O PORRE 2

bChapter /bb195/b: Sorry, I’m Late

Chapter 195: Sorry, I’m Late

(Elena ckwood’s POV)

I hadn’t returned to the Riverside Medical Center for a while. The head nurse and three on–duty pack nurses in

the department looked quite surprised when they saw me.

“Healer Elena, you’re back?” one of them asked, her eyes widening with recognition.

I nodded, forcing a smile despite the exhaustion weighing on my shoulders. “Is Professor Hugo there?”

The nurse shook her head apologetically. “Dr. Ashworth and Dr. Fisher have gone out, but Dr. Jane Ports is

in.”

“Thank you,” I replied, already heading toward the office.

I needed to see David as soon as possible. The guilt of leaving him alone for so long gnawed at my

conscience like a persistent ache.

I found Jane Ports hunched over her desk, intently writing a prescription for a patient. Her concentration was

soplete that she didn’t notice someone had entered the room.

I lightly coughed to announce my presence.

Jane looked up, initially stunned by my appearance. Then she leaned back in her chair with a knowing smirk.

“Well, look who finally decided toe back?” she said, her tone carrying both relief and mild usation.

I shifted ufortably under her gaze. “I couldn’t find a way back,” I exined awkwardly.

Jane’s eyebrows shot up with amusement. “I thought you were reconciling with your ‘soon–to–be severed

mate‘ Marcus.”

She made air quotes with her fingers, her expression teasing. “nning to say goodbye to Riverside City and not dissolve your mate bond after all?”

“I have no intention of leaving Riverside City,” I retorted immediately, my voice sharper than intended.

The very suggestion made my stomach clench with anxiety. This ce had be my sanctuary, my escape from the suffocating politics of the Northern Territory.

Jane’s expression softened as she changed the subject. “Rachel Thompson already informed me about your foster brother David ckthorne’s situation.”

She stood up from her desk, gathering some files. “I can take you to his ward.”

We left the office together, walking through the familiar corridors of the medical center. The antiseptic smell and soft lighting feltforting after days in the sterile luxury of the ckwood facilities.

“How is David’s condition?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Jane’s face grew serious. “He’s been stimted and his mood isn’t good. Rachel said he’s been feeling depressed these days.”

She nced back at me with concern. “Dr. Fisher called the pack enforcement, and the officers btalked /bbto /b

Chapter 195. Sony, I’m Late

Sophia Rivers.”

My jaw tightened at the mention of her name.

“I heard that she went to the Northern Territory Pack Enforcement Headquarters yesterday to make a statement,” Jane continued. “Not only did she not admit it, but there were also witnesses and surveince to

prove iit/ii!/i”

I remained silent, expecting nothing less from Sophia. Her ability to manipte situations and people bnever /b

ceased to amaze me.

“She always has people helping her, so she’s naturally fearless,” I said slowly, my voice heavy with

resignation.

The corruption ran deeper than I had initially realized. Sophia’swork of allies seemed to extend into every

corner of ourmunity.

We arrived at the Internal Medicine Ward, and Jane led me to the outside of David’s recovery chamber.

Through the window, I could see him sitting in a wheelchair with his back to the door.

He was looking out of the window, his posture radiating loneliness and despair.

Seeing his isted figure, I felt a sharp pang of heartache pierce through my chest. Despite not being

blood–rted, I still saw David as my foster brother.

The bond we shared through Patricia’s love was stronger than gics.

I pushed open the door and walked toward him quietly. My footsteps echoed softly on the polished floor.

Hearing the sound, David turned to look at me. A flicker of emotion sparked in his otherwise lifeless eyes.

I knelt down beside his wheelchair, meeting his gaze at eye level. “I’m sorry, David, I’mte.”

The words came out thick with emotion. Guilt crashed over me like a tidal wave.

Tears welled up in David’s eyes immediately. His lips trembled as if he had a thousand words to say but

couldn’t find his voice.

He tried to speak, but only a series of grunts came out. His frustration was palpable, his hands clenching the

wheelchair armrests.

Sensing his agitation, I quickly reached out tofort him. “It’s okay, I’m here! David, I won’t leave you again.”

My promise seemed to break something inside him. David burst into tears, releasing emotio.

suppressed for so long.

The sound of his sobbing filled the quiet room, raw and heartbreaking.

e had

I embraced him gently, holding him as Patricia used to do when we were children. His body shook with the

force of his grief.

“Shh, it’s alright,” I whispered, stroking his hair. “I’m here now.”

After David took his moonlight herb medication, exhaustion finally imed him. His breathing evened bout /bbas /bthe healing properties of bthe /bmedicine took effect.

I waited until he fell into a peaceful sleep before quietly leaving the ward.

bJane /bwas waiting for me in the corridor, her expression concerned. “How bis /bbhe/bb?/bb” /b

b1 /bfrowned, troubled by what I had observed. Thave a festing that my foder brothers attorne falling into the water”

The memory of his reaction when i first approached haunted me the seemed to me p

Jane’s eyes widened with understanding “Rachel said that when the rushed or that day. Sophia Rows was

there.”

She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Could it be that Sophia said something to time

My face darkened as the implications hit me. It’s possible

Sophia’s cruelty knew no bounds. The thought of her tormenting David while he was finerable made my

blood boil.

Jane then said something that made my heart skip a beat “Speaking of which, I didn’t see Rachele to

work today?

As soon as Jane finished speaking, realization crashed over me like ice water. Something was wrong.

I grabbed her hand urgently. “Help me take care of my foster brother, I’m going to find heat

(God’s POV)

Meanwhile, Rachel had been studying the surveince footage that Sophia Rivers had provided for two days. Her technical expertise had led her to conclude that the video had been fabricated

The timestamps were inconsistent, and the lighting didn’t match the weather records from that day.

At that moment, she heard the doorbell ring. She assumed it was the pack courier she had ordered, bringing supplies she needed for her investigation.

She got up from herputer, stretching her stiff muscles from hours of analysis.

But when she opened the door, the sight of two men in ck standing outside caused her expression to stiffen slightly. Their faces were cold and professional, radiating menace.

These weren’t delivery workers.

(Elena ckwood’s POV)

I took a taxi to the residential area, my anxiety growing with each passing minute. The driver seemed to sense my urgency and drove faster than usual,

I went straight to the building entrance, my heart pounding as I took the elevator to the fio where Rachel

lived.

As the elevator doors opened, I walked directly to the door of her apartment. My hands shook slightly as i entered the ess code to unlock it.

The mechanism clicked, and I pushed open the door. “Rachel!” I called out, my voice echoing in bthe /bsilence.

But the house was empty.

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