She Mocked My “Useless” Husband Then My Family Ended the Party Chapter 08

She Mocked My “Useless” Husband Then My Family Ended the Party Chapter 08

Hayes Family Private Hospital. Highcrest. 

The top–floor VIP ward was silent except for the steady pulse of Julian’s monitors. 

I eased the door open and slipped inside. 

Julian was propped up in bed. Still pale, but breathing evenly. 

A fresh pacemaker sat beneath the thick 

bandages wrapped around his chest. 

He turned at the sound of the door. 

His eyes, usually distant and turned inward, lit with 

something when they found me. A spark. Small 

and quiet, but there. 

“Clara.” 

His voice was thin. Rough around the edges. 

I swallowed hard against the tears and crossed to 

him in three steps, catching the hand he held out 

for me. 

“I’m here.” 

I pressed my face into his palm. He was warm. He 

was alive. 

“I’m sorry, Julian. This is my fault. I never should’ve dragged you to that banquet…” 

If I hadn’t been so restless, so eager for a night 

out, none of this would’ve happened to him. 

Julian turned his hand over in mine and brushed 

his thumb across the corner of my eye. 

“Don’t blame you.” 

He said it slowly, each word placed with care. 

“Clara… kept me safe.” 

“I… keep Clara safe too.” 

The tears won. They fell before I could stop them. 

That stubborn fool. 

He couldn’t even take care of himself, but the 

second trouble came, he put his body between me 

and the fists without thinking twice. 

Eleanor walked in, took one look at us, and sighed. 

“Okay, break it up, you two.” 

“Results are back. The new pacemaker is 

integrating perfectly. Two weeks of rest and he’s 

good to go home.” 

She moved to the bedside and checked his vitals. 

“This kid got lucky. Really lucky.” 

“Another sixty seconds and there wouldn’t have 

been anything left to save.” 

A chill went through me. I squeezed Julian’s hand 

harder. 

“Eleanor… thank you.” 

Eleanor rolled her eyes. 

“Oh, stop.” 

“Arthur and Silas are outside. Fair warning, they’re 

furious.” 

The door swung open before she’d finished the 

sentence. 

Arthur and Silas walked in. 

Arthur’s face was carved from stone, until his gaze 

reached me and something in it eased. 

Silas looked Julian up and down with exaggerated 

disdain. 

“God, you really are hopeless.” 

“Only you could crash a dinner party and end up in 

the ICU.” 

For all his talk, Silas was carrying a thermos of 

bone broth, made by the Sterlings‘ kitchen. 

“The Sterling matriarchs heard what happened and nearly sent a convoy down to level the whole 

city.” 

“If Victoria hadn’t talked them down, they would’ve 

shown up in Bayport themselves to deal with Chloe personally.” 

Victoria and Eleanor had a reputation in Highcrest. 

Touch their family and find out. 

When they’d married us off, the logic was simple: 

two lost causes under one roof meant less 

babysitting. 

Looking at it now, they hadn’t simplified anything. 

They’d just given themselves one more person to 

worry about. 

“Alright. He’s alive. That’s what matters.” 

Arthur’s voice was low, measured. 

“The Thorne situation is handled. Completely.” 

“The Thorne name is dead in Bayport. No one in 

Bayport will say it again.” 

He looked at me, and his voice dropped softer. 

“Next time something happens, you call me first. 

Immediately.” 

“Don’t try to handle it alone.” 

I nodded. 

“Got it.” 

Arthur and Silas didn’t stay long. Once they were 

satisfied Julian was stable, they slipped out and 

left us alone. 

The room went quiet again. 

Julian hadn’t taken his eyes off me. 

“What?” I touched my cheek. “Do I have something 

on my face?” 

He shook his head and pulled me into his arms. 

Gentle, but impossible to argue with. 

“Clara.” 

His chin settled on my shoulder. His breath was 

warm against my neck. 

“I don’t want… to be useless anymore.” 

I went still. 

Julian lived inside his own world. He’d never cared 

what anyone outside of it thought of him. 

This was the first time he’d ever wanted to be 

different.