Chapter 179

Chapter 179

Meanwhile, news of the assault at the engagement party spread like wildfire. Swarms of media reporters rushed to the hospital, blocking the surgical floor corridor, desperate to capture exclusive footage of the surgery.

Just as the scene threatened to spiral out of control, Drake arrived with reinforcements.

Drake faced the crowd of reporters head-on, acting swiftly and decisively. He had his team distribute generous red envelopes, his tone respectful but firm. "Colleagues, I understand you want to follow this story, but right now the patient's life hangs in the balance. I'm asking you to hold off on publishing any hospital-related news today. Please don't run in-depth coverage. Give the patient a quiet environment to recover. The Lane Group will issue an official statement in due time and will compensate you accordingly."

The red envelopes were generous, and the Lane Group's influence carried weight. After weighing the pros and cons, the reporters nodded in agreement, abandoning the siege. The situation temporarily calmed.

Both surgeries officially began. The operating room doors sealed shut. The corridor fell deathly silent. Neville stood alone outside, physically and mentally exhausted, anxiety flooding his eyes.

Halfway through the surgery, a nurse burst out of the operating room, her face pale with panic, words tumbling out rapidly. "Mr. Cooper! The patient's internal wounds started bleeding again during surgery. Multiple hidden bone fractures triggered sudden massive hemorrhaging. She's losing blood too fast. The hospital's blood bank for her type is running critically low—we don't have enough to last until the end of surgery!"

Neville's pupils contracted sharply. His voice cut through the air. "How much blood do we need? Are there backup options?"

"At least a thousand CCs, and we can't get external blood bank transfers in time!" The nurse's forehead beaded with sweat.

Before she finished speaking, Drake pulled out his phone and immediately dialed PrimeUniverse Holdings' internal emergency line, his tone decisive. "Notify all company employees. Suspend all work immediately. Report to the city center hospital blood station now. RH-negative AB blood type donors get priority. Compensation will be paid at ten times the standard rate!"

The message spread through both corporations in minutes. The effect was immediate. PrimeUniverse Holdings employees dropped everything and rushed to the hospital.

But that wasn't all. When word spread that the person needing救命 was the real Lane family heiress, Jasmine, Lane Group executives and shareholders voluntarily assembled at the donation center, lining up to be tested and offering to donate blood for free.

In moments, the donation center was packed. Medical staff rushed to screen blood types and test safety, identifying dozens of perfect matches for Jasmine's blood type. Fresh blood flowed steadily into the operating room, successfully stabilizing Jasmine's vital signs.

Several hours later, the grueling surgeries finally ended successfully.

Jasmine and Louisa were wheeled out of the operating rooms side by side and transferred simultaneously to the ICU for post-operative monitoring. As the anesthesia wore off, mother and daughter opened their eyes at almost the same moment.

Through a layer of transparent glass, their gazes met.

After more than twenty years of separation, through all the twists and turns, the bond of blood could never be severed.

Jasmine's nose stung. Scalding tears slid silently down her cheeks. Louisa's eyes overflowed with tenderness, tears spilling from the corners. No words were needed. Everything was said in those tears.

The news of Grace's public assault at the engagement party spread like wildfire, sweeping across the internet within days.

The once high-and-mighty Grace of the Lane family had her crimes laid bare one by one—stolen identity, intentional assault, embezzlement, commercial fraud. Scandals plastered every social media platform. Online users unanimously demanded the court prosecute to the fullest extent and punish Grace severely.

The Municipal People's Court held a public hearing on the case. The courtroom was packed. Media reporters gathered outside, following the verdict in real time.

In the gallery, Jasmine wore simple, plain clothes, her face still carrying post-surgical pallor. Neville sat beside her, keeping her sheltered in his arms the entire time, his brow shadowed with darkness that wouldn't lift. Neville and Jasmine waited for the final verdict, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

After a brief deliberation, the judge brought down the gavel, his voice ringing authoritatively through the courtroom. "The defendant, Grace, is found guilty of intentional assault, multiple counts of financial fraud, and embezzlement of corporate funds. With combined sentencing, she is sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, suspended for two years."

The moment the verdict fell, a ripple of murmurs spread through the courtroom.

A flash of cold anger passed through Jasmine's eyes. She turned to look at Neville beside her. Their gazes met, minds in perfect sync, thinking exactly the same thing—this punishment was too light.

A two-year suspension meant Grace wouldn't have to serve time immediately. With the connections and resources Grace had accumulated over the years, she could hire top-tier, cunning lawyers. During the suspension period, she could file endless appeals, find loopholes, drag out the sentencing process, and most likely reduce her sentence—or even exploit legal gaps to avoid prison entirely.

After countless crimes, after injuring and nearly killing people, she still had room to maneuver.

The trial ended. The crowd filed out. Neville's hired defense attorney hurried over, his face showing barely concealed regret, and spoke up voluntarily. "Mr. Cooper, Miss Hale, I sincerely apologize. I've exhausted every avenue. This is already the maximum sentence possible under current legal statutes."

Neville's gaze turned icy, his tone low. "The maximum?"

"That's right." The lawyer nodded helplessly, bluntly analyzing the situation. "All the crimes currently proven fall under economic crimes and intentional assault. The maximum sentence stops right there. Unless Grace is also implicated in criminal cases of a more severe nature, the court would have grounds to reopen the case and impose harsher penalties."

Neville's fingers tightened slightly, his aura darkening. "Such as?"

"Drug trafficking, premeditated murder—major criminal cases like those." The lawyer's words were concise, cutting straight to the point. "Once verified, sentencing would bypass fixed-term imprisonment entirely. The maximum penalty could be the death sentence, with no possibility of suspension or reduction."

After finishing, the lawyer bowed slightly, apologized once more, and turned to leave, giving them privacy.

The empty gallery held only the two of them. Jasmine looked at Neville's face, dark as storm clouds, instantly reading his thoughts. She asked softly, "You're planning to dig into Grace's past? See if she's hiding other old cases?"

Neville was silent for two seconds before responding coldly, "Grace is selfish and vicious. After all these years, she can't have only these few incidents on her hands. She's definitely got more dirty dealings hidden away—they just haven't been exposed yet."

Jasmine sighed lightly, her expression helpless. "Those kinds of private crime details—only someone extremely close to her would know. We're outsiders. We have no way in."

Those words struck like lightning, instantly jolting Neville's mind.

Someone extremely close.

Someone who knew all of Grace's cards, who'd completely torn off the mask with Grace, who even harbored deep resentment toward her—in all of City A, there was only one person.

A sharp glint flashed in Neville's eyes. He looked down at Jasmine, his voice softening with reassurance. "Leave this to me. You just had surgery—your body can't take any stress. I'll take you home to rest first."

Jasmine nodded gently in agreement.

After safely escorting Jasmine back to her apartment, Neville drove alone, changing direction, heading straight for the municipal prison holding Lisa.