Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Evan grew more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice cracking like he was about to cry:

"Mr. Conway loves Mrs. Conway more than any of you ever could! He just doesn't know how to show it! He grew up in the Conway family — cold, cutthroat, where everything came down to money and power. Nobody ever taught him how to love someone! He made mistakes, he took wrong turns, but he's been trying to change!"

"And that Cora!"

Evan spun around and shot Richard a fierce glare.

"Mr. Conway cut her off completely, a long time ago! That whole so-called relationship was nothing but a delusion Cora cooked up in her own head. She set it all up on purpose — it was a trap, a scheme to drive them apart! Mr. Conway was a victim too. He was pushing her away and shutting her out the entire time!"

His voice echoed through the hallway, the only sound left.

Alan's fist trembled slightly. Richard looked away, visibly uncomfortable. Frances pressed her hand over her mouth, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

Evan looked at the silent faces around him and took a long, slow breath.

He added, "You're her friends. Her family. Can you honestly tell me you don't see it — that Mrs. Conway loves Mr. Conway too? If she didn't, why would she risk her life to protect that baby?"

"If Mrs. Conway wakes up and sees what you've done to Mr. Conway — the state he's in right now — do you think she'd be happy? Do you think she'd be at peace?"

The hallway fell into a dead silence.

Seeing that everyone had gone quiet, Evan let out a quiet breath of relief.

He turned around and gently helped Lucas up off the floor.

"Mr. Conway, listen to me — let's go." Evan lowered his voice, his tone urgent. "They're all too worked up right now, they can't hear anything. Mrs. Conway is in the ICU and she's stable for now. Let's come back in a couple of days when everyone's calmed down, okay?"

Lucas moved his cracked, dry lips like he wanted to refuse. He wanted to stay here, close to Angela.

But Evan didn't give him the chance. He signaled to the bodyguards behind him, and they moved in, half-lifting, half-dragging Lucas away from the scene.

The moment they turned the corner, Evan — who had just been standing tall, righteous, and fierce — felt his legs give out beneath him. He nearly crumpled to the floor.

He slapped his own chest over and over, gasping for air, his face flooded with relief and lingering dread:

"That scared the life out of me!"

Lucas watched Evan's dramatic display, a muscle twitching at his temple.

Evan turned to Lucas with a pitiful, long-suffering look and said mournfully, "Mr. Conway, I just made enemies of every single one of them for your sake! Any one of those people could shake up the entire business world with a single order. If they ever team up to come after me, you have to protect me! I burned through every last drop of courage and acting ability I have in this lifetime — all for you!"

Lucas looked at him. And in that moment, something broke through the numbness and cold that had settled over his heart — a faint, fragile flicker of warmth.

He tried to pull the corner of his mouth into a smile, but it caught on a wound on his face, and he hissed sharply at the pain.

"Listening to you just now, so passionate, so fired up..."

Lucas's voice was hoarse, but there was a trace of something warmer in it:

"I actually thought you meant every word. That it was coming straight from the heart." He paused. "But in the end... you were still looking out for yourself."

Caught out, Evan laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

But then his expression shifted — steady and sincere:

"Come on, Mr. Conway, that's not fair! Everything I said, I meant it. And my loyalty to you is real. Besides, every single word I said back there was the truth. Your feelings for Mrs. Conway — I'm your assistant, I'm by your side every single day, I see it clearer than anyone. You just lost your way for a while. You loved her without even knowing it. The truth is, you care about Mrs. Conway more than anyone."

The trace of a smile faded from Lucas's face, replaced by a hollow, aching regret.

He slowly lowered his head and stared at his own hands, trembling faintly.

These hands had just signed Angela's critical condition notice.

These hands had failed to protect her. Failed to hold onto their child.

"Do you think... I still have a chance to make it right?"

Evan looked at Lucas — the man who was always so untouchable, so above it all — and saw someone as lost and helpless as a child who couldn't find his way home.

Something tightened in his chest.

He gave Lucas's shoulder a gentle pat and said firmly:

"Of course you do, Mr. Conway. Mrs. Conway has such a kind heart. If she makes it through this, and you spend the rest of your life making it up to her — sincerity like that can move mountains. One day, she'll see how real you are."

"Spend the rest of my life making it up to her..."

Lucas murmured the words quietly. And slowly, in eyes that had been completely dead, a faint light began to return.

Yes. Even if it took his whole life. Even if it cost him everything he had. He was not letting go.

He thought, Angela, please. You have to wake up.

After Evan and the bodyguards led Lucas away, Alan slumped against the cold wall like all the strength had drained out of him.

He slowly bowed his head and raised his hand to cover his face. Tears fell into his palm.

Then, from the far end of the hallway, came the sound of running footsteps.

"Alan!"

Alan lifted his head, his whole body stiff.

Chrissy was sprinting toward him, not caring how she looked.

The moment she saw him, tears spilled down her face.

"Alan... are you okay?" She rushed to him and cupped his face in both hands, her heart breaking at the sight of him.

She had just heard from Alan's assistant that he was back in Harmony City, and learned what had happened to Angela.

She hadn't wasted a single second. She'd raced to the hospital like she was out of her mind.

Alan looked at the girl in front of him.

That year abroad, trapped in the middle of the Garcia family's brutal schemes, Chrissy had flown thousands of miles just to be by his side. Night after night, when he was beaten down and ready to give up, she had held him close and told him to hold on.

They had walked through so much together since university. Chrissy had long become the one person in this world — besides Angela — who was his refuge, his reason to keep going.

Now, looking at her, every wall he had built came down at once.

"Chrissy..."

The next second, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

"Chrissy... I might lose my sister. I might not have a sister anymore..."

Chrissy had never seen him cry. Not once. But now he was crying like a child.

She knew exactly what Angela meant to him.

She held him close and let his tears soak into her shoulder, her hand moving gently over the back of his head. Through her own tears, she whispered, "No. Angela is so strong — she's going to make it. Alan, you still have me. I'm not going anywhere. We'll wait for her together. We'll wait until she wakes up..."

Beside them, Frances watched in silence, her hand pressed over her mouth, tears streaming down her face.