Chapter 37 She Saved My Life
"Emma!"
Nicholas's pupils contracted sharply!
Marriage certificates, Zoe, his rage—everything was instantly cast to the back of his mind.
Without thinking, he quickly removed his designer suit jacket, wrapped her limp body tightly in it, then scooped her up in his arms.
The person in his arms was featherlight, weightless, with only that alarming heat radiating through the thin fabric.
Carrying her, he strode rapidly toward the stairs.
Just as they reached the lobby, they were surrounded by media who had been lying in wait.
Camera flashes went off frantically, too bright to look at directly.
"Mr. Harrison, is the woman in your arms Mrs. Harrison?"
"Are the online reports about the marriage certificate true?"
"Mr. Harrison, was your relationship with Miss Perez all for publicity?"
Questions flooded in like a tide.
Nicholas's expression darkened as he used his suit jacket to tightly shield Emma's small face, preventing the cameras from capturing her.
He emanated an aura that warned everyone to stay away, his eyes coldly sweeping over the crowd.
Four bodyguards quickly moved forward, forcibly blocking the reporters who kept pushing closer, clearing a path.
Nicholas carried Emma and quickly got into the car that had been waiting outside.
The car door slammed shut, cutting off the chaos outside.
Inside the car, Emma's eyes were tightly closed as she lay in his arms, her face pale as paper, lips drained of color, with only her forehead and cheeks showing an unnatural flush.
Nicholas looked down at her fragile state, his heart already filled with worry, his earlier anger completely vanished.
His mind replayed her words before she collapsed.
What did she mean by twelve years?
Clearly, they had only met for the first time before their marriage!
He reached out to feel the temperature of her forehead—it was alarmingly hot.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he commanded the driver in a deep voice, "Drive faster!"
......
The car arrived at Crestview Medical Center, and Nicholas rushed out carrying her.
The driver quickly called Charlie and had the bodyguards secure the hospital entrance.
In the emergency room, four doctors urgently took her temperature and drew blood for tests.
"Why did you wait so long to bring her to the hospital? Her fever's already at 106 degrees Fahrenheit. We need to bring her temperature down immediately."
Nicholas stayed by her side, not daring to leave for a moment.
Only after her condition stabilized and the paperwork was completed could she be moved to a ward.
For the first time, Nicholas signed his name in the family member column.
Soon after, Emma was moved to a top-tier VIP suite, and he sat beside the bed watching over her.
Watching the IV drip slowly enter her body, he felt an unexpected ache in his heart.
She stirred slightly, murmuring.
"Don't go, don't go!"
"When will you come back?"
She seemed to be dreaming. Who was the person she was talking about?
Could it be Matthew?
He leaned over, gently taking her hand, his other large hand softly stroking her hair as he called softly, "Emma!"
She frowned slightly, and suddenly a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
It scalded Nicholas's heart.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Charlie entered, carrying an elegant meal bag.
"Mr. Harrison, Mr. Robert Harrison has arrived at the company and is waiting for you."
Nicholas resumed his cold expression. "You stay here and watch over her. Notify me when she wakes up."
He walked a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "Have someone investigate her childhood, every detail. I want to know everything."
"Yes, sir!"
After the door closed, Charlie finally relaxed.
Rarely had he seen Nicholas show such concern for Emma.
Could there be a breakthrough in their relationship?
However, Emma's trump card had indeed been extremely effective, directly destroying Zoe's carefully crafted image.
Although Harrison Group was also in crisis, Nicholas certainly wouldn't prioritize protecting her.
......
At noon, Nicholas returned to the company.
In Harrison Group's top-floor office, the atmosphere was so tense you could wring water from it.
Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the city remained prosperous, but inside the office, the air was bone-chillingly cold.
"Trading halt! A full hundred billion dollars! Tell me, how do we clean up this mess?"
Robert's cane struck the expensive floor heavily, making dull sounds that shook people's hearts.
His chest heaved violently, his withered finger pointing at the jarring stock market charts on the table.
Nicholas stood by the window, his silhouette upright yet carrying an indescribable desolation.
He didn't turn around, just watched the traffic outside.
"Call a press conference immediately," his voice was hoarse, carrying unquestionable authority. "Announce Emma's identity—she's Mrs. Harrison, CEO's wife. This news will be enough to pull the stock price back up!"
Nicholas suddenly turned around, his handsome face expressionless, with only a barely perceptible struggle deep in his eyes.
"Grandfather, this would be too cruel to Zoe. If I really do this, it would be nothing short of betraying her."
His voice was low, tinged with exhaustion.
"Cruel?" Robert laughed coldly, his cane striking the floor again.
"Compared to Harrison Group's hundred billion dollar loss, compared to the Harrison family's reputation built over so many years, what does one woman's reputation matter?"
"You forget—when you had that car accident and went blind, she ran straight off to another country. A woman like that was never meant to enter the Harrison family's doors."
"This matter has nothing to do with her. I've been indulging her all along, and I want to give her proper status!"
Nicholas raised his voice, veins throbbing at his temples.
"Nothing to do with her? Do you see how people are cursing her outside right now? Calling her a homewrecker! Seriously damaging the Harrison family's image! And you still want to... give her proper status?"
Robert was so angry his beard bristled. "What exactly has she done to you? To make you so unable to let go?"
He just couldn't understand—Emma was such a wonderful girl, why couldn't Nicholas treasure her?
Before, he could pretend not to see it.
But now it was affecting the family's vital interests, and he couldn't sit by and watch any longer.
"Grandfather, she saved my life! I can't..."
Nicholas finally blurted out the words he'd kept hidden in his heart for so long.
Robert was at loss for words.
He reined in his temper, fell silent for a few seconds, then slowly spoke.
"What exactly happened?"
Nicholas lit a cigarette, his mind churning with those memories.
Four years ago, he had graduated early and was preparing to return home when his classmates threw him a farewell party.
The weather was beautiful that day, and over a dozen close friends boarded a yacht and went out to sea.
Everything had been going smoothly until they were heading back, when dark clouds suddenly gathered and strong winds picked up.
The waves became rough, rain started falling, and everyone headed for the cabin. Nicholas was also about to go inside.
Suddenly, something bumped into him, and then his body went numb. He fell directly into the sea.
It was pouring rain at the time, and his classmates were just trying to take shelter—they didn't even notice someone was missing.
He struggled helplessly in the water, then sank down, deeper and deeper.
He felt that near-death suffocation, the cold, despair, fear, and the light growing dimmer and dimmer.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, he saw a girl's figure swimming desperately toward him.
When he opened his eyes again, what filled his vision was Zoe's beautiful face.
She was soaking wet, water droplets from her hair falling onto his face!
That day, there had been two other yachts nearby, and he was rescued onto Zoe's boat.
After hearing his account, Robert was somewhat shaken.
If not for Zoe, he might have lost his only grandson.