?Chapter 196:

    “Vincent!”

    Katelyn moved quickly, catching him just as he started to fall.

    His entire weight—a man—pressed hard against one of her shoulders, nearly making her stumble. She tightened her grip around his waist, her eyes darting to his face. His eyelids were squeezed shut, showing no sign of awareness. She quickly nced over at Samuel.

    “Get him to the hospital.”

    “On it,” Samuel replied, rushing into action.

    The hospital was a forty-minute drive from the restaurant. Katelyn nced at Vincent, unconscious beside her, unsure of what to do.

    She had acted quickly to stop him from being drugged, but now, out of nowhere, he had copsed. What had gone wrong?

    Was there actually another hidden danger at the dinner? Samuel pushed the car faster, focusing on getting Vincent to the hospital as quickly as possible.

    Noticing the light above the operating room door, Katelyn dropped into the nearest bench, her fingers instinctively twisting together in a tight grip.

    What had gone wrong?

    She probably didn’t even realize it, but the panic was rising, creeping from the depths of her chest, threatening to consume her.

    It was suffocating. She had felt the same way the day Vincent took a bullet for her and was rushed into surgery.

    How long would this operation take? How much more could she bear?

    Katelyn shut her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the chaos inside her.

    She nced at her watch—it was already eleven o’clock at night.

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    Turning away, she made her way down the corridor where the balcony offered a quiet nook, perfect for catching the evening breeze.

    With a deep breath, she picked up her phone and called Aimee.

    The call connected right away. Katelyn’s voice held an apologetic edge as she said, “Aimee, so sorry, something came up, and I couldn’t get back on time. Once things are sorted, I promise I’ll treat you to three big meals to make up for it.”

    Aimee’s reply was matter-of-fact. “It’s okay. No worries. I’m heading home now.”

    “Got it,” Katelyn said.

    After hanging up the phone, Katelyn instinctively ran her fingers over her forehead, rubbing the spot between her eyebrows with an anxious rhythm. She didn’t stop until her skin was rxed, but the frustration in her eyes remained.

    Vincent’s operation stretched through the night, leaving Katelyn to wait alone on a hard bench in the hallway. It wasn’t until the first light of dawn broke through that Vincent was finally rolled out of the operating room and moved to the VIP ward. Katelyn approached with a furrowed brow and a visible sense of exhaustion.

    “Doctor, what happened to him? Why did he just copse like that?”

    The doctor, peering over his sses, replied in a gentle, measured tone.

    “It looks like he was affected by an aphrodisiac. Combined with the alcohol he consumed, it’s no wonder he passed out. He’ll need to rest properly for a while. And no more wine for him.”

    Katelyn stood in stunned silence, her shock evident. Slowly, she pulled herself together and nodded. “I understand.”

    Vincent wouldn’t have been drugged with an aphrodisiac casually. She was certain it happened at the party, but where had things gone wrong?

    She reyed the events in her mind, carefully considering every detail and ruling out each possibility as she tried to uncover the truth.

    The attempts by the heavyset man and the woman with long, curly hair to drug Vincent were so awkward that they were almostughable. Their efforts were obvious and poorly executed.

    It was clear that more than one person had plotted against Vincent at the dinner, using methods that were both borate and unpredictable, leading to his sudden fainting.

    Katelyn took a deep breath to calm herself and then gently pushed open the door to look at Vincent.

    Hey unconscious, his face drained of color. Even in his sleep, his expression was tense, and his lips appeared dry and cracked.

    Katelyn turned to the nurse and requested a cup of water. With gentle precision, she dabbed at Vincent’s parched lips, her movements tender and deliberate.

    The longer she stayed with Vincent, the more she realized the depth of the dangers he faced.

    The threats lurking in the shadows were the hardest to confront.

    After tending to him, she left and drove home.

    Knowing Vincent might not wake until noon, she nned to prepare some soup for him and take the opportunity to rest in the meantime.

    Katelyn had stayed awake all night, her constant alertness leaving her drained.

    It took her five hours to prepare the bone soup, Vincent’s favorite dish.

    After putting everything into the pot, she set the rm clock.

    She took a short break, and then carefully packed the soup and drove back to the hospital.

    When she pushed open the door, she saw Vincent lying in bed, his back facing her as he scrolled through his phone.

    Katelyn exhaled, her tension easing as she spoke gently,

    “You’re awake. I brought you your favorite soup.”

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