Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 347: Conflict Arises

Chapter 347: Conflict Arises

Eric peeled a large lobster, dipped it in sauce, and held it up to her mouth. "No matter how bad you feel, you still need to eat. Don’t let yourself get sick, alright?"

Ella looked at him listlessly, opening her mouth obediently, though her heart was heavy with bitterness.

She didn’t want to feel indebted to Henry, truly didn’t, but fate seemed to have other plans.

"Eric, what do you think? Would Henry have a better chance if we sent him abroad for treatment?" she asked, nibbling on her food.

Eric’s brows furrowed slightly. "I know you’re worried. I’ll make sure everything is taken care of on that front."

"The doctor said he’s technically in a vegetative state but still has some sensation, even if he can’t speak or move. Maybe if his nerves were stimulated, he’d improve a bit. Why don’t we bring him here? When I have a free moment, I could talk to him. Once he wakes up, we can go our separate ways," she said, watching Eric as he continued peeling shrimp for her, choosing her words cautiously.

She had been turning the idea over in her mind for weeks now. After hearing from the hospital today, she finally made up her mind: she would bring Henry here, even as Eric was reaching out to foreign specialists.

This way, she could speak to him every morning and evening, giving him the daily interaction and stimulation that might help speed up his recovery.

"That’s out of the question. This is our home. Bringing him here would raise all kinds of talk." Eric’s eyes narrowed, his tone turning cold.

Ella’s heart sank. As she expected, he wouldn’t agree.

After all, Henry was Grace’s son, and her request might have seemed too much.

Ella bit her lip, a shadow of worry crossing her face. "I understand that it puts you in a difficult position, but he did get hurt protecting me..."

Eric felt a tightness in his chest. For the past few weeks, Ella had been consumed with worry over Henry, leaving little warmth or intimacy between them.

He understood—Henry’s injuries were the result of trying to protect her. Any woman with a conscience would feel unsettled.

So he had thrown himself into work, traveling and working overtime to keep himself busy.

He was exhausted, but he couldn’t ignore how Ella’s every waking moment seemed occupied by Henry. She went through her days in a routine of home, school, hospital, and back again, worrying endlessly over Henry’s condition.

Even when they were together, her mind was elsewhere, leaving him feeling inexplicably hurt.

At that moment, Eric was in a foul mood.

Mrs. Harris, sensing the tension in the room, quietly excused herself, leaving them alone to talk.

"Honey, I’m only thinking of his recovery. I don’t mean anything else by it. Let me bring him here, just until he gets better. After that, we’ll cut ties entirely, alright?" Ella said, trying to ease his worry. She knew that no matter how perfect Eric appeared, he couldn’t escape the shadows of his past.

Perhaps, deep down, he always guarded against the possibility of a third person in their relationship.

Any slight sign of change from her, and Eric’s defenses went up. Deep down, he feared he’d end up like his mother, Victoria.

"Ella, drop it. I’m not agreeing to this," Eric replied coldly. "I won’t allow the son of a mistress to stay in my home."

Ella froze, shocked by the intensity of his reaction. Clearly, she hadn’t prepared him enough for this.

She quickly forced a smile, scrambling to keep the peace. She peeled another shrimp, dipped it in sauce, and held it to his mouth. "Here, honey, have one!"

Eric’s expression softened slightly, though his face remained as frosty as if it had been iced over. He opened his mouth, taking a big bite, his demeanor beginning to thaw.

"Eric, you must be exhausted these days too, right? I know I’ve been neglecting you, but... I’m someone who knows how to distinguish gratitude from everything else," Ella said softly, peeling another piece of shrimp for him. "He’s saved me twice, risking his own life, even if it was instinctual. I just want him to get better. Please don’t worry—I feel only gratitude, nothing more."

She held another peeled shrimp up to his mouth, her voice softening. "Please, just this once, let me have my way, alright?"

Eric felt like he could hardly breathe. She was being so tender, so willing, all to plead for someone else?

Pain stabbed through his chest. He pressed his lips together, refusing the shrimp she was offering. He thought back to the days immediately after Henry’s accident, when the tabloids ran wild with insinuations, hinting that Ella and Henry might have feelings for each other. After all, why else would Henry risk everything to protect her?

A man doesn’t guard a woman so fiercely unless he’s deeply in love—that was what the gossip suggested.

And Ella’s frantic, pained expression when Henry fell unconscious certainly seemed to convey deep feelings...

Although Eric had dismissed it at the time, he’d quietly shut down the tabloids. Yet now, those old reports felt like splinters digging painfully into his heart, making him feel raw and uneasy.

Sensing the growing coldness in his gaze, Ella hesitantly pulled her hand back. "Honey... just one week? Couldn’t we try it?"

This was the first time she had ever insisted on something like this.

In the past, no matter what she wanted, Eric would easily agree, or if he didn’t, Ella would never push him again.

But Eric was exhausted. And his beloved woman had her entire focus on the son of his mother’s rival.

The insecurity building in his heart was overwhelming, and all his pent-up frustration boiled over.

He worked late every night, coming home worn out, yet she didn’t seem to notice.

He’d told her to cut back on her hospital visits, reminding her that the private nurses would keep her updated, but she’d paid no mind to his advice.

He’d warned her about the rumors, and she’d just brushed it off, claiming she had nothing to hide.

He wanted to be close to her, but she’d pushed him away, saying she wasn’t in the mood.

Now, seeing her pleading expression—for him—yet all for Henry, Eric’s face darkened, and he stood abruptly, the table trembling with his movement.

"Ella! I’ve already said no! Don’t bring this up to me again! I’m ordering you—do you hear me?" he shouted, his anger sending Ella into stunned silence.

This was only the second time he’d truly lost his temper with her; the first was when she had accepted Brandon’s proposal...

Ella felt a flicker of panic. But thinking of Henry’s situation, she couldn’t accept it. A healthy man was now scarred and in a vegetative state, and she couldn’t just ignore that. It was sympathy, not love.

"Eric, can’t you be reasonable? I don’t love Henry! I only feel sympathy for him, nothing more. Why do you have such a big reaction to him staying for just one week?" Ella’s voice rose slightly, intensifying the tense atmosphere in the dining room.