Chapter 233

Chapter 233

The urgent tapping of a cane approached from nearby.

Cleo walked toward them, supported by her driver.

"That's enough."

She looked at Mia, and the natural authority in her gaze made Mia feel a pang of guilt and look away.

"Yes, you saved Ethan's life, but that doesn't give you the right to say whatever you want."

Cleo trusted Yanny without question.

She let out a soft sigh.

"I know what you're after. But Ethan may end up in a vegetative state and might never wake up. If you want to stay by his side forever, that's your choice. But if you want to get on with your own life, name your price — the Smith Family will pay every cent."

Those words hit Mia right where it counted.

She had only ever been interested in the Smith Family's power and Ethan's looks. Now that Ethan might become a vegetable, and she'd never even been married before — there was no way she was going to spend the rest of her life at his bedside.

That wasn't the life she wanted. And since Cleo was offering to pay her off, Mia didn't hesitate.

"Three hundred thousand dollars."

That was nothing to the Smith Family. But for a girl from a fishing village, it was more than enough.

Cleo immediately produced a bank card and pulled out a contract.

"Girl, a deal is a deal. Take the money, sign the papers, and don't ever use this to threaten anyone in the Smith Family again."

Mia was greedy, but she knew she was no match for the Smith Family. She signed, took the card, glanced once at the emergency room, and walked away without looking back.

Cleo turned to Bianca.

"Don't let other people's words cloud your judgment. Someone who only cares about money — can't you see right through her?"

Bianca understood that. She'd just been looking for somewhere to put her frustration while Ethan's life hung in the balance.

The group gathered outside the ward. The doctor looked at Yanny.

"If possible, Ms. Spencer, I'd encourage you to stay in the room and talk to Mr. Smith regularly. It may awaken his survival instincts. Ongoing conversation can help reactivate his brain cells. And since Ms. Spencer clearly means a great deal to Mr. Smith, it could have a stimulating effect."

Both Bianca and Cleo looked at Yanny with hopeful eyes.

"Okay. I'll stay."

For a long time after that, Yanny worked during the day and spent her evenings in the ward talking to Ethan.

He showed no response at all. But Yanny never gave up.

Bianca, though, saw no sign of Ethan waking and slowly began to lose hope.

Maybe this was just fate — God had let them find Ethan, only to cruelly take him away again.

But Yanny stubbornly refused to quit. She'd faced plenty of hardship herself and knew what it meant to keep going. Some things, you never know unless you try. Miracles do happen.

After all, hadn't she survived when her own odds were less than thirty percent?

While she kept talking to Ethan every evening, Yanny also searched for specialists abroad. Her persistence paid off — she found a world-renowned expert who had spent decades in this field and successfully treated thousands of difficult cases.

Hope sparked inside her. Yanny reached out to the doctor's assistant.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Dr. Wilson has a very full schedule right now and isn't available for any travel at the moment."

Yanny frowned. If Dr. Wilson couldn't come to them, she would have to take Ethan to him.

But given Ethan's condition, she took a moment to think it over before deciding to talk it through with Bianca and Cleo.

"Grandma, Mom — Ethan's situation isn't looking good, but as long as there's any hope, we can't give up. I've found a highly skilled doctor overseas. I want to take Ethan there for treatment."

Bianca hesitated.

"If you take Ethan abroad alone, how are you going to manage? And what if something unexpected happens?"

Cleo shared the concern.

"Exactly. You're going by yourself — what if you run into trouble?"

Yanny wasn't worried about that.

"Don't worry. Safety has improved a lot in that country over the past couple of years. I'll plan everything carefully and do my best to make sure nothing goes wrong."

It seemed like the only option left worth trying. After a moment, Bianca sighed.

"Alright. Take Ethan and go. Your grandma and I will hold things down here. If anything comes up, contact us right away."

Yanny was grateful they were willing to trust her.

"I'm coming too."

A voice came from outside the ward. William appeared in the doorway.

"That won't be necessary. I can handle it on my own."

William looked at the three of them.

"This is a serious situation. If you go alone and something unexpected happens, what then? Nothing is ever completely risk-free. If I come along, we can look out for each other, and Ethan can focus on getting better."

He had a point. Still, Yanny felt a quiet resistance. William's behavior lately had been weighing on her, and she wasn't eager for the two of them to spend that much time alone together.

But Cleo thought it was a good idea.

"Dr. Windsor is right, Yanny. Let him go with you. We'll feel much better knowing you're not alone."

William nodded.

"And with a doctor traveling with him, Ethan will be in safe hands the whole way. I'll be able to catch any changes in his condition right away."

Yanny couldn't argue with that.

"Fine. We leave tomorrow."

They each went home to get ready. Bianca watched them go and let out a quiet sigh.

"Mom, do you really think it's wise to let Dr. Windsor go with her? You know he has feelings for Yanny. He's been by her side this whole time. What if they grow closer over there..."

Even if Ethan woke up, he wouldn't be happy about it.

Without realizing it, Bianca had started worrying about whether the two of them could ever find their way back to each other.

Cleo didn't see it that way. She let out a small laugh and looked at Ethan lying motionless on the bed.

"Relax. Those two are bound together too deeply. He's the one she loves, and the one she resents — no one else can easily step in between them. Besides, if what you're worried about were going to happen, it would've happened years ago when Yanny was abroad getting treatment. Why would she still be waiting now?"

Cleo made a fair point. Bianca sighed softly.

"You're right. I'll trust your judgment."

Once everything was ready, Bianca drove them to the airport herself. As they were about to leave, she couldn't help but add:

"Stay safe, both of you. If anything happens, don't keep it to yourselves — call me right away. I'll do whatever I can to help."