The police had just finished speaking when Ricky Roberson, who had just been interrogated, overheard them. Ricky Roberson was the son of the elderly woman involved in the incident.
He stormed towards Lance and the others, shouting, "That quack doctor cannot be released! My mother took the medicine she prescribed. She claims one of the ingredients wasn't hers, but that's just an excuse to escape responsibility!"
Hearing this, Lance frowned deeply. Just as he was about to say something, Ricky suddenly turned to him. "You must be that quack's lover. You look well-off, so if you want to get her out, pay us five million dollars, and I won't pursue her responsibility."
Ricky's eyes flickered as he extended his hand towards Lance. Lance stared back at him with dark, unreadable eyes. Five million dollars was a small price for Lance if the matter hadn't escalated. But given the obvious conspiracy, he couldn't just pay up.
Thinking this, Lance sneered coldly, "I believe she's innocent. As for you, you'd better not let me catch you with any dirt."
Ricky's face changed slightly but quickly returned to normal.
At that moment, a police officer approached. "Captain, based on the information you provided, we found a prescription at Miss Jones' home, but it was damaged and illegible. We compared it with the evidence provided by the victim's family but couldn't confirm Miss Jones' innocence. Further investigation is needed."
Lance's face immediately turned serious upon hearing this. Old Ashley staggered slightly. She grabbed the officer in charge of the case and asked, "Without evidence, does it mean my granddaughter can't be released?"
"Currently, yes. Due to insufficient evidence, Miss Jones must be kept under supervision," the officer explained.
Old Ashley couldn't take the shock any longer and fainted on the spot. Gregory and Chloe were terrified and started crying. "Great-grandma, what's wrong..."
Lance remained calm and quickly picked up Old Ashley. "Get the car ready; we're going to the hospital!" he ordered Xavier before carrying Old Ashley out of the police station.
The two children followed closely behind. Upon arriving at the hospital, doctors and nurses were already waiting at the entrance. They took over and rushed Old Ashley into the emergency room.
In the long corridor, Gregory and Chloe held hands, staring unblinkingly at the emergency room door with tears in their eyes. Lance felt heartbroken seeing them like this and pulled them into his arms to comfort them. "Don't be afraid; Uncle is here."
"Uncle, will Great-grandma be okay?" Chloe asked between sobs.
Gregory also looked up with red eyes. Lance felt even worse but reassured them again, "She'll be fine. Trust me."
After what felt like an eternity, the emergency room door finally opened. Doctors and nurses wheeled out a bed. Lance immediately stepped forward and asked, "How is she?"
"She's out of danger now, but make sure she doesn't get agitated again," the doctor explained briefly before having the nurse take Old Ashley to a ward.
Once settled in the ward, Gregory and Chloe stayed by Old Ashley's bedside, watching her intently. Xavier hurried in from outside just then. Hearing the commotion, Lance turned and saw his anxious expression. He signaled Xavier to step outside.
Xavier understood and followed him out of the ward. Once outside, he couldn't wait to report, "The situation online about Dr. Deanna is getting worse. Just now, Ricky posted a video for sadfishing, making things very unfavorable for Dr. Deanna."
As he spoke, he handed his phone to Lance. With a grim face, Lance took it and watched Ricky's video posted online shortly after they left the police station.
The video had two main points: first, Ricky played the victim, lamenting how pitiful his family was; second, he smeared Deanna's reputation, insinuating she had powerful connections while they were powerless against her.
Netizens were outraged by the video. "Does having money and power make her invincible? Can she trample on others' lives just because she's rich?"
"This is infuriating! This woman must be severely punished, and those protecting her must be thoroughly investigated!"
"Exactly! Severe punishment and thorough investigation!"
Lance's face grew darker as he read through the comments. He handed the phone back to Xavier and ordered coldly, "Do whatever it takes to reduce the clout of the news. Also, investigate Ricky's family for any suspicious activities."