Chapter 110
Chapter 110
"Impossible." William lowered his head and kissed her forehead, kissing away the tears and blood on her face, while his large hand gently patting her back, soothing her stroke by stroke. "How could I let the Brown Group fall into the hands of someone like that? I'd never let anything happen to you. For the rest of my life, I'll never let you suffer even the slightest grievance. Never."
His voice was hoarse, thick with lingering fear. The moment he saw the knife tip pressed against her neck, he felt his heart stop beating. In that instant, he realized that Ophelia had long been more important to him than his own life.
The police searched the water dungeon and quickly found Finnian's handwritten share transfer demand, a bottle of unused allergen medication, a note detailing the hot spring poisoning plan, and even chat records between him and his subordinates discussing how to kidnap Ophelia and carry out the poisoning. Each piece was solid evidence, carefully collected by the police as proof for Finnian's eventual conviction.
Held by the police, Finnian was still struggling wildly, his face covered in blood from his nose, his eyes still crazed as he screamed at William: "William, you scoundrel! I won't let you get away with this. The Brown Group is mine; it should have been mine all along! You stole everything from me—I'll haunt you even as a ghost."
William glanced at him coldly, his eyes devoid of warmth, looking at him as if he were nothing more than a pathetic clown: "Finnian, what you've done—kidnapping, extortion, deliberate poisoning, intentional property damage—any one of these is enough to keep you in prison for life. At the Brown Group, you're not even qualified to carry my shoes anymore."
The police stopped wasting words with him and dragged him outside. Finnian's screams grew more distant until they finally disappeared into the abandoned factory.
William picked up Ophelia carefully, afraid of touching her wounds, and walked outside step by step. The factory floor was uneven, so he walked slowly and steadily. Ophelia leaned against him, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling his warmth. The fear and grievance in her heart slowly faded, leaving only a deep sense of security.
He placed Ophelia in the car and immediately turned on the heat to maximum. Then he pulled out the first aid kit from the car, took out iodine, cotton swabs, and gauze, and sat gently beside Ophelia. He took her wrist and carefully dabbed the iodine with a cotton swab, cleaning her wounds with movements so gentle it was as if he feared breaking glass, terrified of hurting her.
"Bear with it. Once the medicine's on, it won't hurt anymore. It'll be over soon." William's voice was tender, completely different from the ruthlessness he'd shown Finnian. His fingertips brushed lightly over Ophelia's wounds, carrying a warm temperature. Though her wrist hurt terribly, his gentleness made her heart warm and her nose tingle.
After cleaning the wounds on her wrist, he picked up another cotton swab, dipped it in iodine, and gently cleaned the small wound on her neck and the bloodstains on her temple. After each dab, he would blow gently on it, afraid the sting of the iodine would hurt her.
Ophelia watched him lower his head in concentration, his eyes full of red veins, his chin showing faint stubble, his eye sockets sunken from sleepless nights and anxiety. Her heart felt both warm and sore. She reached out to gently touch his face: "Did you rush here? Look at you, the red in your eyes hasn't even cleared."
"Seeing you suffer, I couldn't think about anything else. I just wanted to get to your side immediately." William held her hand, pressed it against his face, and gently kissed her fingertips. "I'll never let you leave my sight again, never let you face this kind of danger. I'll protect you under my wing, where no one can hurt you."
He called Chase, telling him to immediately organize all the evidence they'd found and submit it to the police and the Brown Group's board of directors. He also had him arrange for a hospital—the best doctors, the best room.
After hanging up, he started the car and drove toward the hospital. The heat in the car was strong. Ophelia leaned on William's shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent, and slowly closed her eyes. Her tense nerves finally relaxed, and she soon fell asleep. Even in her sleep, her fingers clutched tightly at his clothes, as if afraid he would leave.
Feeling her dependence, William's heart softened. He slowed down, driving carefully to avoid waking her with bumps in the road. He glanced down at her from time to time, his eyes full of tenderness and affection.
The car soon arrived at the hospital. Chase had already arranged everything. The best surgeon was waiting at the entrance. William carried Ophelia out of the car and walked straight to the ward, with the doctor following behind, giving instructions along the way.
At the ward, the doctor gave Ophelia a thorough examination, cleaned her wounds, applied medicine, wrapped them in gauze, and gave her an anti-inflammatory shot. Fortunately, they were only superficial wounds that hadn't damaged any tendons or bones. She was just frightened and a bit cold. A few days of rest would make her better.
After the doctor left, William sat by the bed, watching over Ophelia. She was still sleeping, her brows slightly furrowed as if having a nightmare. William gently reached out to smooth her brows, his fingertips brushing across her cheek with incredible tenderness.
After some time, Ophelia slowly woke up. Opening her eyes, she saw William sitting by the bed, looking at her with gentle eyes full of concern.
She moved her fingers, and William immediately held her hand, asking softly: "You're awake? Are you thirsty? Hungry? I had Chase go buy the porridge you love."
Ophelia nodded. Her throat was painfully dry, and she couldn't speak. William immediately got up, poured a glass of warm water, put in a straw, and brought it to her lips, carefully helping her drink.
After drinking some water, Ophelia's throat felt better. Watching William busying himself, her heart warmed. "You haven't slept all night, have you? Go rest for a while. I'm fine."
"I'm not tired. I only feel at ease watching over you." William shook his head and sat by the bed, reaching out to gently touch her forehead. Only after confirming she had no fever did he relax. "Chase went to buy your favorite oatmeal porridge. He'll be back soon. Rest a bit more, and when the porridge comes, I'll feed you."
Ophelia looked at the red veins in his eyes and the dark circles beneath them, knowing he definitely hadn't slept all night and had raced here. Her heart ached for him. She reached out to grab his hand and tugged gently. "Lie down with me for a while, just for a bit. Otherwise, I won't feel right."
William couldn't refuse her. He carefully lay down beside the bed, not daring to touch her wounds. He gently held her hand. Ophelia leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat, and soon fell asleep again. This time she slept peacefully, without nightmares.