CHAPTER 227: CHAPTER 227: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SHANNON?

"Shannon?" He realized his voice was trembling when he called her name.

He rushed up and forcefully pried open the deformed car door. Several people who were initially just watching joined in, and one of the men said, "Stop filming, stop filming, let’s save the person first, hurry up and help!"

Shannon Quinn herself didn’t know what had happened; the massive impact made her feel like both the car and herself were out of control.

Her ears were filled with a roaring sound, her mind dizzy. She seemed to feel liquid flowing down her face, but her body wouldn’t move.

It seemed to hurt, yet it also felt like there was no pain.

It appeared someone was calling her name. It seemed that in her last breath, she saw a familiar face, then fell into a bottomless black hole, unable to hear any sound, unable to feel anything, and all that remained before her was darkness.

Landon Sutton carefully carried her out of the car, the smell of blood penetrating the air. Such a scent was not unfamiliar to him, yet at this moment, he was utterly terrified.

Blood had stained her white down jacket red, and the face that was smiling at him just minutes before now looked somewhat helpless.

In the chaos, he cradled her onto the ambulance, staying by her side, tightly clutching her hand, calling her name over and over, but receiving no response.

He had never felt this afraid before, not even when he himself had been at the brink of disaster.

He dared not think if she never woke up again, what he would do. He hadn’t had the chance to truly love her yet, hadn’t had the chance to make up to her, and this fear might become a lifelong regret.

Waiting outside the emergency room was the most powerless moment for Landon Sutton.

Would things have been different if, as he turned to leave, he’d told her to drive carefully?

He didn’t know how long had passed. Night fell outside, and her phone rang; it was her mother calling.

Landon Sutton answered on her behalf, unaware of Shannon Quinn’s current condition. Late at night, he dared not tell Catherine Yardley the truth, only saying Shannon Quinn might not return tonight and would call her back later.

As he hung up the phone, the doctor came out of the operating room.

"Family of Shannon Quinn."

"I am."

"The patient is temporarily out of life-threatening danger, but the injuries are quite severe. She’ll be transferred to the ICU first; we’ll monitor her condition tomorrow."

"Can I see her?"

"The patient is still under anesthesia, and hasn’t woken up yet. You’ll need to sign here; doctors and nurses will be watching over her in the ICU. You can head home for now and come back in the morning. We’ll notify you by phone if anything arises."

Upon hearing she was out of life-threatening danger, Landon Sutton finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After signing the papers, he didn’t leave immediately. Once Shannon Quinn was transferred to a ward, he gazed at her through the glass of the ICU.

Usually, he just thought she was very petite, never thinking she was fragile. Now looking at her covered in tubes, with colorless cheeks, his heart ached.

He felt it was his negligence that led to this incident.

After calming down, he found all of this somewhat odd.

Earlier, he saw Sylvie Pierce’s post on social media. In the picture, he saw Shannon Quinn and realized she was having lunch with Sylvie Pierce, so he messaged Shannon Quinn, but received no reply.

Then at the hotel entrance, he saw Shawn Pierce with her, wondering if this had all been orchestrated by Sylvie Pierce?

Thinking this, Landon Sutton left the hospital and drove to the local traffic management office to review the accident scene footage.

The responsible person beside him explained, "The accident was caused by the driver of this black car driving under the influence; he had just come out from drinking at the nearby hotel. It’s now handled by the relevant department."

"Could you let me see the driver’s information?"

Upon obtaining the driver’s information, Landon Sutton immediately sent it to Ronan Rhodes for investigation.

An hour later, Ronan Rhodes responded, "Master Nate, there’s absolutely no connection between this guy and the Pierce Family heiress. What are you having me investigate?"

"In recent days?"

"No linkage at all."

Is it just a simple traffic accident?

Landon Sutton, still uneasy, made a call to Sylvie Pierce, probing her, but she seemed completely unaware of Shannon Quinn’s accident, confirming he’d overthought.

He barely slept through the night, arriving at the hospital by five in the morning. By seven, Shannon Quinn woke up, and Landon Sutton enlisted a friend’s help to enter the ICU.

"Shannon?"

She appeared very weak, as if even opening her eyes required effort. She glanced at him, her consciousness seemingly unclear, looking uncomfortable with the oxygen tubes.

"Are you feeling better?"

She closed her eyes weakly, didn’t speak, but the hand he held lightly moved, as if responding to him.

At eight, her attending physician started work and conducted a checkup.

"The main issue is the brain’s impact injury; so far, the brain hasn’t been injured, just external trauma. The most severe injury is the fracture of the fourth left rib, which requires time to heal slowly. She can be transferred to a regular ward in the afternoon."

"Approximately how long will recovery take?"

"Bone fractures heal relatively slowly, around three to six months. Anyway, be cautious during this period; I’ll schedule appointments. Just remember to return to the hospital for periodic check-ups."

"Thank you, doctor."

"Mr. Sutton, you’re welcome. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work."

"You get on with your work."

Once the condition was more certain, in the afternoon Shannon Quinn was transferred to a regular ward, and with her slightly improved spirits, Landon Sutton finally called Shannon Quinn’s mother.

Upon hearing Shannon Quinn was in an accident, Catherine Yardley picked up Leo from his classes, and they rushed to the hospital together.

Compared to yesterday’s situation, Shannon Quinn’s current condition relatively improved; though talking was difficult, she expressed herself clearly, able to communicate normally.

Nonetheless, seeing her daughter like this was still heartbreaking to a mother, causing tears at the scene, with Shannon Quinn in turn comforting her.

Leo appeared calm yet clearly cared about his mom, observing Shannon by the bedside. His voice softer and gentler than usual, as if speaking louder would hurt his mom, quietly conversing with her.

Upon hearing the news, Sylvie Pierce and her sibling also arrived, alongside Liam Sterling, Elaine, and Julian. But with Shannon Quinn’s poor condition, she wasn’t able to handle so many visitors.

Catherine Yardley spoke to them about Shannon Quinn’s situation from outside, while Landon Sutton ran up and down dealing with paperwork.

On his way upstairs after paying fees, he encountered Sylvie Pierce returning from buying fruit in the elevator. Sylvie Pierce eyed the documents in his hand and asked, "What’s your relationship with Shannon exactly? Why are you at the hospital helping when she had an accident?"