Chapter 24 Carrying Andrea in his arms , lan turned , his gaze locked on Chloe as she walked away . 55 vouchers Lately , Chloe had been storming at him , throwing tantrums over Andrea . Yet now ... she had calmly told everyone that he and Andrea were married . Ian wasn't expecting this at all . Andrea sneaked a glance at Ian , trying to gauge his reaction . Though his face was calm , she could sense the stiffness in his body . " Ian ? " she called him several times before he snapped back to the moment . After sending Andrea back to her room safely , Ian was pulled aside by Patrick . They hung around a bit , then went to the small park behind the hospital together , Standing by the riverbank , Ian lighted a cigarette . " What's on your mind ? " he asked Patrick . He and Patrick had grown up together , so he knew about Patrick . He had dragged him out here obviously to have a private conversation . Patrick cleared his throat . " I'll be upfront . I'm just stating the facts , not taking sides . " Ian flexed his fingers , letting the smoke curl into the air . " Go ahead . " " It's about that night . Andrea herself said she came back for you . And her housekeeper Linda was even more aggressive than Mia , " Patrick's expression stayed serious . " She threatened Mia , saying she'd call you to get Mia kicked out of Kingsford ." Ian shot Patrick a look , eyes darkening with something deeper . Patrick continued , casually pressing , " Mia's your sister . Family comes first . You can't just ignore her for some outsider . " " Andrea is not an outsider , " Ian's jaw tightened . " If it weren't for my family blocking us , I would have married her . " Patrick sneered , then sighed , " Look , six years is enough to change a person . But Mia grew up with you . Isn't she just as innocent as Andrea ? " 410 Ian didn't reply . Patrick leaned in , probing further . " After Andrea sent you that breakup text and went abroad , do you even know why she ended things with you ? " Ian's expression darkened , almost frightening in its intensity . But Patrick pressed on . " That's what she said that these past six years haven't been easy , and everything she did was for you , " said Patrick . " But did you even check with Edward if it was true ? " " It had to be ." Ian replied . " I know my grandfather . He's capable of anything ." Ian knew Andrea feared Edward . If he confronted Edward about the so - called truth , Edward might stir up trouble behind his back . He couldn't risk putting Andrea and Clint in danger . " Fine , Patrick nodded , " but admit it , Andrea came back for you , didn't she ? " lan corrected him flatly . " Don't read too much into Andrea . She and I are over . " " Over ? " Patrick blinked at him in disbelief . " And yet you're acting as stepdad , taking care of her and her son ? " Seeing lan's expression darkened , Patrick smirked slyly . " Let me guess . You didn't get lucky six years ago ... and now you're making up for lost time ? " " Stop it , " Ian shot him a warning look . " I'm picky about women . I don't sleep with Andrea , no matter what - no matter the history . " " Impressive , " Patrick clicked his tongue . " I heard it from Mia . Even when Chloe threatened to kill herself , you didn't budge . And now you're telling me you two are over ? " Jan rubbed his temple , sighing . Mia really was a megaphone - everything came out eventually . 1/3 P. Chapter 21 55 vouchers Patrick leaned in , serious . " You always complain about Chloe being ' spoiled ' and ' temperamental . But she's no longer the proud heiress she used to be . " Ian remained silent . Chloe had changed after marrying him , and he could sense that . She'd grown clingy , gentler . But the core of her temper and her manipulative streak ? Ian didn't believe that would ever go away . Back in the hospital room , Linda was helping Andrea with her meal . " Linda , " Ian pulled out his phone and settled Linda's monthly wages . " Starting tomorrow , you're off the job . " Linda froze , stunned . " I don't understand , Mr. Hamilton , Ms. Sherman , " she mumbled . " What did I do wrong ? Please tell me , and I'll fix it . " Ian lowered his gaze , masking his emotions . " This job isn't for you . Just pack up and leave . " Linda looked at Andrea for help , but Andrea lowered her head in silence . Linda had been hired by Ian . She couldn't say a word against him . She was actually happy with Linda - just yesterday she'd mentioned it to Ian , and he had promised a raise next month . So why fire her all of a sudden ? Andrea thought of what happened that night , then she thought of Mia . That night , Mia had caused trouble , and Linda had spoken up to defend Andrea - probably a bit too bluntly . Now it all made sense : Mia must have tattled to Ian , which led to the dismissal . Andrea hadn't expected lan to stand up for his family like this . She knew she needed to get along better with Mia from now on . She didn't ask anything , and Ian said nothing further . After Linda left , the room fell silent . Seeing that Ian was clearly distracted , Andrea cautiously spoke up , " Ian , Chloe caused such a scene and even told your colleagues that we're married . I think I need to apologize to her properly . " Ian's voice was calm . " No need . " " But Chloe works here , too . If she sees you visiting me , she'll throw a fit again , " Andrea frowned . " From tomorrow , you don't have to come here . Just hire another caretaker for me . " lan didn't argue . He sighed , then changed the topic . " I'll apologize on behalf of Chloe and Mia , " he said to Andrea . " I'll also have someone renovate your place . You'll stay at the hospital for now . " And then , he shifted his tone . " Andrea , I know you've been wronged . But as I said before , don't meet Chloe without my permission . " Andrea hurriedly explained , " I only wanted to apologize , nothing more . " Ian shook his head . " Even an apology is off - limits ." To lan , keeping Chloe and Andrea apart would prevent conflict . Chloe , proud and sharp , would never notice Andrea unless provoked . Andrea was simple and obedient . As long as she stayed out of Chloe's way , she wouldn't be bullied . Ian's voice was firm , so Andrea relented quickly . " Alright . I promise won't go near Chloe on my own again . " It was already past eight in the evening after lan settled Andrea in . He returned home , but the room was dark , silent , as if no one had lived there . He trudged upstairs , exhausted , only to find the master bedroom door locked from the inside .