Chapter 153: Still Dare to Come?

THUD— Another person was thrown out of the hospital.

Rocco impatiently picked at his ear, looking down at Holly Vance on the ground, still wearing makeup, and felt a wave of disgust. "Are you two out of your minds? How many times do I have to tell you not to bother Dr. Vance? Can’t you understand plain English? You’ll stop at nothing just to see her. When is this going to end?"

’So annoying,’ he thought. ’They come every single day, trying all sorts of tricks. Who has the time to play this cat-and-mouse game with them?’

Holly Vance couldn’t believe they had recognized him, even in this state. He stared at them in disbelief. Sensing the strange looks from the people around him, he held something up to hide his face. ’I’m in disguise,’ he remembered. ’Even people who know me shouldn’t be able to recognize me.’

He therefore felt he had nothing to fear. Lowering his hand, he snapped, "I’m her old man! What’s wrong with me wanting to see her? You’re the ones I should be asking—are you sick in the head? What’s your motive for keeping a father and daughter apart?"

At his words, the gazes of the onlookers shifted to Rocco and his men.

After all, Rocco and his men looked far less like the good guys in this situation.

Of course, Rocco had never claimed to be a good guy. He’d seen it all, so a few stares meant nothing to him. He sneered, stepped forward, and jabbed Holly Vance with his elbow. Holly Vance cried out and instinctively doubled over. As he did, a knife slipped from his sleeve and fell to the ground with a CLANG, its metallic surface glinting coldly.

The onlookers gasped and quickly backed away, staring at him in horror.

"What’s this?" Rocco planted his foot on the blade, his tone merciless. "A father visiting his daughter needs to bring a knife? What were you planning to do with this? Do I even need to spell it out for you?"

"Can’t I use it to cut fruit?" ’He actually found it?’ Holly Vance gritted his teeth. He stuck his neck out, refusing to back down, and retorted defiantly, "What’s the matter? Is cutting fruit illegal now?"

’His shamelessness is on another level.’ Rocco had truly never met someone so brazen.

"Fine. Cutting fruit, you say? What a coincidence. I’m not much of a vegetarian. I prefer my meat sliced."

As he spoke, he tapped the hilt of the knife with the tip of his boot, flicking it into the air. Without even looking, he snatched it cleanly out of the air. As Holly Vance watched in terror, the blade moved inch by inch toward him.

"You don’t mind if I play with my knife, do you?"

Holly Vance was too terrified to speak, his face twitching uncontrollably. The moment he felt the cold steel against his cheek, his face went deathly pale. "I... I won’t look for Amanda Vance anymore! I’m here to see Shirley!"

Rocco stopped. "Still going to run to her department?"

With the blade pressed against his face, Holly Vance didn’t dare shake his head. His eyes just darted around nervously. "N-No, I won’t."

Rocco yanked the knife away. His eyes drifted down to the wet patch spreading on the floor. With a look of disgust, he shoved the man away and sneered, "Gross."

Holly Vance’s legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground. When he felt the dampness in his trousers, his expression changed. A hot flush crept up his neck, and his face turned a deep, blotchy red. He glared at Rocco and his men, furious but too afraid to speak.

’Coward.’

Rocco shot him a contemptuous look. "Are you going to get lost or what?"

’Filthy bastard,’ he thought. ’Can’t even control his own bladder and he’s out making a scene? Just to gross people out?’

Face burning with shame, Holly Vance scrambled up from the floor. The curious stares of the onlookers made him feel utterly humiliated. He covered his face and scurried away.

He then heard the unapologetic laughter from Rocco and his men. His body stiffened for an instant, then he ran even faster, his eyes burning with humiliation.

’I’ll remember this!’

He ran all the way to the patient ward. In the elevator, the other passengers pinched their noses and sized him up and down with disgusted looks.

Holly Vance was beyond humiliated. The moment the elevator doors opened on his floor, he bolted out. He could faintly hear angry cursing from the people still inside.

He gritted his teeth and dashed into the hospital room. He yanked open a cabinet, grabbed a pair of pants, and immediately ran to the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a loud SLAM.

Shirley Vance, who was already awake, flinched at the noise and looked questioningly at Sarah Sullivan.

Sarah Sullivan was also confused, but seeing how he was dressed, she put two and two together. He must have gone to find Amanda Vance, and the result was easy to guess.

Her gaze darkened for a moment before she quickly composed herself. Patting Shirley’s hand reassuringly, Sarah Sullivan said, "It’s alright. Your father isn’t mad at you."

’Then why is he so angry? Is it because of Amanda Vance?’

At the thought of her, a bone-deep hatred flared up inside Shirley Vance, more intense than ever before.

She had finally brought herself to get involved with Bob Rhodes. She was even pregnant with his child, and a life of luxury was right around the corner. But that woman just had to ruin it all.

Now, not only was the baby gone, but she could never have children again. Her future was completely ruined.

’What prominent family would want a woman who can’t bear children? Even ordinary families wouldn’t, let alone the wealthy elite.’

’From now on, I can only ever be some man’s secret mistress. When I get old and my looks fade, I’ll have lost every advantage I have.’

’And it was all because of Amanda Vance!’

She seethed with hatred. The mere thought of Amanda made her want to stab her.

’Better yet, death by a thousand cuts. Slice her flesh off piece by piece!’

Just as she had this thought, the bathroom door opened. Holly Vance stormed out, his face dark, and threw the knife onto the table with a loud CLANG.

Both women were startled. "Th-This is..."

Holly Vance sat on a nearby chair. "I was going to look for that little bitch, but I was stopped by those people."

Thinking about the humiliating scene from earlier, Holly Vance felt he had completely lost face. He had put on makeup for his disguise, but there was no makeup remover in the room. He had only washed his face with water, which hadn’t gotten it all off. The smudged makeup now made his expression look even more sinister.

He gritted his teeth. "I should’ve strangled that little bastard the moment she was born! Then she wouldn’t have the chance to strut around acting all high and mighty in front of me today!"

He muttered hatefully, not noticing Sarah Sullivan and Shirley Vance exchange a look.

’Little bastard?’

Shirley Vance was sure she hadn’t misheard. She glanced at her mother, intending to ask, but it was clear from her mom’s expression that this was news to her too.

’So Amanda Vance isn’t even a Vance. What right does she have to look down on me?’

’At least I’m Dad’s real daughter!’

With this sudden reversal of their statuses, Shirley Vance could barely suppress her giddy delight.

Just as Holly Vance looked over, she managed to wipe the smile off her face, lowering her eyes to create a pitiful-looking expression.

Sure enough, compared to that ungrateful daughter Amanda, Holly Vance now looked at Shirley with a newfound sense of pity. His voice softened considerably. "How are you feeling? Is your body getting any better?"

Shirley Vance nodded. "Mhm, much better. Thanks for coming to see me, Dad. And... you shouldn’t blame Sister for this. She said it wasn’t her. It’s all my fault for being so useless... I couldn’t keep the baby, and now I can’t get money from Bob Rhodes to help you save the company."

Hearing this, Holly Vance became even angrier.

’He didn’t see anything wrong with his daughter being a mistress,’ he thought. ’In fact, he was even a little touched. She had made this sacrifice for the company... for him!’

And that defiant daughter, Amanda, had ruined everything.

The thought only made Holly Vance even more furious.

Seeing his reaction, the mother and daughter exchanged a look and nodded in satisfaction.

Shirley Vance sneered inwardly. ’Amanda ruined my life. There’s no way I’m just going to let her off the hook!’