Chapter 88
Emerald City Hospital.
Michael sat outside the emergency room, his whole demeanor heavy and oppressive.
"Mr. Smith." David didn't dare approach. Michael was a bit frightening at times like this.
David had seen Michael in this state twice before: once at his mother Fallon's funeral, and now.
Actually, David understood Michael well. He had some family connection with Michael, and from childhood he knew Michael was always the genius and good kid everyone talked about.
But from the first moment David met Michael, he knew Michael wasn't happy.
He had ability, talent, and capability, but he'd never truly been happy.
Born into the Smith family, Michael seemed to carry far more responsibility and pressure than ordinary people.
"Walter put Mr. James Smith in the hospital. Luna already knows and is on her way here with Mr. Nolan Smith. This could blow up. If the Smith family insists on blaming someone, they naturally won't dare blame Walter directly. They'll probably take their anger out on Nora."
David spoke quietly, preparing Michael mentally.
In Silverlight City, the Wood family and the Smith family were major partners. Not only that, Luna and James were busy trying to curry favor with the Wood family to compete for the Smith Group inheritance—how could they possibly dare blame Walter directly?
But they would definitely take it out on Nora.
"Let him try." Michael's voice was low, his eyes frighteningly dark.
"Mr. Smith, don't you need to distance yourself from this?" David drew in a sharp breath.
It seemed best if Michael didn't get involved.
Once Michael got his hands into this matter, it would be hard to extricate himself.
Luna and James had been making moves behind the scenes for years, just waiting to catch Michael in a mistake.
"Distance myself?" Michael laughed coldly, glancing at David. "Jasper's repair shop has surveillance. Have Jasper pull the footage and turn it over to the police. If he didn't learn his lesson in Silverlight City, then this time let him learn it properly."
"What about the part where Mr. Wood hit Mr. James Smith?" David was so scared he trembled.
Michael was really declaring war on Luna.
Sending his own brother to the police station would make the Smith family and Nolan lose face completely.
This way, Michael in the Smith family...
Nolan would definitely be very angry, plus Luna stirring things up on the side.
David took a deep breath but didn't dare say more.
"Turn everything over to the police. Luna won't dare provoke Walter." Michael was very clear that Luna would give Walter and the Wood family this face.
"Mr. Smith, are you doing this for Nora, or using this opportunity to break with Luna?" After a long hesitation, David finally lowered his voice to speak. "You've endured for so many years. There's no need to ruin your own plans for one Nora."
Michael fell silent, frowning slightly.
David didn't ask more and turned to handle things.
"Mr. Smith, is the Smith family directly trying to kill her this time?" In the emergency room, John walked over with test results, his voice low as he handed the lab report to Michael. "She has congenital heart disease, and the Adams family is waiting for her to donate a kidney. At this rate, forget donating a kidney—staying alive is the problem."
Michael's face darkened as he looked up at John. "What kidney donation?"
"Doesn't Evelyn need a kidney transplant? She insists on having Nora's." John had his hands in his pockets, his voice sarcastic. "Says Nora owes the Adams family."
"Is the Adams family sick?" Michael rubbed his temples. "How is she?"
"She won't die for now, but next time is uncertain. The injury on her neck also looks recent. Tormenting someone like this is too much." John had seen life and death countless times, but he'd never seen someone tortured like this while alive.
"She also has severe depression with obvious somatic symptoms. I checked her records—she's had many MECT treatments. You probably can't understand her current condition, but it can be described as a walking corpse."
John checked the time and turned to leave.
Michael looked at Nora's lab report, silent for a long time.
This was insane.
What exactly had Nora been through?
"No, no... don't touch me, don't touch me..."
Nora lay in the hospital bed, restless.
Excessive blood loss kept her ears ringing and head dizzy.
Her left ear couldn't hear anymore. Right now, Nora was like someone sealed in a glass bottle, seemingly isolated from the world.
"Mr. Smith, here are the remaining tests. Take a look—severe malnutrition." Even the young nurse was shocked. What era was this that someone could still starve to death?
This severe vitamin D2 deficiency—her bones would fall apart next.
Michael stood by the bed, glancing at Nora. "I see."
"Mr. Smith, she's quite pitiful. Just now during resuscitation, her heart stopped. She really almost didn't make it." The young nurse said quietly, then left with her head down.
Michael gazed at Nora with deep eyes.
Not afraid of death.
But didn't dare resist.
If she had no concerns, how far would Nora go?
"Water."
Nora was terribly thirsty and wanted water.
Michael paused, never having cared for a patient before. He was somewhat at a loss.
Taking out a cotton swab and moistening it, Michael carefully dampened Nora's lips.
"Water." Nora was extremely thirsty. She slowly opened her eyes, wanting water.
"You lost too much blood. You can't drink a lot of water right now. Hang in there." Michael's voice was pleasant, at least to Nora it was a kind of comfort.
"It's you again." Nora smiled weakly.
It was Michael again. Was she dreaming?
This time, she really couldn't repay him, because his clothes were stained with her blood again.
Michael looked at Nora, his heart tightening.
In this condition, she could still smile.
But inexplicably, Michael thought Nora looked beautiful when she smiled.
"Rest well." Michael spoke quietly.
Nora slowly closed her eyes, half-asleep.
"Don't go." Nora's slender, weak fingers gently grasped Michael's wrist. She didn't know where the courage came from, like a drowning person desperately clutching at hope for survival.
"I won't go." Michael sat beside her without pushing Nora's hand away.
She held onto Michael tightly like that and fell into a drowsy sleep.
In between, David came in once, looked at Michael in shock, said the police had taken James away, then quickly stood guard outside the room.
"Mr. Wood."
Walter arrived, holding Samuel.
Jasper came too, following behind.
"Nora's not in life-threatening danger. Don't worry too much." David patted Jasper's shoulder.
Jasper nodded. "Thank you."
David said nothing more.
Walter entered the room and saw Michael sitting by the bed, with Nora's hand gripping Michael's wrist tightly.
"Mommy." Samuel's eyes reddened as he choked out the word.
Michael instinctively reached out to hold Samuel, but his hand dropped halfway.
Walter was Samuel's biological father.
"Mr. Smith can go home and rest." Walter frowned as he spoke.
He didn't want Nora to have a second choice besides him.
"Seems that's not possible right now." Michael's gaze fell on Nora's hand—she was holding onto him and wouldn't let go.
"Michael." Walter's face darkened as he lowered his voice. "Don't drag Nora into your family's internal power struggles. She's already like this—don't use her anymore."
Walter was very clear about Michael's purpose.