If the surgery turned out well, Catherine would be in a good mood. She would pack everything carefully, folding each piece of clothing as if she were folding hope itself. Even though she would have to move into a rented apartment afterward, as long as her mother survived and recovered, the future still felt bright—filled with possibilities and faith.
But if the surgery failed… then there was no reason to pack much at all. She would just grab a few essentials and leave.
The moment she got out of the car and rushed into the apartment building, Bert remained seated behind the wheel. He glanced once more at the shabby neighborhood, his expression deep and unreadable, then picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Do you know any top neurosurgeons ?"
His call reached Dave, who was in the middle of dinner at a restaurant. Dave paused in surprise.
"A neurosurgeon?"
Bert responded with a low hum. "Yeah. A friend's mother is undergoing a craniotomy tomorrow…"
The moment he said that, Dave understood exactly what Bert wanted. A craniotomy was one of the most complex and dangerous surgeries. Everyone wanted the best doctor they could possibly find.
Before Dave could reply, Morrison, who was sitting beside him, immediately leaned in and spoke up.
"I know one! I'll make the call."
He reached over and took Dave's phone, then spoke into the receiver with eager enthusiasm.
"I happen to know a specialist at the Hospital. Just give me the patient's name, and I'll make sure everything is arranged properly."
"Renata."
Bert gave the name without hesitation. He had no intention of hiding anything from Morrison. Morrison had already investigated his relationship with Catherine anyway, so there was nothing left to conceal.
Upon hearing that name, Morrison's lips curled into an inexplicable smile.
"Alright. Got it. Leave it to me—I'll handle everything."
Even though Morrison was being extremely cooperative, Bert didn't bother to respond. He hung up the phone without a word.
After handing the phone back to Dave, Lilian shot Morrison a sideways glance.
"What are you grinning about?"
Morrison toned down his expression a little. "Am I? Maybe I've just been in such a good mood lately that I can't help it."
Lilian let out a cold snort and looked away. Ever since she got pregnant and they got married, he had been smiling like a man who had just won the entire world. On days when her morning sickness hit particularly hard, that constant smile of his really got on her nerves.
But the real reason Morrison was smiling… was because of the name Renata.
In Burg Eltz, plenty of people were aware of the complicated ties between Renata and Channing's family—Morrison was one of them. Which meant he also knew that Renata was Catherine's mother. So of course, he instantly understood why Bert was going out of his way to secure the best neurosurgeon in the hospital—it was for Catherine.
Ever since Morrison accidentally uncovered that one-night incident between Bert and Catherine, he had kept a close eye on both the Channing family and the S family. Yet later, when Catherine went abroad and Bert moved to the States, their connection completely disappeared. No gossip, no scandal—nothing. The realization had actually disappointed Morrison. Just a little.
Truthfully, Morrison really hoped something would happen between Bert and Catherine. The reason he was so invested in Bert's love life was simple: once Bert got married and started his own family, he wouldn't have time or energy to meddle in Morrison and Lilian's affairs.
Just a few days ago, Bert suggested to Lilian that once she passed the first three months of pregnancy and was out of the danger zone, she could return to modeling. Since her belly wouldn't show early on, she could still shoot magazine covers, and when it became visible, she could switch to endorsing maternity brands—it wouldn't affect her career at all.
Annoyingly, Lilian thought Bert's idea was brilliant. Morrison nearly exploded on the spot.
To Morrison, the sooner Bert got married and minded his own business, the better. He wanted peace. He wanted his wife, Lilian, safe at home, resting properly through her pregnancy—not out there modeling under flashing cameras. The very thought made his blood pressure spike. If anything—anything at all—happened to Lilian, he would mentally collapse on the spot.
Not to mention, Linda would literally kill him. Ever since Lilian married into the family and got pregnant, Linda treated her like a precious jewel.
Of course, Linda was just as affectionate toward Marylin, her other future daughter-in-law. Ever since the brothers got girlfriends, it was obvious that daughters-in-law were now the beloved ones in the family, while the actual sons had been demoted to background characters.
Morrison had also learned about Renata's condition and Catherine's return to the country a few days ago. So the moment Dave mentioned "a neurosurgeon," Morrison immediately guessed that Bert was trying to help Renata. And he had guessed right.
Still, Morrison decided it was best to keep this to himself for now. After all, Bert and Catherine weren't even officially involved yet.
And knowing Bert's strange personality, if everyone started asking questions and drawing attention to it, he might just shut down completely and drop any possible interest he had in Catherine. That would ruin everything.
What Morrison didn't realize was that he was completely overthinking it.
To Bert, the reason he was stepping in to help was partly because he couldn't bear to see Catherine in such a desperate situation—but more importantly, because he owed her. He had taken her innocence, ruined her reputation. He believed it was his responsibility to do something for her.
And if it hadn't been him that night… it would have been another man.
But no matter what could have happened, the fact was—he had been the one who ended up with her. And because of that, he felt obligated to make things right. There were no romantic intentions behind his actions—only guilt and responsibility.
Back then, after the incident, he had gathered evidence proving Lucca's scheme and given it to Catherine so she could clear her name. She never used it. So this time, helping her mother would simply be his way of making up for that debt.
After helping her this once, Bert believed his conscience would finally be clear. He didn't even understand why someone as cold and ruthless as himself would feel any form of guilt after spending a night with a woman. Perhaps it was because that night had directly ruined her reputation and turned her life upside down. If it had just been a simple one-night stand, he wouldn't have felt a single thing.
This would be the last time. After this, they would be even. Even if he saw her being bullied in the future, he would no longer get involved.
He held no romantic intention toward Catherine—truthfully, he held no intention toward love or marriage at all. Living alone for the rest of his life wasn't just acceptable to him—it was preferable.
He didn't have the courage to promise a woman forever, nor the confidence to build a family. Rather than bringing a child into the world only to give them the same broken upbringing he had endured, it was better not to have children at all.
After ending the call with Morrison, he glanced at the old apartment building ahead. A light flickered on in one of the units on the fourth floor. He started the engine, ready to leave—but after a moment of hesitation, he turned the engine off, opened the door, and stepped out.
Hands in his pockets, he stood at the foot of the building, his eyes lifted to the warm glow of that fourth-floor window. In the darkness, his sharp features were cast in shadows, unreadable, almost intimidating. Then, without another second of hesitation, he walked into the building.
Even though she had been quiet in the car, he could feel it clearly—her emotions weren't just low. They were collapsing. Like she had reached the bottom of a pit with no way out.
As someone who had once been abandoned by his own father, he recognized that kind of despair. And as someone who had survived it, he felt it was necessary—no, imperative—to keep her from falling any further.
Until Renata's surgery was over, he needed Catherine in a stable condition.
If Renata survived but Catherine didn't… everything he had done would be meaningless.
And if her emotions were this fragile now, what would happen if something really went wrong in tomorrow's surgery? She would break. And Bert refused to let anything spiral out of his control.
Meanwhile, Catherine had already climbed the stairs while calling Renata, telling her she had gotten home safely and would come back later to keep her company. She said she had forgotten something at home and needed to retrieve it. Renata asked whether dinner with Channing had gone well. She replied casually, "Yeah. It was fine."
Catherine knew Channing wouldn't dare mention anything that had happened tonight. Not to Renata. Because if Renata ever learned that he had planned to sell her daughter to an old man's bed, she would probably take a knife to him.
The only reason Channing had dared make such a demand in the first place was because he had absolute confidence that Catherine wouldn't tell Renata. He believed she would swallow the humiliation, stay quiet, and obediently accept the arranged marriage. By the time he explained things to Renata, he would only need to say one sentence:
She agreed willingly.