Chapter 99 Grace Must Die
Outside the ICU.
Max pressed his face against the glass window, peering into the room where five nurses busied themselves around the bed, adjusting heart monitors and ventilators. Grace lay there with her eyes peacefully closed, her chest rising and falling gently.
Thank God.
Mom was still alive.
Even though the doctor had warned that Grace had multiple fractures and traumatic brain injury, and they weren't sure what kind of lasting effects there might be.
But no matter what the consequences, even if Mom couldn't take care of herself for the rest of her life, he would take care of her forever.
Alexander crouched down and asked Max and Liam, "Are you tired? I can take you home to rest."
Liam's ears perked up, but he refused to leave, insisting on staying to watch over Grace.
Max shook his head as well. "I want to stay here with Mom until she wakes up."
Alexander said, "This is the ICU. She's not conscious right now, so you can't go in anyway."
Max replied, "I just want to be able to see Mom." No matter how tired he was, he'd grit his teeth and endure it. The doctor said Mom would be fine once she woke up, and he wanted to wait until that happened.
Hearing this, Alexander didn't push the matter.
He could see that Max was exhausted, but he also knew that Max and Grace had depended on each other completely, sharing a deep bond. Only when Grace woke up would Max feel at ease.
Alexander sat on the bench and gathered Liam into his arms.
The day grew brighter.
Gradually, Liam couldn't fight off his drowsiness. His little head bobbed as he dozed, though he seemed to be struggling to keep his eyelids open, determined not to fall asleep.
Seeing this, Alexander felt a pang of sympathy. He said to Liam, "Liam, sleep in Daddy's arms for a while. When Grace wakes up, Daddy will wake you immediately."
Only after hearing this did Liam settle peacefully in his embrace, gently closing his eyes.
Max was also fighting exhaustion. Seeing Alexander hold Liam so tenderly, he felt a strange twinge of envy.
He was so tired too. Perhaps it was his taut nerves finally relaxing in this moment, but drowsiness crashed over him like a silent tsunami.
He leaned against Alexander's side, resting his small head on the man's arm. His eyes half-closed, and before he knew it, he had drifted off in a drowsy haze.
Seeing this, Alexander gently pulled him closer and smoothed his hair.
The corridor was silent. The entire floor had only three ICU rooms, each with a single bed and three dedicated nurses.
The other two rooms were empty.
The vast hallway was utterly quiet.
A doctor approached and, seeing Alexander with one child in his arms and another leaning against his side, said quietly, "Both children are asleep. Mr. Hayes, would you like to take them home first? We'll notify you immediately if there are any developments."
"That won't be necessary." He had promised Liam he would stay close by, and he couldn't break that promise.
The doctor said, "How about I arrange a family room for you then?"
Alexander replied, "No need. You may go."
The doctor explained, "It's not that I'm worried about you being tired—I can see these two little ones are exhausted. Looking at Ms. Foster, she won't be waking up anytime soon. Why don't I take you to the family room next door to rest?"
Alexander glanced at Liam in his arms and Max sleeping against his shoulder, frowning slightly. "Alright."
...
Emily found out which hospital Grace had been taken to and dialed the emergency department.
"Hello, is this Radiant Wellness Center?"
"Yes, how may I help you?"
Emily probed cautiously, "I have a close friend who was severely injured in an accident and brought to your hospital for emergency treatment. I was wondering how she's doing?"
"May I have your friend's name?"
Emily said, "Grace Foster."
"One moment please."
The phone went quiet for half a minute as the nurse checked the records, then responded, "We did indeed have an injured patient named Grace brought in for emergency treatment early this morning. She's currently stable and out of immediate danger, though still under observation."
Emily was stunned.
How was that possible?
She hadn't died?
Emily couldn't believe it and asked in surprise, "Really? She actually survived?"
The nurse replied, "Fortunately, treatment was timely, so she's been transferred to the ICU."
Emily's lips twitched violently as she said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After hanging up, Emily immediately stood and walked to the window, anxiously biting her finger until she accidentally drew blood.
Outside the RV, the driver knocked on the door. "Miss Blake, would you like me to take you home? It's daylight now, and you haven't slept all night. You must be exhausted."
Emily's smile froze. "Could you take me to Radiant Wellness Center instead?"
The driver hesitated. "But Mr. Hayes instructed me to take you home."
Emily said, "I want to go to the hospital to visit. After all, with something this serious happening, I'm in no mood to rest." Her heart was filled with anxiety.
Grace being alive was something she had never anticipated and couldn't understand.
Falling from that height should have been certain death, and she had even deliberately delayed getting help, thinking that since Grace couldn't survive anyway, there would be no witnesses and she could rest easy waiting for news of her death.
But now the hospital was telling her Grace had survived.
What was she going to do?
When Grace regained consciousness and awareness, the first thing she would do was identify Emily as the one who pushed her.
Emily's heart raced with unease. She had always considered Grace an enemy, but now this problem hadn't been solved—instead, it had become a ticking time bomb.
What should she do now?
With Grace in the hospital, even if she wanted to finish the job, she had no opportunity.
Emily needed to get to the hospital quickly to assess the situation. If Alexander wasn't there guarding Grace, she might have one last chance to act.
The driver took her to the hospital.
Emily inquired at the information desk about Grace's room and took the elevator, pressing the floor button.
Ding
The elevator reached the floor.
Emily hurried out and walked toward the ICU, her pace urgent.
She carried a small medical kit and removed a fresh syringe from it, drawing air into it while putting on disposable gloves.
Emily reached the room entrance. Inside the ICU, Grace lay on the bed with no one else present.
No one was stationed outside either.
This was a heaven-sent opportunity!
She just needed to slip into the room unnoticed and inject air into the IV line—Grace would die instantly.
At this thought, Emily's hands began to tremble slightly.
This was murder!
Emily had to admit that the moment she saw Grace fall and collapse in a pool of blood, she had felt regret and guilt.
This was her first time killing someone. She wasn't psychologically prepared at all—it had been a moment of impulse without any consideration of consequences.
But now that she had taken this step, there was no turning back.
She couldn't let Grace wake up. She wouldn't give Grace the chance to identify her.
Emily fought to control her trembling left hand, forcing herself to calm down. She gripped the door handle, took a sharp breath, and gently pushed the door open.