Chapter 232

Chapter 232

Ethan kept thinking about Yanny. There was something strangely familiar about her that he couldn't shake, and he felt a sudden urge to see her right now.

Watching Ethan zone out, Mia felt a wave of panic. She knew there was a huge gap between her and Ethan's worlds, and seeing just how wealthy he was only made her more eager to hold on.

Who would have thought that the person she'd randomly saved would turn out to be the president of the Smith Group? The fantasy of a domineering CEO falling for her had played out in Mia's head countless times. There was no way she was going to let this chance slip away.

"Ethan, let's head back. The doctor said it's not good for you to be outside too long. You need to rest."

Ethan looked down and murmured in agreement. Back in the hospital room, Mia kept finding little ways to get close to him, but each time, Ethan quietly slipped away without making a scene.

Around that same time, Yanny arrived at the hospital. She made her way to Xanthe's room and walked in to find her lounging around, happily eating fruit.

"How did you manage to fall? You really need to be more careful."

Xanthe waved her hand and quickly sat up.

"I just ran into Ethan and Mia in the hallway."

Yanny's hand paused mid-peel. She kept her expression neutral, but inside, a restless feeling crept in.

"I couldn't help myself — I said a few things to Ethan, but he didn't react at all."

Xanthe clenched her jaw.

"And Mia is the worst. I mean, you and Ethan are still legally married, right? So if she's really getting together with him, doesn't that make her a homewrecker? The way she acts just makes my skin crawl."

Yanny pressed her lips together. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Hadn't she been the one who wanted the divorce? So why did it feel so awful now that it seemed like it might actually happen?

After chatting with Xanthe for a while, Austin showed up after work. Not wanting to get in the way of their time together, Yanny got up to leave.

"Alright, I'm out. I'm not sticking around to watch you two be all lovey-dovey."

The two of them were already planning their wedding. Seeing Xanthe actually blush for once, Yanny smiled and headed for the door.

She had planned to leave the hospital right away, but when she passed by Ethan's room, she couldn't help stopping.

Mia's voice drifted out, soft and sweet.

"Ethan, after spending all this time with you, I really do love being around you. It makes me forget all my worries. I don't have to stress about anything."

The warmth and happiness in Mia's voice caught Yanny off guard. Without thinking, she lost her footing and bumped into the door with a thud.

The moment her eyes met Ethan's, she turned and bolted.

Watching her run away, Ethan felt that nagging feeling grow even stronger. He didn't know why, but he was certain — this stranger was the Yanny everyone had been talking about.

Ethan jumped up and ran after her, but his body still hadn't fully recovered. After just a few steps, he fell hard to the ground. Hearing the sound, Yanny looked back and saw Ethan on the floor, staring straight at her.

Seeing him like that, she felt her heart ache. Then, in the next second, she watched his eyes go wide. His hand trembled as he pointed at her, and he whispered.

"Yanny!"

Every memory came flooding back all at once. Then Ethan's vision went dark, and he passed out completely.

Yanny rushed over.

"Ethan!"

Mia had followed him out and immediately sensed something was wrong. She ran to get a doctor.

Ethan was quickly rushed to the emergency room. Thinking back to the name he'd called out, Yanny was absolutely certain — he had remembered her.

Bianca rushed over from the office in a panic.

"What happened? The hospital just called me in to sign for surgery."

Before Yanny could say anything, Mia pointed at her.

"It's her fault. If it weren't for her, Ethan would never have ended up in the emergency room. We were perfectly fine in the room, and then she showed up out of nowhere and made noise on purpose. Ethan went out to chase after her and that's when he fell."

Bianca looked over at Yanny with a puzzled expression.

Yanny pressed her lips together.

"I didn't mean for this to happen."

She had just wanted to check on Ethan — she couldn't help herself. She never expected things to turn out this way. But Mia wasn't wrong, and Yanny didn't feel like making excuses for herself.

She let out a quiet sigh and lowered her head.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to his room."

Bianca shook her head.

"What a mess this relationship has always been."

From the day they got married to now, the two of them had never been able to untangle themselves from each other. They couldn't even manage to get divorced after all this time. Bianca didn't know what to say anymore.

But none of that mattered right now. A look of quiet resolve crossed Bianca's face.

"Ethan is going to be fine. He's made it through worse. He'll get through this too."

Those words gave both of them something to hold onto. As they waited, Bianca didn't say another word of blame.

Yanny's mind drifted through all the moments she and Ethan had shared over the years, and her feelings became impossible to sort out.

The light above the emergency room went out. Yanny and Bianca both looked up at the same time. The doctor came out, pulling off his mask with a tired look on his face.

"The patient's condition isn't looking good."

Those words hit Bianca like a blow. She stumbled back a couple of steps.

"Doctor, please — please save my son. No matter what it takes, just keep him alive."

The woman who had always been so strong now placed all her hope in the doctor's hands.

Every bit of her usual pride was gone.

"Whatever it costs, just name it. If you can save my son, I'll pay anything."

The doctor let out a helpless sigh.

"Bianca, this isn't about money. Mr. Smith's memories came back all at once, and the shock was too much for his brain to handle. There's a real possibility he could end up in a vegetative state."

A vegetative state. Bianca bit down hard on her lip. For the first time, tears rolled down a mother's face.

Mia jumped in right away.

"This is all your fault. You did it on purpose — you wanted to get Ethan's attention. How could you be so cruel? You don't care about anyone else's safety at all. I don't care what your relationship is with him. You need to make sure Ethan wakes up."

Bianca looked over at Yanny, her expression complicated. She had once hoped the two of them could at least get along.

After all, when the Smith Group was in trouble, it was Yanny who stepped in to handle things. But from the moment the accident happened until now, all the frustration she had been holding back slowly rose to the surface. Bianca desperately needed somewhere to put it.

And with Mia standing right there, feeding the fire with every word she said, Bianca was thinking back — if it hadn't been for Yanny in the first place, Ethan would never have been shot and fallen into the water.

And today was no different. If Yanny hadn't suddenly shown up, Ethan would never have chased after her, and he wouldn't now be at risk of becoming a vegetable.

The more she thought about it, the more the resentment built up inside her. Bianca was ready to let it all out at Yanny.