bChapter /b49

Other than speaking, all Ste could do was watch helplessly as her blood was being drawn

She barely had any blood le as was. Honty had already takers so much before, band /bnow, with even more drawn, her head was swimming. She could hardly stay conscion

Ste locked at Lionel and said, “Lionel, you’re a doctor,”

Lionel remained silent.

Ste shouted, “How could you do such a thing? If I report you, you’ll be kicked out of this hospital, and your reputation will be ruined.

“Aren’t you the face of this hospital? You’ll be a pariah, shunned by everyone.”

Still Lionel said nothing

Ste asked, “Don’t you know this is going to kill me?”

Lionel said firmly, “No, Ste, I won’t let you die.”

Ste scoffed in disbelief. She said, “Are you kidding me, Lionel? bYou /bkeep begging me to forgive you, yet you go and do the very thing I despise most.”

It finally dawned on Steb. /bShe thought, ‘No wonder Henry left so easily, he had already orchestrated everything“.

She didn’t know why Lionel agreed to Henry’s scheme, nor did she care to find out. All she knew was that Lionel hurt me to the core.

Lionel said softly, “Ste, it’ll be over soon. Trust me. bJust /ba little longer, bokay/bb?/bb” /b

Ste was exasperated to the point ofughter. She thought, ‘How could I possibly trust him? Coming into this world, I guess a really had a rude awakening in store for me!

The moment the needle bwas /bwithdrawn, Ste cked out.

Lionel reached out and gently caressed Ste’s pale cheek, his touch filled with regret band /btenderness. He muttered, “Ste, trint me, I have my reasons for this. I love you. I genuinely, deeply love you.”

Gathering the five blood samples, bLionel /bquietly exited the room.

Ste had no bidea /bhow long she’d been unconscious, but she’d never felt so utterly drained and miserable before. Five tubes of blood might be nothing to others, but for her, it bwas /bliterally draining the life out of her.

Ste thought bitterly, I’m dying, aren’t I? Might as well just die already. It’s not like anyone in this godforsaken world cares whether live or die.

When the nurse entered, Ste weakly grabbed her hand with thest of her strength. “Please, help me. Save me,” she begged hoarsely.

The nurse shot Ste a dismissive nce, then swiftly pulled her hand free. “I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she stated tly,

All at once, Ste realized something. She red and bgasped/b, “it was you. You drugged me before, and that’s why I bpassed /bout. What else have you given

me bnow/b?”

The nurse’s eyes flickered with unwase. She said sharply, “I bdon’t /bunderstand what you’re saying. Don’t touch me

Stillb, /bbSte /bhad her wits about her. She thought, I can’t stay in this hospital do, I’ll just keep being Henry’s personal blood supply, band /bI’ll bnever /bbe able to leave this ce for the rest of my life!

Seeing that Ste had gonest, the nurse hastily exited.

Stey in bed, trying to gather her strength. But that night, Lionel drew her blood twice in one night, leaving her with no chanc

After the blood draw, Lionel gave Ste two pieces of chocte, and Ste mechanically aba,

Ste thought, ‘This can’t go oh Seizing a moment when the room in was empty, she struggled to pull herself up from the hospital bedb. /b

The first time Ste tried to get out of bed, she was caught by the nurse. She quickly imed she needed to use the restroom

She couldn’t tell if the nurse believed her excuse, but she felt the nurses and doctors were constantly watching her every move.

Ste pondered, “The dead of night is my best chance, when everyone’s asleep. Even if the nurses and doctors are on their rounds, they’ll done boff /ba some point. I must escape during that dead of night

Ste recalled that time in Middleb–/bSouth Yaria, when her kidney had just been forcibly removed and she had barely managed to escape. At that point, she had truly been at death’s door. Yet, she had will paled through.

Ste told herself with conviction, As long as I keep believing, I will definitely get out of here,”

In the dead of night, Ste began to take action. To her relief everything went smoothly along the way. She stumbled boutside/b, spotted ba /bcab, and scrambled in without hesitation.

She asked the driver to take her to Hayes residence. After all, all her belongings were there.

The driver kept ncing bback /bat her with concern. He said, “Miss, you don’t look well at all. You should bgo /bback to the hospital”

Ste was barely hanging on. bShe /breplied, “If I go back in there, I’ll die. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”

The driver had heard rumors about the hospital. He wasn’t sure whether they were true or bfalse/b, but he couldn’t risk pushing Ste into a dangerous situation. He bsaid/b, “Alright then, I will take byou/bb./bb” /b

When they arrived at the Hayes residence, Ste said weakly, “I’m sorry, I don’t have any cash on me right now. Could I get your phone number?t transfer the money to youterb./b”

The driver paused, then shook his head. He said, “Forget it. You blook /blike you’ve had a rough time. I won’t charge you today.” With that, he turned the car

around and drove off

Ste memorized his license te number.

A maid hurried out as soon as she heard the sound. She asked, b“/bbMs. /bSte bHayes/b, what brings byou /bbback/bb?/b”

“From now on, I’m staying right here at home. I’m not going anywhere,” Ste dered, her tone resolute

The bmaid /bflinched under Ste’s piercing gazeb, /bnot daring to speak

Remember, keep it quiet. I don’t want to disturb their sleep,” Ste said softly but firmly.

“Understood,” the maid replied. Exhaustedb, /bshe went straight to bed.

Ste barely made it back to her room, every bit of strength she hadpletely used up along the way. Exhausted, she copsed onto the bed and was out the moment her head hit the pillow.

Early the next morning, still groggy, Ste was awakened by the loud, insistent bknocking /bon the door.

Outside the door, Eleanor snapped, “What on earth are you all doing? Ste must havee home verytest night. bShe’s /bnever one to oversleep. Why are you pounding on her door like that? bCan’t /byou just let her rest a while longer?”

Fiona exined with a sharine smile, “Mom, you know Ste was in a car ident and hasn’t fully recovered. Since she discharged here, bnatura /bya we must take her back to the bhospital/bb,/bb” /b

b2/3 /b

10:30 Thu, 31 July

Eleanor bsaid /bfirmly. “Now that she’s back, whether she’s fully recovered or not, the

honse.”

want to stay in that hospital. She’ll recuperate night home at

Andrew said, “Tut, Mom, our home isn’t equipped to handle her condition. And if something were to happen while she’s still technically an inpatient the hospital would be on the book for that,”

Eleanor demanded, “Then go and get her discharged.”

Fiona tried to say something more, but Eleanor cut her off

Eleanor dered firmly. “That’s final, Now go and get it done, and don’t disturb Ste any further

Fiona and Andrew exchanged helpless nces, both at aplete loss for words.

Eleanor stood firmly at Ste’s door, shielding her from any disturbance.

Teams streamed down Ste’s face. She thought, “If Grandma weren’t in this world, I wouldn’t have made it this far

“Grandma,” Ste called out.

Eleanor said softly, “Ste, is that you? Damn them for waking you up. Get some rest, dear. I’m here. No one will bother you anymore.

“Grandma,e in,” Ste rasped, her voice bweak /band ploading,

Eleanor was about to enter when Ste suddenly realized she’d locked the door. She struggled to unlock the door for Eleanor

The moment Eleanor saw Ste, her heart sank in shock. She eximed, “Good heavers, Ste, what on earth happened to you?”

Ste’s face had always been pale, but now she looked so ghostly that anyone would have believed she was a ghost.

Eleanor had insisted on seeing Ste no matter what, but others kept telling her that Ste was still iin /ithe ICU and promised to take her there once Ste was transferred out. So she didn’t know that Ste’s situation was so serious.

Eleanor said with heartache, “bWhat /bon earth had happened? I thought things would get better once you came home, but it’s just been one thing alter another since you returned.”

“Grandma, Ste whispered.

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