No sooner had he finished speaking than Tony turned his gaze toward him.
Tony understood very well what he meant.
Looking at him, Tony furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about?”
Ben immediately spoke up. “Isn't it? Don't you think you're too attached...?”
He didn't finish his sentence, but he knew Tony would understand.
Taking a deep breath, Tony looked at his brother. “And what about you? You know well about Nelly 's health. I told you to take care of her before. Did you even listen to me?”
“I...”
“I see you eating well, sleeping soundly, looking carefree. What's the matter? Just because you're well, so everyone else in the family shares that same luxury?” Tony asked him sharply.
Ben was rendered speechless.
It was unclear whether it was due to the intimidation from his older brother or a sense of guilt, but Ben found himself truly at a loss for words as he looked at Tony .
After a moment of hesitation, he still tried to defend himself. “Nelly is not as delicate as we imagined, and I think we can see Nelly sooner or later, isn't it? There's no need for you to be so concerned that you don't even want to eat or drink.”
Tony wanted to be angry, but he knew clearly that Ben was unaware of Nelly 's poisoning. Otherwise, the latter's attitude would definitely not be the same.
Tony wanted to be angry and lose his temper, but Ben , who knew nothing, wasn't wrong either.
With those thoughts in his mind, he forcefully suppressed his anger. Looking at Ben , Tony spoke helplessly. “Forget it.”
Just then, a series of sounds came from the distant door.
Tony 's gaze swept across, and he saw Alpha Kilian walk out of the room.
When Tony saw Alpha Kilian , his eyes instantly lit up. Without any hesitation, he approached Alpha Kilian . “Daddy.”
Alpha Kilian looked at his son. “Why are you up so early?”
At that moment, Ben , who was closely following behind, spoke up. “Tony has been waiting at the door for quite a while now. He can't feel at ease without seeing Nelly ”
At that, Alpha Kilian 's gaze fell on Tony .
With a smile, Tony said, “I just had a nightmare, that's all. So, has Nelly woken up yet?”
Alpha Kilian hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”
“I'll go check on her inside,” said Tony , preparing to enter.
Suddenly, Alpha Kilian turned around. “Tony ...”
“Yes?” Tony , whose hand was placed on the door handle, turned to look at Alpha Kilian .
Looking at him, Alpha Kilian hesitated for a moment. The words he wanted to say ultimately remained unspoken. “Go on in. I'll go down and prepare some food for Nelly ”
Tony paused slightly, then nodded after a moment.
Watching Alpha Kilian leave, Tony finally pushed the door open and headed into the room.
Ben stood to the side, watching their interaction, his brows furrowing slightly. How strange and peculiar.
Watching Tony , they walked in together.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Nelly was half-sitting on the bed, engrossed in her phone, her auburn hair casually draped over her shoulders, giving her the appearance of a fairy who had somehow found herself in the mortal world.
Seeing that she was fine, Tony instantly felt a sigh of relief.
“Weren't you going to get some food? How come you're back so soon?” Nelly asked without even lifting her head.
At that moment, Tony finally came back to his senses. Eyes riveted on his mother, he said, “Nelly ”
Hearing the voice, Nelly looked up. When she saw her sons, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Why is it you two? Why did you wake up so early?”
The moment Nelly looked up, Tony 's heart skipped a beat. Although she seemed to have made an effort to dress up, her lips glowing with a pink hue, and her complexion didn't look too bad, she had become thinner. Her face had lost its plumpness, and her beauty was tinged with a hint of frailty. Seeing Nelly in that state, Tony instantly felt a pang of distress.
Seeing that, Ben immediately walked over from the side, sizing Nelly up incredulously with his eyes wide open. “Nelly , have you lost weight?”
Nelly spoke up. “You can tell?”
“Of course, Nelly How did you lose so much weight?” Ben asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.
Nelly laughed, looking quite distressed as she spoke. “I've been eating and drinking here every day, even forced by your dad to take supplements. I've gained so much weight that my clothes don't fit anymore. So, I thought about losing weight, and it seems the results are quite obvious.” She said all that in one breath, leaving her a bit winded, but she held it in, afraid the kids might notice something was amiss.
Ben didn't notice anything amiss. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Nelly , are you joking? How could you possibly be fat? You've lost so much weight. You don't even look healthy anymore!”
“Don't they say being slim can make someone more beautiful? Am I not beautiful?” Nelly asked.
“You are, but Nelly , your beauty doesn't need to be proven by being thin or fat.” As he spoke, Ben looked at her. “Nelly , you looked better before.”
“If you say that, I'll be heartbroken. I worked really hard to lose weight,” Nelly said.
“Nelly , I just think you looked better before!”
“What you say alone doesn't count. Let's ask Tony !” As she spoke, Nelly 's gaze turned toward Tony , who was standing not far away. He had been standing there without moving since he entered the room.
“Tony , what do you think?” Nelly asked.
Naturally, Tony knew those were nothing more than Nelly 's cover-up story. It's no wonder she lost weight. It's probably due to the bloodletting. However, Nelly must be saying this to put their minds at ease.
Taking a deep breath, Tony forced back the tears brimming in his eyes. Then, with a smile, he walked toward them. “Nelly , no matter what, you are always beautiful.”
Listening to Tony 's words, Nelly finally smiled contentedly. She turned her gaze to Ben , who was standing aside. “Do you hear that? You can stand to take a leaf out of Tony 's book.”
Ben furrowed his brows, looking at Tony . “Tony, are you having trouble with your eyesight?”
“You're the one with problematic eyesight!” Tony looked straight at his brother.
Subsequently, Ben didn't say another word.
At that moment, Nelly , sitting on the bed, watched their interaction. A feeling she couldn't quite put into words stirred in her heart.
Quickly, Nelly adjusted her mindset and looked at Tony . “By the way, how are things going on your end?”
Tony took a seat next to Nelly 's bed, chatting as if it were just another day. “Everything went smoothly. We've brought the person back.”
“Everything went without a hitch?”
“The process wasn't exactly smooth, and there were a few hiccups along the way. But that's not important. What matters is that we've brought back everyone that matters,” Tony said.
Nelly seemed to agree, nodding her head. “Life is never meant to be smooth sailing. It's normal to have bumps and twists along the way.”
Those words were meant for Tony but also directed at herself.
Regardless of what Tony knew or didn't know, Nelly wanted to remind him that no one's life could always be smooth sailing.
Tony nodded without showing if he truly fully understood the message or not. “Okay, I get it, but I promise to stand on my own feet in the future to make your life easier and happier, Nelly ”
Upon hearing that, Nelly slightly arched her eyebrow. “I'll be waiting for that day to come, then.”
Tony smiled at her. “Yes, that day will come soon.”