Chapter 178 Finding Lucy

Chapter 178 Finding Lucy

Alison realized she had fallen into a common trap.

When she learned about the hostage's occupation, she instinctively assumed it was the common cleaning staff found in companies, overlooking that there's a job called water cleaner, responsible for collecting trash from the water surface.

"Have these boats been checked?" Alison asked while walking quickly toward the shore. She didn't notice the muddy ground beneath her feet and almost slipped, but luckily Oliver caught her just in time.

"No, they haven't," Susan answered with certainty. "All the boats are locked, and the cabin keys are probably in the fire."

She had planned to check these boats earlier but gave up when she found the cabin doors wouldn't open.

Alison rushed toward one of the five cleaning boats that was docked at an odd angle and pressed her face against the cabin door window to look inside.

Someone was lying on the floor. She cried out, "Lucy!"

Alison pounded on the cabin door. The person inside didn't move. Anxiously, she called Lucy's name while struggling with the door using both her hands and feet, completely forgetting she could use tools.

Oliver had someone fetch tools. Taylor quickly found a hammer, and Joey brought a crowbar. No one else intervened—Oliver personally stepped forward to smash open the cabin door.

Alison held Lucy in her arms, brushing aside the messy strands of hair from her face, crying and laughing at the same time. "Found her, found her!"

Lucy's body was warm, her pulse was beating, her heart was beating. Alison couldn't help but choke up. "Thank God!"

Oliver was happy for her, though he felt a bit helpless seeing himself completely ignored.

Alison felt a wound on Lucy's body and her face changed dramatically. "Oliver! Lucy's hurt!"

Oliver shone his flashlight on Lucy's side. Bandages covered the area so he couldn't see the injury clearly, though the bandaging technique wasn't very good.

He guessed this wound was from removing the remote-controlled bomb buried in her body.

"Lillian, where are the rescue workers?" Oliver called out.

"They're almost here!"

Shortly after, emergency personnel arrived with a stretcher.

Lucy was moved onto the ambulance and groggily opened her eyes.

"Ma'am?" The paramedic waved a hand in front of her. "Can you hear me?"

Lucy slowly shook her head.

The paramedic checked her pupils while efficiently attaching monitoring devices to her body, gently reassuring her, "Don't worry, you've been rescued, you're safe now. You have some injuries. Once we get to the hospital, a doctor will give you a thorough examination."

Lucy's consciousness was foggy and she couldn't hear clearly, but she roughly understood what was being said.

"What's the date?"

The paramedic saw her lips move and leaned down, putting an ear close. "What did you say? It's the 21st today, just past midnight."

Lucy moved her fingers. "I want to make a call."

At that moment, Alison and Oliver entered the ambulance. Alison nervously asked the paramedic, "How is she?"

"Her condition isn't too bad," the paramedic replied. "Do you know her? She seems to be looking for someone."

"Lucy?" Alison worriedly grasped Lucy's hand and leaned close to her face.

Lucy recognized her and smiled weakly. "Alison, happy birthday. Thank you for coming into this world."

Alison froze, tears streaming down her face.

After saying the blessing, Lucy seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She closed her eyes, and her hand slipped weakly from Alison's grasp.

Alison screamed in fright, catching Lucy's hand and gripping it tightly. "Doctor! Please save my sister!"

"Ma'am, she just fell asleep!" the paramedic shouted.

Alison looked helplessly at Oliver. Oliver tenderly stroked her hair. "Lucy's fine."

Alison nodded, but the flood of tears wouldn't stop.

Oliver had witnessed Alison breaking down in tears the last time she found Lucy, and knew she usually kept her emotions suppressed, so he didn't try to stop her and let Alison cry.

However, with Lucy unconscious, the paramedic glared at him several times. Oliver hugged Alison and coaxed her to leave the ambulance first.

Alison held onto Lucy's hand and refused to let go, crying loudly that she wanted to stay in the ambulance with Lucy.

She cried so loudly that she even attracted Bradley, who came over curiously asking what happened.

Oliver half-embraced the sobbing Alison, feeling both embarrassed and amused, when suddenly Alison's crying stopped and she fainted in his arms.

Now it was Oliver's turn to be startled, and he frantically asked the paramedic for help.

The paramedic couldn't help but roll their eyes and shooed Oliver off the ambulance. "Take her to the other vehicle! She just cried herself unconscious, stop making trouble!"

Two ambulances arrived at the hospital one after the other.

The doctor said Alison's emotions had fluctuated too much, and after being on edge all day, she suddenly relaxed, causing her brain to automatically put her body into rest mode. She just needed to sleep it off.

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. He knew very well that Alison hadn't just been on edge for one day—she had been anxious the entire time Lucy was missing. Now that she could sleep, it meant Alison had completely relaxed.

He looked at Alison's peaceful sleeping face, showing a happy smile even in her dreams, and couldn't help but lean down and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You've worked hard. Have a good sleep."

Alison slept until morning. When she woke up and saw Oliver, she asked cautiously, "I think I dreamed that I found Lucy."

Oliver ruffled her hair. "It wasn't a dream, we really found her! The doctor said Lucy's injury isn't serious, but she's malnourished and all her health indicators are low. She needs long-term rest."

Alison couldn't wait to get out of bed and went to the next room to watch over Lucy.

Lucy didn't wake up until three days later.

The two held each other and cried again. After crying, they had endless things to talk about.

Lucy said with regret, "I slept through your birthday."

Alison shook her head. "You wished me happy birthday."

Lucy asked in confusion, "When?"

Alison replied, "Right when we found you!"

At that time, Lucy's consciousness had been foggy, like being under general anesthesia, acting purely on instinct. Probably because she was thinking about Alison's birthday, she immediately offered birthday wishes, though she had no memory of it after waking up.

Oliver couldn't help but feel moved—Lucy's care for Alison had become instinctive. No wonder Alison depended on Lucy so much.

Lucy recounted everything before and after her disappearance.

She had entered St. Thomas Academy to ask Gerald to help treat Alison's psychological issues, and accidentally discovered Gerald hypnotizing Matthew. Through contact with Matthew, she gradually learned about his childhood nightmares and grew close to him.

When her secret surveillance of Gerald was discovered, Gerald mistook her identity and sent her to Matthew's house to be held in the basement, planning to sell her abroad with the next batch of "goods."

Later, she and Matthew escaped from the airport together. Halfway through, they got help from Vladimir, but were separated from Vladimir because of pursuers. After falling into Rocky Ridge River, they were rescued by White Fox and Fire Fox.

White Fox tried to persuade her and Matthew to join Aurora Syndicate. Lucy felt they were trying to brainwash them by repeatedly pushing revenge ideas, so she stayed on guard against White Fox.

When Hunter Team appeared, she and Matthew pretended to go along with the arrangements and escaped from Aurora Syndicate.

"Where's Matthew?" Lucy asked. "Is he in the hospital too? That little punk knocked me out and left me in the cabin, and he just removed the bomb from my belly. Lucky for me I didn't bleed to death."

She complained, but her eyes showed genuine emotion, full of concern and gratitude for Matthew.

Lucy waited a moment, and the smile at the corner of her mouth slowly faded. "What happened to Matthew?"

Alison lowered her eyes slightly. "He's dead."