THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 342: He Will Survive

The silence was eventually broken by a knock on the door and Killian strolled in like the king of the jungle.

"Killian!" Stanley exclaimed, moving forward to shake his hand. "Good to see you, man. Where have you been?" Stanley asked Killian, whom he had not seen for over a month.

"I went to settle some stuff," he said,

"Long time no see, commissioner," Killian greeted a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

Randy rose from his chair, extending a hand as well. "Killian, it’s been a while. I didn’t expect to see you here."

Killian took their hands in turn, his gaze finally settling on Ivan, who remained seated and silent.

"Ivan, this is Killian," Randy introduced. "One of the people serving the country."

Ivan nodded stiffly, still unsure of Killian’s presence and intentions. "Pleasure to meet you."

Killian nodded as he stared at Ivan. He didn’t know where he had seen him but he knew he must be someone significant to be seated with Stanley and Randy in the same office.

"So what’s up?" Randy asked as soon as Killian settled down on a chair.

"The eagle has finally landed," Killian said codedly.

"Really? So when do we advance?" Randy asked.

"Whenever you’re ready, you have to make it quick in order not to miss the right timing."

Not only Stanley, but Ivan was confused about what the two people were talking about.

They didn’t know whether it had anything to do with what they were talking about or not, they could only patiently wait until they were ready to speak human language.

"Sorry, I wasn’t bold enough to come over to the hospital to see Steffan all these while. How is he?" Ivan asked Stanley as both Ivan and the other guy were still engrossed in their talk.

"Out of his past respect for the man, Stanley decided to respond. "He is not dead."

"You understand it wasn’t Benita’s intention to harm him," Ivan still apologized on his daughter’s behalf.

"He has been discharged but there were complications that he is still battling with," was all Stanley could let out.

"Complications?" echoed Ivan. "Hope it is not too serious?" he asked.

"He will survive," Stanley said nonchalantly. Then as an afterthought, he asked,

"How is Benita?"

"She’s been taken in," Ivan responded helplessly.

"Oh," Stanley just said but made a mental note to check on her before he leaves.

Ivan saw no further need to stay back and excused himself from the office.

Outside the office door, he met a group of men that gave him the creeps as soon as his eyes locked with theirs. He hurried off to his car which the driver had returned with after dropping off his wife.

"Take me to the Rosse’s residence," he ordered.

Twenty minutes later, Ivan stood outside the Rosse residence, feeling a knot of tension in his stomach.

As he rang the doorbell, he couldn’t help but think about how things had changed drastically.

In the past whenever he was coming, at least a member of the Rosse’s family would receive him at the gate, but now his head was bowed in shame and almost sneaked in to see the family.

The door opened to reveal a somber-faced housekeeper who gave him a nod of recognition.

"Mr. Ivanov, please come in."

Ivan stepped inside, his heart heavy with the familiar yet now sorrowful surroundings. He was led to the living room, where he took a seat on the edge of a plush armchair.

Memories of better days spent with the Rosse family swirled in his mind. The joy and laughter they had shared now felt like a distant dream, overshadowed by the events that had shattered their lives.

The sound of footsteps brought him back to the present. Sarah and David Rosse entered the room, their expressions a mixture of sadness and guardedness.

This was their first meeting since the horrific incident at Steffan’s wedding.

"Ivan," Sarah said, her voice cold but controlled. "Please, sit down."

David remained standing, arms crossed and face stern.Ivan stood up, his heart pounding.

"Sarah, David, thank you for seeing me. I know how difficult this must be."

Sarah nodded, her gaze steady. "Yes, it is. We need to understand why you’re here."

Ivan took a deep breath, his voice thick with emotion. "I can’t express how deeply sorry I am for what happened. Benita... she wasn’t herself that day. She was consumed by grief and anger after Steffan chose Lauren over her."

David’s eyes narrowed. "Grief and anger don’t justify attempted murder, Ivan. Steffan almost died because of her."

"I know," Ivan replied, his voice breaking. "I know, and there’s nothing I can say to make up for what she did. But she’s my daughter, and I’m trying to understand why she did it. She’s not a violent person by nature. She was driven to a breaking point and got advice from the wrong people."

Sarah’s expression softened slightly, though her eyes remained wary. "We’ve known Benita for years. This behavior was completely out of character. What happened to her?"Ivan looked down at his hands, trembling.

"I believe she couldn’t handle being

abandoned for someone else. As you know she has been pampered all her life and always gets whatever she desires. And seeing the person she had loved all her life getting married to another, she must have felt betrayed after Steffan. I failed to see how deep her pain went. I should have been there for her."

David sighed, uncrossing his arms. "It’s already too late for all these. What do you want from us, Ivan?"

Ivan met their eyes, his own filled with desperation. "I need your help."

"Help?" David chuckled mockingly. "You can’t be serious, are you?"

"Benita’s trial is coming up soon, and we need character witnesses to show who she really is. If you could testify about the Benita you knew before all this, it might help show the court that she wasn’t in her right mind."

Sarah and David exchanged a glance and after a long pause, Sarah spoke, her voice softer. "We’ll think about it, Ivan. Right now, our focus is on Steffan’s complete recovery. But we’ll consider what you’ve said."

Ivan nodded in gratitude which was also mingled with his guilt. "Thank you. That’s all I can ask."

"The other reason I came is to check up on Steffan. I’ve been too ashamed to do so after the incidence. How is he?"

"Steffan is not at home presently," Sarah who had been doing most of the talking said.

"I thought I should see him, but if it is not convenient, it’s okay," Ivan said.

"I’m not trying to keep you from seeing him, Ivan. He has gone to the hospital, and won’t be back anytime soon," Sarah explained patiently. Though she had been angry with the family before, she was calmer now as she also blamed herself as part of the reasons Benita did what she did.

If she had not continued to lead the poor girl on even after Steffan made his intentions clear from the beginning, none of this would have happened.

"Oh, I see," Ivan said. "Please extend my regards and deepest apologies to him when he returns."