Chapter 133
The man on the bed was emaciated, a gaunt figure of skin and bone. Several tubes connected his frail body to an array of humming medical instruments, a respirator mask covering his nose and mouth, the machines beeping with a steady, monotonous rhythm.
His eyes were shut tight, his face a vacant mask, the only proof of life the almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest.
Elizabeth's pupils contracted violently.
Even though the face was ravaged by illness, even though it had aged, she still recognized him.
Nolan.
Hughes's personal assistant. The key figure Jacob had been desperately searching for, who had mysteriously vanished after Hughes's death.
Was he here?
Like this?
Elizabeth's heart hammered against her ribs, the blood rushing to her head.
She stared intently at that face, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that she relied on the sharp, grounding pain to maintain her outward composure.
Uri, too, was clearly taken aback.
He turned to the staff member accompanying them, his brow furrowed, his tone laced with distinct displeasure and suspicion. "This is what you call a clue? A half-dead man who can't even speak, practically in a vegetative state?"
His voice was glacial, edged with the anger of someone who felt they had been played. "Is this how the auction house swindles its clients? A hundred million dollars for a living corpse who knows nothing? This doesn't speak well for your reputation."
The staff member, evidently prepared for this reaction, maintained a professional smile, explaining respectfully, "Please, Mr. Noah, calm yourself. The value of this clue lies in the man himself. He was a direct witness to the events of twenty years ago; he knows the core secrets. While he is currently comatose, our medical experts have assessed that his condition is not entirely irreversible. With top-tier medical resources and enough time, there is still a possibility he could awaken."
He paused before adding, "The auction house guarantees that this man is the most crucial clue. All files, testimonies, and physical evidence point to him. Finding him is equivalent to finding the key to the truth. As for whether he can be made to speak, that will depend on the buyer's capabilities."
Uri let out a cold snort, seemingly unsatisfied with the explanation but saying no more.
Standing at his side, Elizabeth's gaze remained fixed on Nolan.
On that face, so gaunt it was barely human; on the machines that sustained his life; and on the earth-shattering secret, potentially holding the fate of everyone involved, that lay dormant within his unconscious mind.
She finally understood Sawyer's scheme.
It wasn't to let Jacob obtain the truth.
It was to let Jacob know who now held the key to that truth.
And now, that key was in her hands.
A hundred million for a comatose Nolan.
Was it worth it? Yes.
Because he was Nolan. Because his memory held the truth of the secret meeting between Hughes and Gray, the full story of that tragic turn of events, and perhaps even the secret of her own birth.
"Take him away and get him settled properly," Uri commanded with a wave of his hand, his voice returning to its usual calm. "Use the best medical equipment, the best specialists. I want him alive. And preferably, able to speak."
The staff member bowed respectfully and gestured for his men to wheel the hospital bed out.
Elizabeth watched it disappear beyond the doorway, a storm raging within her.
She had to find a way to wake Nolan, and soon.
Because the moment he awoke, all the buried truths would be brought back into the light of day.
Elizabeth sat alone on the sofa in the private suite, the silver mask once again concealing her features, leaving only the elegant lines of her lower face visible.
Uri had been invited by the auction organizers to a so-called VIP gala—an expected arrangement. As the leader of Nightfall, he needed to appear at such glittering, wine-fueled occasions to continue playing his role as the enigmatic Mr. Noah.
Elizabeth wasn't worried he would blow his cover.
Uri was one of Nightfall's most skilled chameleons; when he chose to wear a disguise, he was Noel to these outsiders.
Her thoughts drifted back to the withered figure on the hospital bed.
If he woke up, what would he say? Would it be the truth of Hughes and Gray's meeting? The role did Hughes play in that old feud? Or the secret of her own parentage?
If he said that Hughes was truly responsible for Gray's death...
Elizabeth's fingers tightened slightly.
What would happen between her and Jacob then?
Would he still look at her with those gentle, almost humble eyes and ask her to be sincere with him?
She couldn't bear to think about it.
Just then, the door to the suite was pushed open softly.
Elizabeth instantly reined in her emotions, her gaze turning cold as she peered through the slits of her mask at the newcomer.
Sawyer.
He wore a tailored dark blue suit, the collar unbuttoned, lending him an air of casual nonchalance that softened the formality of the attire.
He stood at the door, his gray eyes smiling, yet that smile held the sharp, assessing quality of a predator studying its prey.
"Ms. Windsor," he began, his voice low but carrying clearly to her ears. "All alone? Where is Mr. Noah?"
Elizabeth didn't move or speak, simply watching him in silence.
Sawyer seemed unbothered by her reticence. He sauntered in and sat on a sofa a few feet away from her, his posture relaxed, as if he owned the place.
"Should I call you Ms. Windsor, or…" He paused, his gaze intensely meaningful. "Noel's companion?"
Still, Elizabeth remained silent.
Sawyer let out a soft chuckle, a flicker of amusement in his gray eyes. "At the auction just now, Uri spent a hundred million dollars on that half-dead Nolan. I thought perhaps Nightfall had taken an interest in the Smith family's old affairs. But then, in the hallway, I happened to see you, Ms. Windsor, emerging from that very VIP room."
His gaze locked onto hers, refusing to miss even the slightest change in her expression.
"How interesting," he said slowly, his tone colored with an almost joyful curiosity. "How is it that Jacob's fiancée is the companion of Nightfall's leader? And what's more, accompanying Noel to see a witness so crucial to the Smith family?"
Elizabeth finally spoke, her voice cool and distorted by the voice changer into a neutral, electronic tone. "Mr. Scott, you've mistaken me for someone else. There is no fiancée of Jacob's here, only Noel's companion."
Sawyer raised an eyebrow, the curve of his lips deepening. "Is that so?"
He stood and walked slowly toward her, looming over her, his gray eyes reflecting the cold gleam of her silver mask.
"Then let me tell you something you might find interesting." His voice dropped, taking on a magnetic, almost seductive quality. "Ms. Windsor, I know who you are. You're not one of Jacob's people. You appeared by his side for a reason. And as it happens, Nightfall needs an inside source within the Smith family."
He paused, enunciating each word with deliberate weight. "Let's work together. Join forces, and we'll swallow the Smith family whole."