Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Lucas irritably yanked off his tie. He didn't argue back, only feeling that nameless fire burning even fiercer inside him.

He hung up the phone, glanced at the tightly closed hospital room door, and finally turned to walk into the endless night, not returning all night.

On the other side, Hayden, Vincent, and Rhea, having received the news, rushed to the hospital overnight.

Pushing open the hospital room door and seeing her daughter lying lifelessly on the bed with a cold IV needle in her hand, Rhea's tears burst forth instantly.

"Sylvia, how did it come to this..." Rhea rushed to the bedside, grasping Sylvia's cold hand, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Hayden and Vincent were also filled with anxiety and heartache.

Vincent looked at the empty hospital room, a flame of anger igniting in his gentle eyes as he said through gritted teeth, "Where's Lucas?! He hurt you like this, where did he go?!"

"Vincent, don't mention him." Sylvia weakly opened her eyes, her voice very faint. She squeezed her mother's hand back, forcing out a reassuring smile, "I'm fine, the baby is safe too. You still have company matters to handle tomorrow, go back and rest. Don't wear yourselves out here."

Hayden looked at his daughter being so understanding, his heart aching as he sighed deeply.

Under Sylvia's insistence, Hayden and Vincent could only leave first, leaving Rhea to stay at the hospital.

The next morning, Rhea got up early to buy light breakfast for her daughter from the hospital cafeteria.

Walking through the empty corridor with the insulated food container, her eyes reddened again.

Throughout the entire night, Lucas hadn't shown his face, hadn't even made a single phone call to check on her.

Her daughter, carrying the Smith Family's heir, had been in critical condition yesterday, yet that husband in name only was cold-blooded to this extent.

Rhea clenched her teeth, resentment growing like wild grass in her heart, feeling it was so unfair to her daughter.

Rhea wiped away her tears and pushed open the hospital room door, about to wake Sylvia to have some hot porridge.

Suddenly, a commotion of footsteps came from outside the room, breaking the morning silence.

Then the hospital room door was pushed open.

Cleo, supported by a servant and leaning on her cane, hurried in.

Cleo walked straight to the bedside, her gaze as if trying to bore a hole through Sylvia's belly. "How is it? Is my great-grandchild okay?"

Hearing the doctor repeatedly assure her that the fetus was currently stable, Cleo's tense expression finally relaxed.

"Good, that's good." Cleo leaned on her cane, giving Sylvia a perfunctory glance, her tone carrying a condescending sense of charity. "Just stay in the hospital these next few days, don't think about anything, just focus on keeping the Smith Family's heir safe. Whatever supplements you need, I'll have the servants bring them directly."

Without staying long, Cleo left with her entourage of servants, citing fatigue.

From beginning to end, she never once asked what danger Sylvia had faced last night, nor did she ask if she was in pain.

Rhea watched the hospital room door close again, unable to suppress the coldness in her eyes.

She tucked the blanket around her daughter, her voice filled with deep helplessness and sorrow. "The Smith Family is so arrogant. In their eyes, besides their heir, other people's lives aren't worth anything. Sylvia, I really feel sorry for the child in your belly. Why did it have to be born into such a family? How will your child survive in such a family?"

Sylvia lowered her eyelashes, a bitter smile tugging at her pale lips.

Yes, even Cleo only cared about her great-grandchild. How could that man care whether she lived or died?

In the afternoon, the quiet of the hospital room was broken by hurried footsteps.

Xanthe rushed in urgently, followed by Edward in his refined suit.

Seeing Sylvia on the bed, pale-faced with an IV needle still in her hand, Xanthe's eyes instantly reddened, tears streaming down.

"Sylvia, you've suffered so much..." Xanthe held her hand with heartache, then unable to contain her anger, cursed through gritted teeth, "Lucas, that bastard! Does he even have a heart? You're carrying his child, and he tortures you like this for that two-faced bitch! And Lynn, that bitch, relying on her man's support, dares to push the Spencer Family to the brink. That disgusting couple will get what's coming to them!"

Hearing her friend's righteous indignation, Sylvia felt a warmth in her heart.

She looked at Edward standing nearby, her eyes full of guilt.

"Edward, I'm sorry." Sylvia's voice was weak. "Because of the Spencer Group acquisition, I've dragged you and Bluewater Capital into this mess, and made you targets of the Smith Group for no reason. I really..."

"Sylvia, don't say such foolish things." Edward gently interrupted her, stepping forward with a deep and determined gaze. "Business matters—Bluewater Capital has its own judgment and responses. This little storm is nothing. I'll properly handle the Spencer Group situation. Your priority now is to recover."

He paused, looking at Sylvia's lifeless appearance, a flash of pain in his eyes, though his tone became more emphatic. "But Sylvia, Lucas has completely lost his principles for Lynn's sake. This marriage only brings you harm. You can't keep tolerating it. Leave while you can."

Sylvia closed her eyes, a clear tear sliding from the corner of her eye into the pillow.

How could she not want to leave? She only hoped this child could be born safely, then she would have no more concerns.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the hospital room door.

The door opened, and Victor walked in carrying two boxes of expensive premium supplements.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became awkward.

Xanthe glared at him warily, and Edward's expression also became more guarded.

After all, Victor was an investor brought in by Lynn. His appearance at this time seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

Victor, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, calmly placing the supplements on the cabinet.

His gaze swept over Sylvia's pale face, a complex emotion flashing quickly through his eyes.

"Ms. Spencer, I heard you were hospitalized, so I stopped by to check on you." Victor's tone was polite, then he turned his gaze to Edward. "Mr. Windsor, could we talk privately for a moment?"

Edward glanced at Sylvia, and seeing her nod slightly, followed Victor out of the hospital room.

The two had a brief, quiet conversation at the end of the corridor. No one knew what they discussed, but when Victor left, his expression was even more somber than when he arrived.

After leaving the hospital, Victor drove directly to the Smith Group headquarters.

Inside the top-floor CEO's office, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.

Several executives had just been chewed out and slunk away dejectedly.