate.