The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 329 - 337: Mother Lopez’s Last Hope

Chapter 329: Chapter 337: Mother Lopez’s Last Hope

News of the beauty Lucy Campbell not being hired by James Brown quickly spread throughout the company. At lunchtime, James found that nearly all employees looked at him with a gaze full of resentment.

"What did you do to upset everyone?" Eating at the same table with James were Gina Lopez, Sunny Nguyen, and Sarah Utah, who all noticed this and Sunny asked James, puzzled.

James hadn’t answered yet when Sarah Utah chuckled and said, "Last time Big Brother Brown brought a beauty with him, many people in the company saw her and were hoping she would work here. Who knew Big Brother Brown wouldn’t hire her, so the men in the company are collectively despising him."

James sighed and said, "Who knew this could offend people, sigh!"

Gina and Sunny both knew it was about Lucy Campbell, and they couldn’t help but laugh. Gina said, "Then just get her back."

James gave Gina a look and said, "I don’t have that ability, it should be Mr. Lopez who finds her."

The group joked and laughed, obviously not taking it seriously. Lucy Campbell, what kind of person she was, the whole company belonged to her. Those employees in the company having thoughts about her really had a bit of the ’toad longing for the swan’s flesh’ idea.

James napped in the afternoon and was sleeping soundly when suddenly, there was a persistent knocking on the office door.

The knocking was not only loud but also urgent, clearly, the person knocking was in a hurry. James had no idea what was going on and got up to open the office door, only to be surprised to see that it was Gina Lopez outside.

Gina’s complexion was extremely bad at the moment, pale with reddened eyes, which took James by surprise. He first closed the door quickly and then urgently asked, "What happened to you?"

Gina looked at James and suddenly burst into tears, throwing herself into his arms.

James was even more puzzled, as Gina always gave off a strong impression and had never been this vulnerable before. If he hadn’t seen her at lunch, he might have thought she was violated. He quickly patted Gina’s back, helping her to steady her breath, and said, "Don’t cry, what happened?"

"My... my mom... wuu..." Gina looked up, said only that much, and then buried her head in James’s chest and started crying again.

James was startled and quickly asked, "What about your mom? Wasn’t she fine when we came back yesterday?"

"She... she’s got... cancer," Gina finally revealed the key point.

"What?" James was shocked, saying, "It can’t be a mistake, wasn’t she just coughing yesterday?"

Gina tried to hold back her tears but still said with a sob, "Today, Emily took her for an examination, and then they found out she has lung cancer, and it’s... late stage."

"What?" James exclaimed in shock again. Cancer itself is difficult to cure, and lung cancer is among the hardest to treat. Out of a hundred people, it’s already good if one or two can be cured, especially when it’s late stage, there’s virtually no hope.

"Wuu... what am I supposed to do..." Gina cried again, leaning on James’s chest.

James really wanted to find some comforting words to console Gina, but felt that anything he said would be meaningless. Upon hearing her mother had such a serious illness, anyone would find it hard to calm down.

"I must go back right now." At that moment, Gina suddenly pushed James away and hurriedly moved to leave.

James couldn’t let her go alone at this moment. He quickly followed her out. There was no one in the corridor during the lunch break, but at the stairway on the second floor, they encountered an employee who quickly stepped aside to let James and Gina pass. However, after they hurried off, the employee was very confused—Mr. Lopez was crying as she left, and James Brown was following her. Could it be that James had taken advantage of Gina, the boss?

This incident also quickly spread in the company, and all sorts of gossip and rumors began to fly. Even the most elite employees couldn’t avoid their gossipy nature—it was, after all, a way to relieve work pressure.

At this time, James and Gina were completely unaware of the rumors in the company, because the earliest flight would also take three hours. Seeing Gina so anxious, James could only drive her home.

In the car, Gina finally calmed down quite a bit, giving a few instructions to Sunny Nguyen about the company’s affairs, and then she became somewhat dazed, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

After six hours, James and Gina arrived home. Actually, this was even later than if they had taken a plane, but at least Gina felt a bit better on the road. The most difficult part was waiting for the flight.

As soon as they entered the house, the atmosphere was gloomy. Jonathan Lopez was sitting on the sofa smoking. When he saw them return, he just nodded his head without saying a word.

Gina Lopez had already adjusted her mindset in the car, not wanting to add too much emotional pressure on her mother, but seeing her father like this, she became flustered, threw off her shoes, sat next to her father, grabbed Jonathan Lopez’s arm, and said with a choked voice, "Dad, don’t be too saddened."

Jonathan Lopez took another couple of puffs from his cigarette before saying, "It’s okay, go see your mom."

Gina nodded, stood up, and along with James Brown, entered her mother’s bedroom.

Gina Lopez’s mother was lying on the bed, looking very frail. Seeing Gina and James Brown, she struggled to sit up, but seemed to lack the strength and fell back down. Emily Lopez quickly held her up, and Gina stepped forward to support her mother. Her lips trembled for a moment, and before she could say anything, tears were already streaming down her face.

"Don’t cry, don’t cry. Everyone has to die; it’s just a matter of sooner or later," Gina Lopez’s mother gently patted the back of Gina’s hand and forced a smile.

"Mom!" Gina cried out loud, then shook her head vigorously, insisting, "No, you won’t die, mom. I will take you to the best hospital, get you the best medicine, and you will be cured for sure."

"Silly child, I know your filial piety, but this is already terminal. The doctors have said it’s incurable. If my mood is good, I might live a few more months; if it’s bad, it might end very soon. Staying in hospital all day, undergoing chemotherapy, and seeing those other patients will only worsen my spirits. So, while I can, I’d rather stay at home and do what I wish," her mother explained.

Gina’s grief deepened. As a company president, her judgment was naturally exceptional, and her considerations were thorough. She understood her mother’s words—such an incurable disease would place immense psychological pressure on a patient in the hospital, often hastening their demise. Conversely, being out of the hospital often reduced stress, and as her mother said, it was very possible to live a little longer.

"Mom, I still suggest we go to a major hospital for a thorough check. It might be a misdiagnosis," James Brown suggested at that moment.

Gina’s eyes lit up immediately and she quickly added, "Right, what if it’s a misdiagnosis? The medical standards in ASCS City are just average; we should go to a big hospital for a checkup."

Gina Lopez’s mother gave a weak smile and said, "No need, life and death are predestined. If it’s not the case, I could still recover at home. If it is, then going would just mean more hassle."

James Brown quickly replied, "But if it’s not the case, wouldn’t you be free from stress?"

Gina Lopez’s mother shook her head and said, "James, you are a good boy. My biggest wish right now is for you and Gina to get married."

Gina hastily said, "But haven’t I already married James?"

Gina Lopez’s mother shot Gina a glance and said, "Do you think I don’t know what you’ve done? You and James aren’t really married; that marriage certificate is fake."

James Brown and Gina Lopez were momentarily petrified, then turned their gaze simultaneously to Emily Lopez.

Emily Lopez smiled bitterly, "I had no choice; with mom in this condition, I couldn’t lie to her anymore."

Gina Lopez’s mother took James Brown’s hand, had him sit beside her, and said softly, "James, although you were Gina’s fake boyfriend before, we’ve been together for so long, I truly like you. I really hope you can become our family’s son-in-law, truly be with Gina. My biggest wish now is for you both to marry and then have a child. If I could see my grandchild born on the day I close my eyes, my life would be complete."

"Mom!" Gina burst into tears and collapsed onto her mother’s legs. She had always thought her mother’s urging for marriage was nagging, an interference in her freedom, but now she realized that not marrying and having children earlier was the greatest filial negligence.

"Stop crying. Now I’ll just ask you both, give me a straight answer, can you marry or not? Don’t keep me blindly hoping here anymore, only to face another letdown later," her mother implored.

Gina lifted her head, looking helplessly at James Brown, while he looked back at her, genuinely unsure about what to decide.

This wasn’t like the acting they did before—if he really agreed now, he would have to truly marry Gina, being her legitimate husband, taking on the responsibilities of a husband, and fulfilling everything a husband should do.

But he had already developed feelings for Emma Campbell; even if Emma asked for nothing in return, it would be unfair to her. And Melody Yoody wouldn’t be willing to accept this either, it would be a betrayal to both of them.

However, to say no in the face of a dying elderly person, how could he utter a rejection? It would mean depriving an elder of her last hope, which would be utterly cruel.

"James, I understand what you’re thinking. A melon forcibly plucked is not sweet; I won’t force you anymore," Gina Lopez’s mother revealed a bitter smile, her expression indescribably forlorn.

"Mom, I promise you, I’ll marry Gina!" James Brown finally said the words, feeling an inexplicable bitterness in his heart, but not an ounce of regret.