Chapter 485

"Her mother was shaken but unharmed."

"Any leads at the scene?"

"Nothing yet."

The black sedan raced down the highway, pulling into the hospital's underground garage at exactly 10 PM.

At the far end of the ward corridor, a solitary figure stood framed against the window, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

"Ms. Roland!" Theodore's call echoed down the hallway.

The figure whirled around. Under the fluorescent lights, Sebastian's bloodshot eyes and stubbled jawline were starkly visible.

In just days, he'd become almost unrecognizable.

"Sir, she's here," Theodore reported.

Sebastian said nothing, his gaze locked on Evelyn.

"Where is she?" Evelyn cut straight to the point.

Sebastian's eyes darkened. He turned and led the way without another word.

The two walked toward the ward in silence, Theodore trailing behind them.

The ICU lights were blindingly harsh. Richard Linton hunched over the hospital bed, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the cardiac monitor.

The scent of antiseptic hit Sebastian Valdemar as he pushed the door open. The frail figure on the bed, tangled in tubes, looked like a lifeless doll.

"Dr. Roland!"

Richard jerked his head up, desperation flashing in his clouded eyes. He stumbled forward, his bony fingers clutching Evelyn Roland's white coat.

"You can save her, right? Melanie—she moved her fingers yesterday!"

Evelyn sidestepped his trembling grasp and walked to the bedside. The monitor beeped steadily as she flipped through the thick medical file, pausing on the final page.

"Brainstem damage is irreversible." She closed the file. "Only a miracle can help now."

Richard collapsed to his knees, forehead slamming against the tiles. "Try acupuncture! Ancient remedies! We'll pay anything—"

"Richard!" The door burst open as Margaret Linton rushed in, her IV stand crashing to the floor. She clawed at her daughter's pale face, leaving red marks. "Baby, look at me—"

Sebastian stepped forward, but Evelyn blocked him. Her gaze was icy as she regarded the distraught parents. "I'm not a god."

"You bitch!" Richard grabbed a metal tray and hurled it. "Heartless quack!"

Sebastian shielded Evelyn, the tray's edge slicing his collarbone. Her eyes darkened instantly. She twisted Richard's wrist—

Crack!

A pig-like squeal tore through the room as Richard crumpled. Theodore Ashcroft gasped, watching the sharp swish of Evelyn's coat.

"Take Mr. Valdemar to get bandaged." Her voice was colder than the monitor's alarm.

Margaret's wails cut off. Trembling, she fumbled for her phone. "I—I'm calling the police—"

"Assault carries a three-year sentence." Evelyn stepped on the fruit knife Richard had dropped. "Add armed intent, and it's worse."

The monitor shrieked a flatline. Margaret collapsed as medical staff rushed in. Her scream shattered the air:

"You killed my daughter!"