Page 33 of Maxwell

The woman had proven that she didn’t want anything from him. Touching the start button, he made his way out.

Chapter 8

"I didn’t want them calling you."

"I happen to be your emergency contact and only living relative." The doctor had met him in the lobby and brought him up to speed.

"She’s slipping further and further into depression and her dementia is progressing."

"How rapidly?"

"Slow for now, but she was found wandering the streets in confusion. She’s going to either have someone living and taking care of her, or you have to place her into a nursing home or assisted living. I could recommend some excellent ones."

"That won’t sit well with her. She’s as stubborn as hell."

"I get that." Dr. Manning said with a derisive snort.

"Why the hell didn’t you want them to call?” Pulling up a chair, he straddled it as he gazed at her.

“I don’t want to be a bother.” She told him stiffly, plucking at the hospital gown.

“That’s bullshit. I’m family."

Her hazel eyes, so much like his, glowered. “Kindly watch your language.”

“I never do and I happen to be an adult. You’ve lost weight."

"Just what a woman needs to hear." She muttered.

"You’re not a woman, just my mother's sister. What happened?"

"I was a little bit confused. It was no big deal."

"Yet the police had to pick you up off the street. You fell and hit your head."

"I slipped." She argued. "No big deal and you didn’t have to leave your business to come and see me."

"Family. So, yeah, I had to. I’m going to ask again, what's going on?"

She glared at him and felt the anger draining out of her. She’d found him when he was already established and was heartbroken that her own stubbornness and the fact that she’d had to run from an abusive relationship had kept her out of touch with her sister. When she’d resurfaced and heard of him, she’d hesitated contacting him.

By that time, he was a big-shot billionaire and she knew he was going to think she contacted him because she needed help. However, she swallowed her pride and did exactly that. It’d been years now, but they were still strangers and it broke her heart.

"Years of being abused tends to break more than your spirit. It’s taken a toll on my mind. I still have nightmares.."

"You need therapy."

"I’ve gone down that road, but it’s done little to help."

"Yet you stopped seeing your sister because of the bad choice she made in men. Seems you have that in common." There was a derisive curl to his lips.

"Seems like."

"I’m going to hire someone to be there with you full time."

She squared her thin bony shoulders. He’d also inherited her brown hair, but hers was streaked liberally with gray and her face was lined and pinched. He’d never be close to her, hell, he hadn’t even been close to his mother, but she was family and he was going to do what he could for her. It's not like it was putting him out.

"I don't like people in my space."

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