The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 86: The Ex-Husband

Xavier stayed at the hospital for about an hour. He spent nearly half of it talking with Claire, his voice light and full of warmth. The other half, he sat with Cassidy while Claire was resting, their quiet conversation filling the room with a kind of ease Zeke couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.

Zeke couldn’t stand watching Xavier share those moments with Claire and Cassidy. But what could he do? The bond they had with Xavier ran far deeper than what he had with either of them.

After Xavier left, Raymond entered Claire’s room.

Cassidy was startled to see him, and Raymond, in turn, froze the moment he saw Zeke, Cassidy’s ex-husband. The tension in the room shifted instantly. More than that, Zeke’s presence seemed to confirm what Raymond had quietly suspected.

Claire was his. His daughter with Cassidy.

Raymond walked over to Cassidy, his voice low but firm. "I just heard about Claire from Georgia. Why didn’t you tell us?"

Cassidy exhaled slowly. "I didn’t want to burden anyone. Especially not with Mom still unconscious. There was already enough to worry about."

She glanced at Claire, who was still resting peacefully. "But now Mom’s awake. Claire’s awake. That’s good."

Raymond stepped closer to the bed, his eyes never leaving Claire. "How is she doing?"

Cassidy replied calmly, "They’re keeping a close eye on her. Watching for signs of infection, pain, and how her stomach’s handling things."

She looked at Claire briefly. "They’ve started giving her food little by little. Just liquids for now. Then soft food, and eventually solid if she keeps improving."

Raymond listened closely. Cassidy added softly,

"As long as there’s no fever, her wound heals well, and she can move on her own, they say she’s on the right track."

Raymond nodded. "Good." Then his tone shifted slightly. "What about the police? Have they caught the shooter?"

Cassidy shook her head. "Not yet. They came by yesterday, asked a few questions, but they said they still haven’t found him."

Raymond frowned. "Do you think it was just a random shooting? Or do you think something else was behind it?"

Zeke, who had been quietly listening from the corner, furrowed his brow.

Cassidy hesitated. "I don’t know. Claire wasn’t the only one who got shot. Maybe it was just a random mass shooting."

Raymond’s expression was unreadable. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "Let’s just hope so."

Raymond walked over to Zeke, who was sitting on the sofa. "Zeke, I didn’t expect to see you here."

Zeke simply said, "Yeah." freewebnøvel.coɱ

Raymond looked at Claire’s bed, then back at Zeke. "You’ve been here long?"

Zeke nodded. "Since the day she was brought in."

Raymond gave a small nod, then stepped back. "I’ll go back to Mom’s room. Just wanted to check on Claire."

He looked at both Zeke and Cassidy. "Take care."

Then he quietly left the room.

***

Claire’s condition was getting better.

Zeke no longer stayed overnight at the hospital, but he still visited every day. Xavier still came by often, but not every day.

Maybe it was because of Zeke. His presence made it harder for Xavier to feel like he belonged. But no one said anything about it.

Right now, Cassidy was in her mother’s room, listening to Dr. Julianne explain her latest condition.

"It’s been a few days since she woke up, and so far, her condition is stable," the doctor said. "Her GCS score is steady, no signs of infection or serious complications. Reflexes and motor responses look normal."

"She’s still on full brain rest. So, no screens, reading, or loud noise," she added. "We’ll reassess in a few days. If everything stays stable, we’ll start light activities next week."

Cassidy nodded. "And her mental health?"

"She’s scheduled to meet with our psychiatrist tomorrow," Dr. Julianne replied. "It’s important, given the nature of her case. We’re also here to support you and the family if needed."

Cassidy gave a quiet, grateful smile. "Thank you." Dr. Julianne returned the smile. "We’re doing everything we can for her."

After Dr. Julianne left, Cassidy walked over to her mother’s bedside.

She gently held her hand. Teresa’s skin felt a little cold, and her eyes still looked confused, like she wasn’t fully aware of everything around her.

Cassidy smiled softly and whispered, "It’s okay. You’re going to get better. I’m right here."

Teresa slowly held her daughter’s hand in return, even if she didn’t fully understand what Cassidy was saying. But her touch was warm. And Cassidy didn’t let go.

***

After saying goodbye to Martha, Cassidy left Teresa’s room. On her way back to Claire’s room, she ran into Tyler in the hallway.

"Hey, Cass," Tyler greeted with a smile. "Did you just visit your mom?"

Cassidy nodded. "Yeah."

"I just finished checking on a patient down here," he said, glancing toward one of the VIP rooms. "Heading home?"

Cassidy shook her head. "No. I’m going to my daughter’s room."

Tyler blinked in surprise. "Your daughter? You have a child?"

Cassidy nodded again. "I do."

"What happened to her?" he asked, his voice suddenly serious.

"She’s in the hospital. She’s being treated here," Cassidy said quietly. She didn’t explain more than that.

Tyler raised his eyebrows. "I didn’t know. Mind if I stop by and say hi?"

Cassidy gave him a look. "Don’t you have patients to see?"

Tyler laughed. "There are plenty of doctors around. I just want to say hi. It won’t take long."

Cassidy smiled. "If that’s the case, sure. You can see her."

They walked together down the hallway.

"How old is your daughter?" Tyler asked casually.

"She’s a little over three," Cassidy said with a soft smile.

Tyler whistled. "Wow. Look at you already a mom. Meanwhile, I can’t even find a date."

Cassidy let out a small laugh. "Maybe it’s time you start looking."

When they reached Claire’s room, Cassidy was surprised to see Zeke already inside.

She had thought he was still at work and that Clara was with Claire. But no, Zeke was sitting next to the bed, flipping through a children’s book while Claire rested beside him.

The moment Zeke saw a man walking beside Cassidy, his eyes narrowed slightly.

But when he noticed Tyler’s scrubs, he relaxed a little.

Tyler stepped closer to the bed and smiled gently. "She’s beautiful."

Claire looked up at him shyly. "Thank you."

Zeke’s jaw tightened at the exchange. He had assumed Tyler was just another doctor doing routine rounds, but from the way he and Cassidy talked, it clearly wasn’t that simple.

Tyler turned to Cassidy. "Is she doing better now?"

Cassidy nodded. "Yes. Dr. Myers said she should be able to go home soon."

"Glad to hear that." Tyler smiled, then looked over at Zeke. He held out a hand politely. "Hi. Tyler Pierce."

Zeke stood and accepted the handshake. "Ezekiel Salvador."

Tyler tilted his head, looking curiously at Cassidy. "The ex-husband, right?"

Cassidy’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by how casually Tyler said it. She was surprised not just by the question, but by how easily Tyler had figured out Zeke’s identity, and how unfiltered he was to ask it right in front of both of them.

***

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