Chapter 741: Something Must Be Wrong

Thea's face turned pale as her expression shifted dramatically.

When Rosalind lunged toward her, Thea instinctively wanted to retreat. But she realized with horror that she was confined to her wheelchair, which Andrew had firmly locked in place. There was no way for her to avoid Rosalind's approach.

Rosalind's appearance was terrifying-her face twisted with fury that sent chills down Thea's spine. Her heart clenched painfully in fear.

"D-Don't come any closer!" Thea stammered.

But Rosalind wasn't about to listen. From the hospital bed to the door of the room, it took Rosalind less than a second to close the distance.

Thea could only watch as Rosalind charged at her. There was nowhere to escape, no way to dodge. She raised her hands in a futile attempt to defend herself, but before she could even react, Rosalind's hand came crashing down.

A loud slap echoed through the room.

Thea's cheek burned instantly, the stinging pain spreading across her face.

"Ah!" she cried out, her pale face now marked with a bright red imprint of Rosalind's hand.

But Rosalind's anger was far from quenched. She raised her hand again and continued her assault.

"You dared to hurt Benjamin! If he doesn't wake up, I'll make sure you pay with your life!" Rosalind screamed, her voice filled with rage as her hands struck Thea repeatedly.

The more hatred Rosalind felt, the harder her blows landed.

Thea was consumed by fear and pain. She flailed her arms wildly in an attempt to block the attacks, but it was useless.

"G-Get away from me!" she shouted, her voice trembling. Desperate, she tried to threaten Rosalind. "Stop, or I'll call the police!"

"Call the police? Ha! Do you think I'm scared of that? You don't need to call them-we already have!" Rosalind's voice had an unhinged edge to it. Her fury was uncontrollable, and her strikes grew even more vicious.

Thea was in agony. Her face and body throbbed from the blows, but the pain seemed to reach even deeper. Her internal organs felt like they were twisting in torment, and the surgical wound on her body seemed to be bleeding again from the strain.

The suddenness of Rosalind's attack left Andrew and Alex momentarily frozen, forgetting to intervene.

Finally, as Rosalind yanked at Thea's hair and continued to berate her angrily, Alex stepped forward and grabbed Rosalind's arm.

"Mom, calm down," he urged.

Rosalind struggled against his hold, still trying to get to Thea.

Alex raised his voice. "Mom! The police will be here soon. Let them handle it."

Even as Alex restrained her, Rosalind's fury remained unyielding. She trembled with anger, her voice shaking as she shouted, "Benjamin is in this condition because of her! I'm his mother-don't I have the right to punish her?"

Hearing her mention Benjamin, Alex tried to placate her. "Benjamin will be fine."

Though he wasn't sure himself, he said it to comfort Rosalind. She was already on edge, and he feared she might collapse under the strain.

But Rosalind refused to believe him.

She screamed, "Benjamin hasn't woken up at all-something must be wrong!"

She had stood by Benjamin's bedside for hours, calling his name over and over, but he remained completely unresponsive. It didn't seem like he was going to wake up anytime soon. If it weren't for the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and his breathing, she would have feared the worst.

"I'll go check on him," Andrew said, his voice filled with concern. Rosalind's words had unsettled him, and he hurried to Benjamin's bedside to examine him.

He called Benjamin's name several times, but there was no reaction. Frowning, he lifted Benjamin's eyelids to take a closer look.

After a moment, Andrew turned to Alex, his expression grim. "By all logic, Benjamin should have woken up by now."

Andrew's words sent a chill through Alex. He rushed to Benjamin's side to check for himself. Rosalind followed closely, clinging to Alex as they returned to Benjamin's bedside.

Seeing Benjamin lying there, still unconscious, Rosalind's emotions finally erupted. She broke into sobs, her cries filled with anguish.

"My poor son… that vile woman has ruined him!" Rosalind's voice was filled with grief, each word laced with sorrow.

As she cried, she shot a hateful glare at Thea, who was still in her wheelchair.

Meanwhile, the two middle-aged men standing at the door exchanged uneasy glances. From the conversation they overheard, it seemed clear that Benjamin had been lured here by Thea to donate his kidney.

They were unsure how to react. By all rights, they should be thanking the person in the wheelchair, but the Hayes family's reaction made it impossible to say anything.

Thea, on the other hand, was seething with pain and anger after Rosalind's attack. But as she watched Rosalind cry bitterly, she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Before, she had only suspected that Benjamin's kidneys had been removed. Now, seeing him lying there unresponsive, she felt certain her suspicions were correct.

The more she thought about it, the more confident she became. Benjamin must have lost both kidneys.

The realization brought her an odd sense of relief. If Benjamin had lost both kidneys, then one of them must have been transplanted into her.

As for the middle-aged man's comment about his daughter also receiving a kidney, Thea didn't even need to think twice-it was clearly the work of this black-market clinic.

She had been puzzled about why they hadn't demanded full payment for the surgery upfront. Now she understood-they had planned to exploit her all along.

Thea convinced herself of this narrative, even attributing the unbearable pain in her body to the aftereffects of the surgery.

Rosalind's heart-wrenching cries only further calmed Thea's racing thoughts. The more Rosalind wept, the more satisfied Thea felt.

But watching Rosalind cry wasn't enough to quench her anger. Once she had composed herself, she maneuvered her wheelchair closer to Benjamin's bed.

As she moved, she spoke, her tone seemingly sincere but filled with malice.

"Benjamin donated his kidneys to me. No matter what happens, I'll always be grateful to him. Whether he wakes up or not, I promise I'll take good care of him."

Her words sounded heartfelt, and her expression was sincere. But in her mind, she thought otherwise. To her, Benjamin was lucky just to have survived the surgery. If he didn't wake up, that would likely be the extent of his existence-a lifeless body in a coma.

Though she held a signed agreement, she knew she had to frame her words carefully. It was up to the Hayes family whether or not they would trust her to care for Benjamin.

Besides, with the police on their way, she planned to pin the blame for Benjamin's abduction on Trista and shift the responsibility for his condition onto the black-market clinic.

She had done nothing wrong, after all.

But just as Thea finished speaking, Rosalind suddenly stood up.

Struggling against Alex's grip, she pointed a trembling finger at Thea and screamed, "You despicable woman! What did you just say? Are you cursing Benjamin?!"