"Fine, I'm done talking to you. I'm going to the hospital to see Grandma now!" With that, Maya turned and left. Watching her daughter's retreating figure, Patricia let out a weary sigh. Her concern was simply that Zaden's standing within the Storm family seemed precarious, and she wanted Maya to consider other options. Zaden might fall from grace, perhaps even be surpassed by Elijah. But if Maya was unwilling, Patricia couldn't force her. The thought brought another helpless sigh to her lips. ... Fabio arrived at the hospital and went straight to his mother Ariana's private room. She was just preparing to get out of bed for a walk in the hospital gardens when he entered. "What are you doing here?" Ariana asked, seeing him. "A son should visit his mother when she's hospitalized, unless he wants people to talk," Fabio replied smoothly. He hadn't visited in days, and his comment drew a derisive snort from Ariana. "So you do know people would talk! I thought you'd forgotten about the existence of your mother!" Hearing her anger, Fabio felt a wave of frustration. "Mom, please don't be upset. I'm here now, aren't I?" he soothed. "Business has been incredibly busy, and honestly, Patricia wasn't keen on me coming to the hospital. That's why I haven't visited until now." In his effort to calm her, he used his wife as a shield. Ariana's dissatisfaction only grew. "Are you telling me Patricia forbade you from visiting your own mother? She's the one who kept you away?""No, it's not like that. She had her reasons for advising against it ... " Fabio trailed off, standing up to close the hospital room door. Ariana watched his action with surprise. Why was he closing the door? "Mom," he began, returning to his seat. "Has Athena been the one treating you these past few days? "You look like you're in much better spirits. I assume it's her excellent care that has you recovering so quickly?" At the mention of Athena, Ariana's expression shifted noticeably. She had deliberately made things difficult for the young doctor a few times before, initially because of Maya. However, after Zaden had intervened pointedly on Athena's behalf, Ariana had backed down. Since she'd stopped her antagonism, her recovery had progressed without a hitch. Her opinion of the Athena had improved considerably as well. She had even recently advised Maya to let the matter go. Ariana's features softened. "Her medical skills are indeed impressive. If not for her, I wouldn't be recovering this quickly. I'd probably still be bedridden. When she did her rounds yesterday morning, she said I could be discharged a couple of days early if everything continues well." Fabio's real intention was to reveal Athena's true parentage to his mother. He had been wanting to acknowledge Athena as his daughter formally, but it had caused continuous conflict with Sienna. If he could secure Ariana's support, it would significantly smooth the path. He wasn't sure what's Athena's impression on Ariana, so he wanted to test the waters first. "So, Mom, it sounds like you think very highly of Athena? That she's a nice girl?" Ariana, knowing her son well, began to detect an unusual undertone in his persistent questioning. She looked at him, her eyes widening with dawning horror. Then her face contorted into a mask of fury and disbelief "You ... you can't possibly have feelings for that girl! Have you lost your mind? Look at your age! She's about the same age as Maya! She could be your daughter!" Fabio was speechless. He was utterly exasperated by his mother's leap in logic. What on earth was she thinking? It took him a moment to collect himself. "Mom, what kind of man do you take me for?" he said, caught between laughter and tears. "Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" Ariana's expression remained stern. "Then why all these questions about her? Why the intense interest in her treatment of me?" At this point, Fabio knew he had to come clean. "Mom, I can't keep it from you any longer," he said, leaning forward. "Do you remember ... Hannah? Hannah Blyth?" Hannah Blyth? How could Ariana forget? Fabio had suddenly fallen for that woman years ago, so madly infatuated that he'd even planned to marry her, causing a huge rift in the family. If the family hadn't intervened back then, he likely would have left Patricia. She remembered it all too well. Why was he bringing this up now? Had Hannah suddenly reappeared after all these years and latched onto him again? It made a terrible kind of sense, explaining why Fabio had been so insistently talking about divorce from Patricia lately. While she generally didn't interfere in their marriage, she was aware of the ongoing tension. "Let me make this clear," Ariana said, her voice low and sharp. "You ended things with that woman back then. She is not to set foot near this family ever again. You are too old for this kind of drama. Do not stir up this mess again."