chapter121-biological mother
Lucca's POV
Upon my return, Dr. Herlov once again requested to meet with the patient. He was again stopped by security.
I couldn't fathom why Vincent was being so obstinate about not allowing the doctor to see the patient. It seemed utterly unreasonable.
I observed the negotiations outside the patient's room while I sent a text message to Dr. Gloria.
"Dr. Gloria, are you feeling okay today? May I visit your home later?"
She replied promptly, "No need, I can take care of myself."
I sighed in response. I glanced out of the window, where the doctor was angrily arguing with a translator.
Suddenly, something struck me, and I checked the text message again.
"No need, I can take care of myself," was Dr. Gloria's response. This reply seemed a bit odd to me. Considering that she had handed over the surgery to Dr. Herlov, she must have been aware that her operation was scheduled for tomorrow.
Knowing Gloria's personality, she would typically have had some advice or words of comfort for him. Yet, she hadn't mentioned anything.
Perhaps she was genuinely feeling unwell, or her mood was particularly low. I sighed and lay back on the bed.
The doctor outside had been chased away by security, and it appeared that Vincent was determined to prevent him from meeting the patient before the surgery.
After contemplating for a while, I sent another message to Dr. Gloria, "Dr. Gloria, I'm nearby your home. Can I come up and see you?"
This time, there was no response from her.
The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became. I contacted Vincent to ask if there was anything wrong at Gloria's house, and he replied that everything was normal.
I tried to convince myself that Gloria wasn't feeling well and had already gone to sleep.
As I drifted off to sleep, the staff at the research facility continued to work through the night, preparing for the surgery scheduled for the next day.
Dr. Herlov took a brief rest, knowing that as the lead surgeon, he might face a challenging operation.
Early in the morning, just before the surgery, I underwent a final physical examination.
My body was in its most stable condition, and my emotions were well under control.
Gloria was in the middle of something. She wasn't wearing a full set of surgical gear, which was strange.
Vincent had told me before that everything was normal at her home, so why wasn't she fully prepared for surgery? I had a bad feeling about this.
"Where's Dr. Gloria?" I asked Vincent, my voice trembling slightly.
Vincent hesitated for a moment before answering, "She's attending to some matters right now, but she'll be here shortly. We have a slight delay, but the surgery will proceed as planned."
I wasn't convinced. Something felt off about this entire situation.
Dr. Herlov being a fake doctor was one thing, but Dr. Gloria not being fully ready for the surgery raised more red flags.
Just then, I heard a faint gunshot from outside the operating room.
My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively pulled my hand away from Vincent's reassuring touch.
Vincent's eyebrows raised for a moment, but he quickly masked any sign of concern and said, "It's alright. Once the real Dr. Herlov recovers, the surgery will continue as planned..."
I interrupted him, my voice trembling with urgency, "Where is Dr. Gloria?"
Vincent's expression tightened, and he glanced at the closed monitor screen.
There was a heavy silence in the room as I anxiously waited for his response.
Yesterday, Vincent had already attempted to locate Gloria but was unsuccessful.
He believed that Gloria might not be of paramount importance as the handover responsibilities had been documented in writing, making it possible to proceed without her.
Therefore, finding her was not the most urgent matter.
Vincent sidestepped the issue and explained, "There are extremist elements who have received information, believing that Nataly is receiving medical treatment at this research facility and have thus plotted an assassination attempt."
Many people were aware of Vincent's family's investment in the research institute, thanks to the semi-public charity event held by Pack, attended by the media.
Recently, Vincent himself had been frequently visiting the facility, and while his itinerary was not public, it was possible that someone at the institute had leaked information.
Luna Nataly's sudden return to the Pack social scene after two decades had drawn countless eyes.
Hostile forces had naturally connected the dots between her return and Vincent's investment in the research institute, assuming that it was for his mother's health.
If they saw an opportunity to assassinate Luna Nataly, Vincent would lose another significant alliance family.
It seemed that these extremist individuals had initially seized control of Gloria.
She held the position of Deputy Director at the institute and was my primary physician, making her the most knowledgeable about the entire treatment process.
"They might have obtained information about the lead surgeon from Gloria and then kidnapped him before he boarded the plane, replacing him with an imposter," Vincent explained. "Do you understand what I mean?"
I certainly understood. This implied that Gloria's situation was precarious, as she wouldn't casually expose my information unless subjected to coercion.
"She's alive," I immediately asserted. "She made a phone call to me!"
Vincent found it somewhat absurd.
"But at that time, you only heard a breath. It's possible you misheard..."
I remained resolute, saying, "It was Gloria's breath, there's no doubt about it."
"How could you possibly recognize a person by their breath..."
I raised my voice, declaring, "She's not just any person; she's my biological mother!"
A heavy silence filled the room.
A heavy silence enveloped the room like a thick fog, making every second feel like an eternity. I could hear the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, each tick echoing in the stillness, a stark reminder of the time slipping away.
Vincent's piercing gaze remained fixed on me, his eyes a mosaic of emotions — concern, determination, and an underlying fear.