The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 87: Something In Common

Zeke’s expression darkened the moment he heard Tyler’s words. His jaw clenched, and a cold glare took over his face.

"Who are you?" he asked sharply, his voice low and firm.

Tyler smiled easily and glanced at Cassidy. "Can I tell him?" he teased, clearly playing around. "You know... about us?"

Cassidy’s eyes went wide. "Tyler," she snapped under her breath. "Are you insane?"

But Tyler only chuckled, like he was enjoying every second of it. He looked back at Zeke and said casually, "I’m Cassidy’s ex-boyfriend. So, I guess we’ve got something in common."

He gave a shrug. "We’re both her exes."

Zeke’s eyes narrowed. His shoulders tensed. The room suddenly felt colder, heavier—like something sharp had just been pulled into the space. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Before it could get worse, Cassidy grabbed Tyler’s arm and pulled him toward the door. "I think your patient needs you now," she said firmly.

Once they stepped into the hallway and the door shut behind them, Cassidy spun on him.

"What the hell was that, Tyler?" she snapped. "Are you out of your mind?"

Tyler laughed again, holding his hands up. "Relax. I’m sorry, okay? His face was just so cold when I walked in. I couldn’t resist messing with him. But, wow... that look he gave me? Felt like he wanted to kill me."

He raised an eyebrow. "So? Was I right? Is he your ex-husband? Your boyfriend?"

Cassidy rolled her eyes, clearly fed up. "Your joke wasn’t funny. Don’t ever do that again. I mean it."

"Okay, okay... I won’t. I promise," Tyler said, still half-laughing, but he backed off.

He said goodbye and walked away down the hall. Cassidy took a deep breath, collected herself, then went back inside Claire’s room.

Zeke was still standing near the bed. The moment she walked in and closed the door behind her, he looked up.

"Was he really your ex?" he asked quietly.

Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. My ex in high school."

Zeke let out a short breath. "Wow. I didn’t know there were that many men in your life."

His words came out rough, jealousy woven into every syllable. And the second he said them, he regretted it.

Zeke didn’t meant to say it like that. The words had come out too fast, too sharp. Jealousy, frustration... they had all gotten tangled in his mouth.

Cassidy’s eyes snapped to his, her voice like ice. "Watch your mouth."

"I’m sorry," he said, voice low and tense. "I didn’t mean it like that. That wasn’t fair. I just..."

He trailed off, unsure how to fix it.

Cassidy didn’t answer. She just stood there in silence and somehow, that silence hurt more than if she had yelled.

Zeke clenched his jaw. He wasn’t angry at her. He was angry at himself.

He had no right to be jealous, not after everything. But seeing another man close with her and tease her hurt more than he expected. Zeke hated the feeling, not because Cassidy was his, but because he had never shared that closeness with her.

They both stayed quiet, the air between them heavy and tense.

Neither of them tried to speak.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Clara walked in with a food tray.

"Lunch is here," she said with a gentle smile, unknowingly lightening the mood without meaning to.

Cassidy stepped forward to help, her voice soft, "Thanks, Clara."

Zeke stayed where he was, eyes on Claire, but his mind still somewhere else.

Clara walked over to the small table and set down the food containers she brought. "Zeke," she called gently, "why don’t you join us for lunch?"

Zeke hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Cassidy, unsure, then finally nodded and walked over. He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down quietly.

Clara unpacked the food. There was fried chicken, roast beef slices, a container of warm chicken soup with carrots and noodles, and a serving of white rice packed neatly in Tupperware boxes. She also took out a small container of fresh fruit apple slices and seedless grapes.

She handed plates to both Zeke and Cassidy with a bright smile. "I wasn’t sure what everyone liked, so I brought a bit of everything."

"Thank you, Clara. This looks really good," Cassidy said warmly.

Zeke gave a small nod beside her, already reaching for the soup.

They began eating in silence. The room was quiet, save for the occasional sound of spoons clinking and the soft hum of the hospital around them.

As Clara ladled the soup into bowls, she glanced over at Zeke and paused. He pushed a few carrot slices to the side of his bowl with his spoon before taking a sip. He didn’t eat the carrots.

She let out a small chuckle. "You’re just like Claire," she said warmly. "She doesn’t like carrots either."

Zeke looked up, surprised. "She doesn’t?"

Clara nodded. "Nope. Always pushes them to the side."

A smile slowly spread across Zeke’s face, small, but genuine. "There’s more of me in her than I thought."

It was a simple thing. But it meant something to him.

Zeke took another quiet bite, then glanced at Clara. A hint of worry showed in his eyes, like he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer to what he was about to ask.

"Did she ever have a reaction? Because of shrimp?"

Cassidy paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. Her eyes shifted toward him, a quiet realization settling in.

So that’s why. It made sense now. The reaction, the allergy, Claire had gotten it from him.

Clara nodded quickly, unaware of the weight in the room. "Yeah, she is! I didn’t know at first. I gave her shrimp pasta once, and not long after, her whole body broke out in red patches. I had to rush her to the doctor. Cassidy wasn’t home, and I freaked out."

Zeke froze.

His hand, resting near his plate, curled slightly. His expression changed, tense, like the memory hit deeper than he expected.

"She had to be taken to the doctor?" he asked, voice low.

Clara nodded. "Yeah. It was scary. She was crying and scratching everywhere. I didn’t know what was happening at first."

Zeke looked down at his food, suddenly losing his appetite. He swallowed hard.

"I’m sorry," he said quietly. "She got that from me."

The guilt in his voice was clear, like he wished he could go back and change it. Like it hurt knowing Claire had suffered because of him.

Cassidy, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "It’s okay," she said softly. "It’s in the past now."

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