Roman and Julienne's heart desire-Chapter 98: They’ve sold their shares

The scent of antiseptic clings to the air. The quiet beep of the heart monitor is steady but unnervingly loud in the silence.

Lewis Jenkins lies awake in bed, propped up by pillows, his skin pale beneath the harsh fluorescent lights.

His eyes stare at nothing—fixed on the far wall, where the faint morning sunlight peeks through the blinds.

The door creaks open.

Cassandra bursts in, her heels clacking on the floor, her hair slightly disheveled, worry carved deep into her brow.

"Lewis!"

Her purse slips from her arm as she rushes to his bedside. Her breath catches when she sees him—fragile, not the commanding figure she’s used to. She reaches for his hand.

"God... I came as fast as I could. Why didn’t anyone call me earlier?"

Lewis forces a weak smile.

"You’re here now. That’s enough."

But his voice is hoarse, thin. He looks away too quickly.

Cassandra glances around the room.

"Where’s Yusuf? They told me he brought you here."

Lewis lets out a low exhale. Not quite a sigh. Not quite a scoff.

"He left."

"Left?" Cassandra blinks. "Why? Where did he go?"

He doesn’t answer immediately. His eyes shift toward the window.

"He said I was stable... that there wasn’t any more for him to do."

Cassandra stiffens slightly. She knows Yusuf—he doesn’t just disappear. Not unless something’s shifted.

"He didn’t even wait to speak to me?" she asks, incredulous.

Lewis looks down at the blanket draped across his lap.

"He made it clear, Cassie. He’s not on my side. Not anymore."

Cassandra slowly sinks into the chair beside the bed, her mouth tightening.

"What do you mean?"

Lewis turns his head, finally meeting her gaze. There’s something bitter behind his eyes.

"He didn’t say it outright, but it was in the way he spoke. Short. Distant. Like... he was doing his duty. Like he was helping a man he once respected, but doesn’t anymore."

Cassandra stays silent. It hits harder coming from Lewis’s mouth than she expected.

"He said..." Lewis pauses, voice catching, "’You built this empire, Lewis. Don’t let it bury you.’ Then he walked out."

"Just like that?" she murmurs.

Lewis nods slowly.

"Just like that."

---

The room goes quiet for a moment.

The monitor beeps steadily. Outside the window, a bird flutters past, disappearing into the July light.

Cassandra’s eyes harden. Her voice is lower now, but colder.

"So even Yusuf is stepping back. That’s the fourth major figure we’ve lost this quarter."

Lewis doesn’t answer.

"This company is crumbling beneath your name," she says quietly. "And no one wants to be caught standing beside you when it finally falls."

"Don’t you think I know that?" Lewis snaps suddenly, then immediately regrets it, wincing as the tension strains his chest.

Cassandra softens slightly and reaches for a cup of water from the side table, handing it to him.

He sips it slowly, the silence stretching again.

"I thought Yusuf would stay. Out of loyalty. Out of memory," Lewis finally says.

"People change, Lewis. Loyalty fades when fear enters the room."

He leans back against the pillows, exhausted again.

"So what now?" he asks. "Are you going to leave too?"

Cassandra shakes her head.

"I’m not a shareholder. I’m your wife."

She pauses, then adds with measured honesty,

"But if you want to survive this—you need to stop expecting help from people just because they used to care."

*****

Rachel is curled up on Logan’s lap, her cheek resting against his chest, her legs tucked beside her.

His arm is loosely draped around her waist, fingers absently stroking her arm.

They’ve just finished breakfast—plates still sitting on the coffee table with half-drunk glasses of juice.

The air smells faintly of buttered toast and Logan’s cologne.

Rachel lifts her head slightly, smiling at the screen.

"Why don’t people ever kiss in the rain in real life?" she murmurs with a playful smirk.

Logan chuckles, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Because in real life, rain ruins hair, makeup, and good shoes," he teases.

She laughs, light and sincere, and leans up to press a kiss to his jawline.

Suddenly, her phone rings.

Rachel frowns, reaching across the arm of the couch to grab it.

"Mum" flashes across the screen.

She sits upright instantly.

"It’s my mother."

Logan nods gently, sensing the change in her energy.

Rachel answers quickly.

"Mum?"

Cassandra’s voice is frantic.

"Rachel—your father... He fainted. At the company. He’s in the hospital now."

Rachel’s whole body goes rigid.

"What?! What happened?! Is he okay?"

"He’s awake now but... the doctor said it was exhaustion. Stress. His blood pressure dropped. I’m on my way to the hospital right now."

Rachel’s heart is pounding. Her hand grips the phone tightly.

"Okay—I’m coming. I’ll be there soon."

She ends the call and turns to Logan, eyes wide, her voice shaking.

"My dad collapsed. They took him to the hospital. I—I don’t know how bad it is."

Logan immediately places both hands on her arms, steadying her.

"Hey. Look at me."

She does, blinking rapidly.

"He’s awake, right? That’s a good sign. He’s going to be okay," Logan says calmly. "We’ll go now, alright? You’re not alone in this."

Rachel nods, a little shakily.

"I—I need to get dressed."

"Go. I’ll get the keys," Logan says, already rising to his feet.

She disappears down the hallway, and within minutes, reappears in jeans and a loose blouse, tying her hair up in a messy bun with trembling hands.

Logan is waiting at the door, keys in one hand, jacket in the other.

He places the jacket gently around her shoulders.

"Let’s go."

The automatic glass doors slide open as Rachel and Logan rush into the white, quiet lobby.

The scent of sanitizer stings her nose. Her heart is thundering. She walks faster, clutching her phone, eyes scanning for the front desk.

"Excuse me—Lewis Jenkins. He was brought in this morning," she says quickly.

The nurse at the desk checks the record and nods.

"Room 306. Down the hallway, take a right."

Rachel barely says thank you before she hurries off, Logan beside her.

As they round the corner, they see Cassandra exiting the room.

Her face is pale, her lipstick faintly smudged, and her eyes glassy with emotion. She stops in her tracks when she sees them.

"Mum," Rachel breathes.

Cassandra opens her arms, and Rachel rushes into them. The hug is tight, almost crushing.

"He’s okay. Weak, but awake," Cassandra whispers. "He asked about you."

Rachel pulls back, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Can I see him?"

Cassandra nods, brushing Rachel’s cheek.

"Yes. Just... don’t panic when you see him. He looks tired, but he’s better than earlier."

She steps aside.

Logan rests a hand on Cassandra’s shoulder as they pass, quietly offering,

"I’ll wait outside. Let them talk."

Cassandra nods, her throat too tight to speak again.

Rachel walks into the room, steeling herself.

The door opens softly, and Rachel steps in, her heels clicking lightly on the polished tiles.

Her father, Lewis Jenkins, lies half-reclined in the hospital bed, his arm hooked to an IV, his complexion pale and his breath slow.

The once-commanding figurehead of Jenkins Holdings now looked like a shadow of himself.

"Daddy?" Rachel whispered, walking in, her voice coated in both worry and disbelief.

Lewis slowly turned his head. His eyes, slightly sunken and dull, met hers with something between weariness and bitterness.

"You came," he rasped.

Rachel came to his side immediately, her fingers curling around the cold metal railing of the bed.

"Of course I did! Mummy told me—she said you collapsed in the office—" her voice cracked slightly. "You scared me."

Lewis made a rough sound in his throat — halfway between a sigh and a scoff.

"It wasn’t a collapse," he muttered. "It was betrayal."

Rachel blinked.

"What do you mean?"

He turned his face fully toward her now, and the look in his eyes made her stomach twist.

"Five. Five of them. Gone." His voice lowered like a curse. "Shareholders I played golf with. Took to vacations. Mentored like sons. They didn’t even look back, Rachel."

"Gone?" Rachel repeated, a laugh of disbelief breaking from her lips. "What do you mean gone?"

"Out," Lewis snapped. "They’ve sold their shares. Quietly. Behind our backs. Yusuf was the only one who stayed behind to watch me pass out like a dog."

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