Chapter 276: Secret Leak

The emergency room light stayed on for three hours.

After Ethan finished his call, he stood by the door the whole time, never moving an inch.

Jackson went to buy water, but he didn't drink it.

When Cordelia rushed to the hospital, she first noticed the bloodstains on Ethan's hands, and her heart sank.

"Are you hurt? Did you call the police?"

Jackson raised his hand to show her clearly. "Cordelia, your eyesight is really bad. I'm a cop standing right here, and you didn't even notice?"

Cordelia glared at him, then turned her attention back to Ethan. "Where exactly are you hurt?"

Ethan looked down at his hands. The blood had dried, forming dark, crusty marks.

"It's not my blood."

Cordelia froze, her eyes shifting to the emergency room door. She didn't ask anything more.

She already knew the answer—this was Hannah's blood.

So something really happened to Hannah?

The moment this thought came up, Cordelia's eyes started burning.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have told her. It's all my fault."

Ethan had clearly warned her not to go to Hannah, but she still had selfish motives, wanting the Harvey family to step in and help.

Now that things had turned out this way, Cordelia felt like a criminal.

Jackson couldn't stand watching this. He handed her a tissue. "How is this your fault? The one who's wrong is the criminal."

Cordelia took the tissue and wiped away her tears forcefully, but she didn't argue.

She knew it was Daniel's fault, but she couldn't completely clear herself either.

She couldn't help Ethan, yet she dragged Hannah into this. That was selfish.

The hallway was so quiet it was suffocating, with only nurses occasionally passing by with carts.

Cordelia stood to the side for a long time without saying anything. Her heart was full of guilt, but looking at Ethan, she couldn't say any words of comfort.

He looked calm on the surface, but his eyes seemed to be holding back a storm.

Cordelia knew all too well that he was forcing himself to hold it together. When that thread snapped, the consequences would be terrible.

If Hannah didn't wake up, no one would be able to stop him.

Just then, the emergency room door opened.

Jerald McClellan walked out, and Ethan immediately rushed up to him. "How is she?"

"The patient has a fractured rib and internal bleeding, which has now been stopped." Jerald looked at him, his voice steady. "The wound on her forehead required eight stitches. She's not in life-threatening danger."

Ethan's tense shoulders finally relaxed a bit.

Jerald rubbed his brow and continued, "But there's something the family needs to know."

"What is it?" Ethan's nerves immediately tightened again.

Jerald hesitated. "Are you the patient's husband or boyfriend?"

"Fiancé."

"I see." Jerald paused for a few seconds, as if choosing his words carefully. "The patient has old damage to her uterus. This injury triggered bleeding again, and she definitely needs hospital treatment."

Jerald pulled up her previous records, his tone carrying professional restraint. "I reviewed her medical history and found that due to the uterine damage, she's unlikely to ever have children."

Jerald looked at Ethan, clear sympathy in his eyes. "If you're planning to get married, you should know about this."

Ethan didn't respond; he just clenched his fists tighter.

Cordelia stood nearby, her heart nearly jumping into her throat. She never imagined this matter would be revealed this way.

"Her chances of getting pregnant in the future are very low, but it's not completely impossible, it's just..." Jerald didn't finish, but Ethan understood.

It was just that the hope was very small.

"I understand." Ethan's voice was as cold as metal. "Don't tell her about this, and don't tell anyone else. Please keep this strictly confidential."

Jerald didn't ask who he was, but he could tell from Ethan's tone that this wasn't an ordinary person. He nodded. "Don't worry, we'll uphold patient confidentiality and do our best to treat her."

While they were talking, Hannah was wheeled out and sent directly to a private room.

Ethan stayed by the bed, looking at her pale face.

Her forehead was wrapped in gauze, an IV needle in the back of her hand, her breathing so light it seemed like it could stop at any moment.

He remembered Jerald's words: "almost unable to have children."

Ethan pressed his forehead against the back of her hand and called her name softly, "Hannah."

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

He finally understood why Hannah, even though she had feelings for him, refused to admit it.

He also finally understood why after he confessed, she started avoiding him.

It wasn't that she didn't like him—she was afraid to like him. She thought she would be a burden to him.

Ethan lifted his head and gently kissed the back of her hand.

"Why would this matter? You're really too foolish."

He sat by the bed like that all night, not closing his eyes once.

The next morning, Hannah woke up.

She opened her eyes and saw Ethan still sitting by the bed. She could tell he had barely slept—his eyes were bloodshot, stubble had grown on his chin, and he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, which were badly wrinkled and stained with dried blood.

"You didn't leave?"

Ethan made a sound of acknowledgment but didn't explain.

Hannah tried to rise, but the throbbing in her ribs pulled her back to the bed. Her breathing hitched, her face colorless.

Ethan held her down. "Don't move. You have a fractured rib."

She lay back down, gritting her teeth. "What about Daniel?"

"I'm looking for him."

"How are you planning to find him? Did you call the police?"

Hannah raised her hand to touch the area of her ribs. The pain made her gasp, and her fingers trembled.

Ethan immediately grabbed her hand. "Don't move around. Isn't it painful enough already?"

"Don't worry," he assured her, his voice very low, "I'll find him. Even if I have to turn Alvenia upside down, I won't let him go."

"Don't be impulsive." Hannah gripped his hand back hard, as if trying to hold him back. "He's waiting for you to be impulsive."

Otherwise Daniel wouldn't have threatened her or had someone take her away.

Once Ethan lost control, Daniel would have more opportunities to go after him, and the situation would become uncontrollable.

Ethan was silent, not responding.

Hannah sighed helplessly. She knew that right now, nothing she said would easily change his mind.

After a few seconds, she changed the subject. "Ethan, I'm hungry."

Ethan was clearly stunned. He thought she would keep trying to persuade him, but she brought this up instead.

He immediately stood up, his movements a bit rushed. "I'll go buy food. Stay here, don't move around. I'll be right back."

As Ethan left, his steps were a bit unsteady, like his whole body had been drained. Hannah watched his back, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

After he was gone, she took out her phone and called her cousin.

"It's Hannah. I need you to help me find someone. Daniel. He should be in Alvenia."

At the same time, Ember got hold of Hannah's medical records.

At the time Ember left the Lawson family estate, she was still unwilling to give up. She turned back and happened to hear that Ethan was going to the airport.

She didn't expect Hannah to be in a car accident.

Her goal was to confirm whether Hannah was seriously injured—it would be even better if she died.

Instead, she saw something more useful.

When Ember saw the line "old uterine damage, almost no reproductive capacity," she smiled.

She had finally caught Hannah's weakness.

In Ember's view, no matter how capable or cunning this woman was, she couldn't change this fact.

The Lawson family had a single line of inheritance. Gordon would never accept a woman who could barely have children into the family.

So what if Ethan liked her? As long as the Lawson family elders didn't agree, Hannah would never be able to marry him in this lifetime.

Ember immediately took out her phone and photographed that page of records.

She was about to call Gordon, but her hand suddenly stopped.

Even if Gordon or Richard knew, they might not be able to control Ethan.

But if Ethan wanted to inherit the Lawson family legacy, he couldn't completely ignore the pressure from other people in the family.

Ember left the hospital in a good mood and instead called her mother.

"Mom, can you help me find the phone numbers of those major shareholders in the Lawson family, and those elders who can make decisions?"

"Yes, there are some things they need to know. This can't be delayed any longer!"