CHAPTER 252: IS GRACIE DEAD?

"You..." Riya forced a smile, though the tension in her pale face betrayed her unease. "Were you looking for me?"

She wasn’t wrong. Liam had been searching for her. When he returned to the hall and couldn’t find her, he went to his mother, who mentioned seeing her slip away. Guessing she might have gone to the restroom, he came to check and found her there.

But the troubled look in Riya’s eyes instantly raised his suspicion. ’What has she done this time?’

Stepping closer, he said evenly, "Yes. I was looking for you."

His calm tone seemed to ease her nerves. Gaining some confidence, Riya approached him, looping a finger around his tie with a teasing smile.

"So, you were missing me?" she purred, attempting to sound playful and seductive.

Liam’s lips curved slightly. "I was wondering where my fiancée had disappeared," he replied. Then, his expression shifted, his voice lowering into something colder. "I even wondered if you went to find another man... perhaps your uncle."

His hand shot up, gripping her wrist firmly. The smile vanished from his face.

Riya’s blood ran cold. Fear surged back as she tried to free herself, but his hold was unyielding. "I wasn’t," she began, but her words were cut short.

"Uh!" A piercing scream shattered the air.

Both of them froze and turned toward the noise.

"Someone is dead!" a woman shouted.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Liam released Riya’s wrist and bolted toward the commotion, dread twisting in his gut. He feared that something had happened to his father.

But when he reached the staircase, his heart stopped. Gracie lay there, motionless and covered in blood, as a crowd gathered around her in shock.

Nathaniel rushed over, his heart sinking when he saw his mother lying motionless.

"Mom!" he cried, running up the stairs and kneeling beside her. "What happened?" His frantic gaze swept across the crowd that had gathered. "How did she fall?"

The onlookers exchanged fearful glances but said nothing, still too stunned to respond.

Liam snapped out of his shock first and hurried closer. "We need to get her to the hospital," he urged.

Without wasting another moment, Nathaniel lifted his mother into his arms and carried her downstairs, Liam following right behind.

Riya stood frozen, her pulse roaring in her ears. She had thought Gracie was dead, but seeing her still breathing made panic rise inside her. If Gracie woke up, she would tell the truth.

’No, this can’t happen,’ Riya thought frantically. ’I have to stop her before she speaks.’

Fear of being exposed consumed her. She clenched her fists, whispering under her breath, "I’m sorry, Mrs. Grant. I never meant to hurt you, but I can’t let you ruin me."

Her features hardened with determination as she followed after Nathaniel and Liam.

Minutes later, they reached the hospital. Gracie was rushed into the emergency room, leaving Vincent pale and trembling. As soon as she disappeared from his sight, his knees buckled and he collapsed.

"Dad!" Nathaniel shouted, dropping to his knees and cradling him in his arms. He shook him gently, tapping on his cheeks. "Please, wake up..."

But Vincent remained unresponsive.

Nathaniel looked up in desperation and cried out, "Doctor. Someone help, please."

A few hospital staff hurried in and took Vincent into care. Nathaniel sank into a chair, bewildered, his hands trembling. He could barely think straight.

When he saw his parents last time, they had been smiling and greeting guests. But everything had fallen apart while he had been away for a while.

His mother lay unconscious from a stair fall, and his father had just collapsed; Nathaniel couldn’t make sense of how it had all happened.

"Nathaniel." A soft, familiar voice cut through his panic. He looked up to see Zara at his side.

"Zara," he whispered. "I’m so scared."

She sat beside him and wrapped him in an embrace. "Don’t lose hope," she soothed. "They’ll be alright. I’m here with you."

Rowan spoke up. "Don’t worry. The hospital director is a friend. I’ve already spoken to him. He is pulling the best team together for Gracie. Yet, I sent Liam to speak with him personally. He has gone to meet him now."

Riya, who had been standing by the corner and observing everything quietly, felt a jolt in her heart, a cold dread settling in her. Hearing Rowan’s words, she had a feeling that Gracie might be saved. That was exactly what she feared.

She wanted Gracie gone so the truth would stay buried. Desperate, her thoughts raced for a way out. At that moment, one name came to mind: Zachary.

He was the only one capable of standing against both the Lawsons and the Grants, the only person who could help her keep the truth buried.

’I have to talk to him,’ she thought.

Just as Riya was about to slip away to find Zachary, she heard Hayley calling her from behind. Her heart lurched. Turning back to face the group, she tried to compose herself.

"Gracie went looking for you," Hayley said. "Did you meet her? Did you see how she fell?"

Riya’s stomach knotted in fear, but she forced herself to stay calm. She couldn’t let anyone suspect her.

"N–no, I didn’t see her," she stammered. "I was in the restroom fixing my makeup. When I came out, I ran into Liam, but I didn’t see Mom. I don’t know how it happened."

Though she tried to sound composed, her unsteady tone betrayed her. No one seemed to notice. Nathaniel was too distraught, his mind fixed on his parents’ safety. But Zara’s sharp eyes caught the flicker of unease in Riya’s demeanor. Suspicion began to stir in her mind.

’Could she have had something to do with Mom’s fall?’ Zara wondered.

"I didn’t even know she was hurt," Riya added quickly. "Liam and I heard the screams and rushed over. That’s when we saw her lying there."

"I think it might have been someone from the catering team or the hotel staff," Hayley offered.

Her words immediately drew Nathaniel’s attention. "Did you see anyone suspicious?" he asked sharply.

Hayley shook her head. "Not really, but I did notice cash scattered on the stairs and nearby. It looked like someone might have tried to rob her and pushed her down in the process."

"Cash?" Nathaniel repeated, his brows knitting as he tried to recall the scene. He vaguely remembered the scattered bills near his mother, but had been too panicked then to think clearly.

"Yes," he said slowly after a moment. "I saw that too, but I didn’t pay much attention at the time." His fists clenched tightly on his knees. "I’ll find out who did this."

A wave of cold fear swept through Riya as she caught the hard edge of resolve in his voice. Her stomach churned, and a desperate urge to flee overtook her. Taking advantage of the distraction around her, she quietly slipped away before anyone could notice.

Riya dialed Zachary’s number, her fingers trembling. The phone rang endlessly before disconnecting. Her pulse quickened with frustration and fear, and she immediately tried again.

"Pick up," she muttered under her breath, but the call once more went unanswered.

She scowled at the screen, anger flaring. "Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you are abandoning me now."

She had sensed his growing indifference these days. His calls had become fewer, his tone colder. Maybe he was deliberately avoiding her. Still, she made another attempt, hoping he was simply busy.

There was no answer.

Riya exhaled sharply, her patience snapping. "Fine," she hissed. "I can’t wait any longer. I’ll handle this myself."