My Coldhearted Husband’s Regret

Looking at Cullen's message, Veronica lowered her eyes and typed a brief reply. "I have nothing to add."

His response came almost instantly. "Alright."

After that exchange, their conversation died, neither reaching out again to the other.

Ever since Kelsey had agreed to treat Rose, she'd relocated her patient from the nursing home to a VIP ward at the hospital, making regular checkups more convenient.

The following morning, Veronica and Mary made their way to visit Rose. After several weeks of treatment, her physical appearance had improved somewhat—she wasn't as alarmingly gaunt as she'd been two weeks prior. Still, her mental state remained fragile. Familiar faces continued to trigger episodes of instability, making visits challenging.

After spending time with Rose, Veronica and Mary stepped outside to speak with Kelsey about her progress.

They'd barely begun their conversation when movement down the corridor caught Veronica's attention. Her body tensed as she recognized the approaching group—Aurora, Penny, and Claude. An uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach.

Why were they here, of all places?

Beside her, Mary's grip on Veronica's hand suddenly tightened, her fingers digging in with surprising strength. The older woman's face had gone pale at the sight of Claude and Penny.

Veronica understood her fear completely. Her daughter lay just behind those hospital doors. If Rose were to catch even a glimpse of these people—the very ones who'd contributed to her breakdown—the consequences could be devastating. Mary herself was barely holding it together seeing them; for Rose, it could undo weeks of painstaking progress.

When Penny and Claude drew closer, they too registered surprise at finding Veronica and Mary in the exclusive VIP wing. Before they could process this coincidence, however, their attention shifted to the distinguished doctor standing with them.

Aurora's eyes widened as she lowered her voice. "Isn't that Kelsey Carson? How on earth did the Murray family manage to secure her services?"

The question hung in the air as realization dawned on their faces. Rose—it had to be connected to her. But then confusion returned. Rose's issues were primarily psychological, and Kelsey wasn't a psychiatrist. Unless Rose was suffering from physical ailments as well.

Kelsey Carson had been notably absent from public medical circles for some time. Now that they'd spotted her, Aurora and her companions were clearly eager to make an introduction. The problem was their complete lack of connection to the renowned doctor—any attempt at conversation would be transparently opportunistic.

Kelsey, meanwhile, had noticed the shift in Veronica and Mary's demeanor when the others appeared. She cast a brief, cold glance in their direction before turning back to Veronica and Mary.

"Her condition is showing improvement," Kelsey assured them. "There's no need for excessive worry."

Veronica and Mary clasped Kelsey's hands, their faces reflecting profound gratitude. "Thank you, Dr. Carson," they said almost in unison. "We know how hard you've been working these past days."

Kelsey's professional demeanor softened slightly. She patted Veronica's hand. "It's my duty," she replied simply.

During this exchange, Claude and his group had continued walking, stopping about three doors down. They unlocked a room and disappeared inside.

Kelsey, with other patients awaiting her attention, excused herself after giving a few instructions to her medical team. Veronica and Mary watched her depart, their gazes inevitably drifting toward the room Claude's group had entered.

A troubling thought occurred to them simultaneously. Someone in the Crystal or Mack family must be ill, requiring treatment in the VIP ward. If Claude and the others became regular visitors to this section of the hospital, the chance of Rose accidentally encountering them increased exponentially.

Exchanging a worried glance with Mary, who clearly shared her concern, Veronica approached a nearby doctor.

"Doctor," she asked hesitantly, "may I ask what's wrong with the patient in Room 1003?"