Chapter 323
The curtains in the restroom were drawn, making it hard to sense the passage of time.
It wasn't until Nolan sent a message that Willow realized it was already three in the afternoon.
She should head back, but Sterling, behind her, still hadn't woken up.
On the other end, Nolan urged her. [Willow, when are you coming back? I need to go downstairs to pick up a package, but I'm afraid I'll run into your grandma...]
Willow replied apologetically, [I might need a bit longer. I'm sorry. Just send me the pickup code, and I'll bring it up for you when I get back.]
Nolan said, [I'll wait a bit longer then. The package is pretty heavy—you wouldn't be able to carry it easily.]
Willow apologized to him again.
Just after she sent the message, Sterling stirred behind her.
Then Sterling's husky voice sounded by her ear. "Something wrong?"
Willow turned her head. Sterling had already looked away from her phone and was gazing down at her with concern. "Did I sleep for a long time?"
Willow turned around. Looking at his exhausted appearance, her heart ached. "No, only about two hours."
Sterling frowned slightly and checked the time. "It's three o'clock."
With that, he sat up on the bed and looked at her. "You should probably head back, right?"
Willow hesitated. "I could stay a bit longer."
Sterling wasn't in good shape. She wanted to stay with him a while longer, even if just to let him sleep a few more minutes.
Naturally, Sterling didn't want her to leave so soon either.
They'd finally managed to see each other, and all they'd done was sleep in each other's arms. They hadn't done anything else.
It felt like wasted time.
"Sorry, I've been too exhausted lately," he said to Willow apologetically.
Willow tugged at his sleeve. "Do you want to sleep a bit more?"
Sterling looked down at her, about to speak when his phone rang.
Sterling glanced at it and answered.
On the other end, his subordinate's voice was full of helplessness. "Mr. Lancaster, we've run into some trouble at the charity clinic. I'm afraid you'll need to come in person."
Sterling frowned. "What happened?"
His subordinate replied, "A whole bunch of reporters suddenly showed up. They know we're from the Lancaster Group and keep chasing us with questions about what's been going on with the Lancaster Group lately..."
Before the person could finish, reporters' voices came through the phone.
"Is Mr. Lancaster not appearing in person at this charity event because it's just for show to pressure the public and suppress the recent controversy?"
"We heard that everyone in the Lancaster family except Mr. Harold Lancaster and Mr. Sterling Lancaster was brought in for police questioning recently. What was that about? Has Mrs. Penelope Lancaster really been imprisoned?"
"Did Mr. Sterling Lancaster put Mrs. Penelope Lancaster in prison? Why hasn't the Lancaster Group given the public an explanation for such a major incident?"
...
Chaos erupted on the other end of the call.
In front of the cameras, no matter how many Lancaster Group people were there, they couldn't actually do anything.
"Mr. Lancaster..." His subordinate appealed to Sterling for help.
Sterling's expression darkened. "Understood. I'll be right there."
After hanging up, before he could speak, Willow had already gotten up.
"Is there something urgent? Go ahead and handle it. I'll take a cab back." She'd vaguely heard the commotion on the other end.
After speaking, she couldn't help but look at Sterling's expression with concern. "Is it because of that incident from before? Your father really hasn't made things difficult for you?"
Sterling stood and straightened his clothes. "It's related to that incident, but it's not my father's doing."
His eyes darkened. "I'll have the driver take you back. Blake needs to come with me to the scene."
Willow could tell this involved internal Lancaster family conflicts and didn't ask further questions.
When they reached downstairs, two cars were already waiting.
Willow watched Sterling leave before getting in the car to head back.
Perhaps Sterling had given instructions beforehand, because the driver only took her to the gate of Majestic City University closest to the family residential area.
After Willow got out, the driver quickly drove away.
She checked the time—it was already after four.
Willow sent Nolan a message. [I'm back. You can come down now.]
Nolan quickly agreed.
Willow then headed toward the residential area.
Just as she reached the entrance to the complex, Molly called.
Thinking of what Blake had said at lunch, Willow felt inexplicably worried.
Sure enough, the moment she answered, Molly's pitiful voice came through.
"Willow, are you busy right now? Can you come save me?"
In all the time they'd known each other, this was the first time Molly had spoken to her in such a tone.
Willow's heart immediately seized with concern. "I'm free. What happened?"
Molly stammered, "I... I accidentally twisted my ankle while filming. I thought it was nothing, but now it's all swollen, and I can't even walk..."
Willow frowned. "What about the other people from the crew?"
Molly's voice turned guilty. "They all left. We finished filming early today, and I didn't dare tell them. I was afraid they'd think I was being delicate..."
Willow didn't know what to say to her. "I'll come now. Where are you?"
Molly replied, "Over by Green Hill. It might be a bit far. Don't worry, I'll reimburse you for the cab fare!"
That was in the suburbs—quite a distance from Majestic City University indeed.
Willow checked the time. If she headed over now, it would be dark by the time she arrived. "Send me the address. I'll get a cab now."
She really couldn't feel at ease leaving Molly alone in the suburbs late at night.
Molly obediently agreed, not forgetting to add, "Don't tell Blake, okay? Otherwise, he'll break my legs."
Willow didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Even at a time like this, Molly still had the presence of mind to worry about such things.
"Depends on how badly you're hurt," she said.
If the injury was serious, she would definitely tell Blake.
Molly reluctantly agreed and sent her the address.
Willow immediately hailed a cab.
Getting a cab took another ten minutes, and once she got in, the driver complained about the distance and how late it would be on the return trip, haggling over the price.
Willow didn't have time to argue and immediately agreed.
Only then was the driver satisfied, driving leisurely toward the outskirts of the city.
They finally reached the suburban area, but the car's speed kept getting slower and slower.
"Sir, please hurry. My friend is injured and alone right now," Willow couldn't help but urge him.
The driver honked. The cars ahead were also crawling.
Hearing Willow's words, the driver said, "I'd like to go faster too, but we're stuck in traffic. Look—it's completely blocked up ahead."
Willow looked up. Sure enough, several cars were jammed up in front.
The driver was puzzled. "That's odd. I remember there's just a nursing home around here. Usually, no one comes this way. How did the road suddenly get blocked?"
The driver stared for a while before noticing something unusual.
"Looks like they're all media vehicles," the driver said.
Willow noticed too.
They were basically stuck at the entrance to the nursing home. The gate was wide open, making it easy to see what was happening inside.
She could only see a crowd of reporters holding cameras, surrounding several people, while the nursing home's elderly residents were left off to the side.
"Wonder what big shot is doing a walkthrough," the driver muttered.
Willow, worried about Molly's condition, was about to ask if he could take a detour.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly spotted Blake's figure appearing in her line of sight.