Chapter 6
Kent's face lit up with obvious joy, but the moment he saw Katrina, he froze.
"What's going on here?" He frowned and demanded, "Katrina, there's no need to fake it like this, is there? Lena gets sick so you get sick too? What's the point?"
"Wait, what? She's the one who's actually family?" Chris suddenly stood up, staring at the three brothers in shock.
"Are you kidding me? I thought she was the outsider. She's practically dying here and you're all being total dicks to her? Meanwhile that Helena girl isn't even that bad off—just a little shaken up. She'll be fine with some rest. Why does she need a whole entourage?"
Those words stunned Kent too.
His face alternated between pale and flushed as he finally understood why Bran and Lance had been so silent, why they looked so grim.
Katrina was sick.
When did that happen? Wasn't she just competing with Lena for attention?
"Dr. Watson, I'd like some peace and quiet." At that moment, Katrina, who'd been silent this whole time, finally spoke.
Her voice was unbearably heavy—nothing like a young woman's voice. More like a middle-aged matron.
You could only imagine how much pain and disappointment she felt.
"You all need to leave." Chris seemed to see right through everything and said helplessly, "The patient needs rest."
The three brothers exchanged glances, all hesitating to speak.
But just then, Helena showed up.
"Katy, you're sick too? Are you okay? Does it hurt?" Helena leaned on a nurse's arm, acting like she was at death's door.
But her performance, compared to Katrina who was actually too sick to even speak, immediately showed the cracks.
Brandon pulled Helena toward the door. "Let's go outside."
Helena thought he was just being dismissive of Katrina. After all, everyone could see how dramatic that bitch was being.
So she pulled away from Brandon. "Bran, what's wrong with Katy? How come she got sick when I got sick? Did I infect her?"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Brandon with apparent concern.
But everyone could tell she was implying Katrina was faking it.
Brandon's gaze darkened slightly as he looked at Helena with a hint of confusion.
He hadn't expected this reaction from her. He'd always thought Helena treated Katrina like a real sister.
"Lena, Katrina has a viral infection. Her fever hasn't broken yet." Lancelot spoke up at the right moment, his voice also subdued.
"What?" Disbelief flashed through Helena's eyes. She almost cried out.
How was that possible?
That bitch just had a little cold—how could it be this serious?
But she quickly calmed down.
Lancelot had always been the least fond of Katrina. If even he was saying this, it must be true.
Helena quickly wiped her tears. "Since Katy's sick, should I stay here and take care of her?"
Listening to these people's little performance, Katrina's head buzzed. The disgust in her heart was overflowing.
"Alright, alright, family members need to clear out. The patient needs rest. Stop making a racket in here."
Chris seemed to sense her displeasure and herded everyone out.
Finally, peace and quiet.
Katrina had a wonderful sleep.
Outside the hospital room, the three Fontaine brothers didn't leave.
"Bran, I think we really went too far this time." Lancelot spoke slowly. "Katy's health has never been great since she was little."
Brandon's face was dark as iron. He said nothing, but the regret in his eyes gave him away.
Kent leaned against the wall, glanced at Katrina's door, and let out a long sigh.
"Yeah, it was pretty excessive." Kent muttered. "When did Katy get so stubborn? She'd rather tough it out alone than tell us?"
After he said that, the atmosphere in the hallway shifted.
He pressed his lips together and said nothing more.
After who knows how long, Brandon spoke, breaking the silence.
"Katy's always been complicated. Bottom line, she's selfish and unwilling to accept Lena as her sister. So we'll just send her some stuff to smooth things over. She'll be fine."
He couldn't help thinking about before.
Whatever they gave Katrina, she'd accept it like she'd won the lottery and carefully prepare something in return.
Yeah, she was that easy to please.
Lancelot and Kent exchanged glances, both thinking this was a good idea.
Katrina was easy to appease—even scraps from their fingertips would make her ecstatic.
But Lena was different. Lena needed real attention and care. She was so insecure.
"Let's go see Lena first," Brandon said. "We'll come back to check on Katy later."
The three brothers immediately agreed.
Katrina slept for over three hours. When she woke, the IV had finished.
Only then did she feel like that heavy, suffocating weight on her chest had lifted considerably.
"What's up with your family? Why do they treat an outsider better than you?" Chris came in to bring her medicine and asked casually.
Chris was also looking after Helena. When he'd just gone to check on her, all three Fontaine brothers were circling around her—offering fruit, pouring water, the works.
Compared to Katrina's side, it was night and day.
Looking at this simple, harmless young doctor, Katrina smiled bitterly.
"I don't know either." She said flatly. "But it doesn't matter. Dr. Watson, could you please prescribe me some medicine to take home?"
"That's not going to work. You just—"
"It's fine. I don't want to stay here anymore." With Katrina's insistence, Chris had no choice but to process her discharge.
After she left, the three Fontaine brothers finally showed up with their little gifts.
Brandon carried a stuffed animal Helena didn't want. "When we see her, don't say too much. Don't give her an inch or she'll take a mile."
Lancelot raised an eyebrow. "Obviously."
He'd had someone buy porridge from outside the hospital and was carrying it in his hand. It was a bit cold now, but no matter—Katrina would still be grateful.
Kent kept it even simpler. He'd grabbed a few oranges.
He figured after giving Katrina so many nice things before, they couldn't spoil her too much now.
Brandon pushed open the door. "Katy—"
The words died in his throat.
The hospital room was completely empty. Not a trace of Katrina.
Lancelot and Kent came in too. The smiles on both their faces froze at the same time.
"Chris, where's Katrina?" Kent rushed to Chris's office and demanded.
Chris pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses, looking totally confused. "She discharged herself ages ago. You didn't know?"
He glanced at what the three brothers were holding and felt speechless.
Since Helena checked into the hospital last night, her room had been filled to the brim with expensive gifts from these three—designer bags, designer clothes, fancy flowers... you name it.
But what they were bringing Katrina? Just this unwanted junk?
Absolutely ridiculous.
"She didn't even tell us. Does she still consider us family?" Kent bit his teeth, inexplicably feeling like he'd been played.
Brandon had already dialed Katrina's number and said coldly, "Come back for a bit. We prepared gifts for you."
He'd taken the initiative to call. Katrina would definitely come running back like an eager puppy.
That's how it always was before.
But then—she hung up on him.
