Chapter 4

So it was true.

He hadn't come to see her.

Adeline laughed bitterly at herself, rushing to complete her discharge paperwork before Randy returned.

Lily was feeling much better. The young doctor said she could continue her recovery at home.

"Hospitals aren't fun at all, and they're expensive," Lily said sensibly. "I want to go home and wait for Mommy to finish work every day."

Adeline stroked her little face.

"Be good, and tell Mommy if you're not feeling well. Not being brave when you shouldn't be."

Lily nodded obediently.

Adeline coughed, her throat still painful when she spoke, but her first night's pay had been deposited.

Ten thousand dollars.

The amount seemed wrong, but the manager explained it was her first day, so they'd withheld a security deposit. Something they'd never mentioned before.

It was exploitation.

But Adeline had no choice but to accept it.

Because this was her only job at the moment.

Ten thousand dollars—at least she could repay Olivia's five thousand.

When Olivia learned about her job, her first reaction was disapproval.

"No way. That place is too chaotic, all kinds of people go there. Look at you now, covered in injuries. A few more nights like that and you'll end up dead."

Adeline tried to reassure her, "No job is easy."

"But—"

Adeline silenced her by popping an orange slice into her mouth.

"Eat up. I have to get to work after this."

Olivia relented, seeing her friend's weary yet somehow contented expression. The words of caution died in her throat.

It was another late night. Adeline stepped into her home in the night.

The living room was eerily quiet.

No sweet, warm welcome from her daughter—only shattered glass strewn across the floor.

Lily lay unconscious by the kitchen doorway.

"Lily!"

Adeline gathered her daughter in her arms. No matter how she called out, Lily gave no response. She pulled out her phone to call 911.

But her phone had been thrown into water by a vindictive client at Midnight Ember tonight and wouldn't turn on.

She hurriedly carried the child outside.

It was already the middle of the night, and their home was in a remote area with no taxis in sight.

The cold wind howled—a storm was brewing.

She carried Lily on her back, heading toward downtown. When private cars passed by, she tried to flag them down, but not one stopped.

Thunder cracked, and rain suddenly poured down.

With visibility reduced to a blur of rain, Adeline could only clutch Lily tightly in her arms.

"Don't be scared, Lily. Mommy's taking you to see a doctor."

Cold.

Bone-chilling cold.

She held Lily, moving forward mechanically.

Everything before her was a blur, indistinguishable between rainwater and tears.

She stumbled with each step, not seeing the luxury car speeding toward the intersection. By the time she realized, the vehicle was just inches away.

Instinctively, she turned her body, shielding her child.

The car swerved at the last second, its front bumper grazing her knee, sending her sprawling into the rain-soaked pavement.

The fall left Adeline dazed, her knee throbbing with pain as if her leg had been broken.

But she couldn't worry about that. Her first action upon getting up was to check on Lily.

The child was soaked through, so small and fragile, still unconscious.

She couldn't tell if Lily was injured, but her breathing seemed even weaker now.

"Mommy..." The child murmured deliriously.

The rain was too loud; Adeline had to lean in close to hear her voice.

"It hurts..."

Adeline's heart twisted like a knife had been plunged into it.

That luxury car—she didn't recognize it, but instinctively memorized the license plate.

JA.5K7M3.

At that moment, through the curtain of rain, a taxi appeared in the distance.

Inside the luxury car.

The driver broke out in a cold sweat.

Edward opened his eyes in the back seat, bloodshot and exhausted after a six-hour international meeting.

He'd hoped to catch a quick nap in the car but had smacked his forehead against the back of the passenger seat.

The red mark on his forehead made him look almost comical.

"What are you doing, practicing your driving skills?" He asked dryly.

The driver swallowed hard. "Sir, I think we hit someone."

Edward remained calm. "If we hit someone, then we hit someone. Go check. Pay compensation if needed, take them to a hospital. Is such a minor issue worth panicking over?"

The driver gradually calmed down but found no one by the roadside.

Disbelieving, he got out to check.

Definitely no one there.

"Mr. Thomas, I think we might have seen a ghost."

Edward's voice turned icy. "You must be out of your mind. If you drive while exhausted again, you can go straight home permanently."

The driver wanted to protest.

But seeing Edward's frigid expression... he ultimately didn't dare.

The hospital was quiet in the dead of night.

Adeline carried Lily, both of them soaked through. She limped forward, leaving puddles of rainwater in her wake.

"Doctor, please save my daughter!"

After Lily was rushed to the emergency room, Adeline was left outside.

She slumped to the floor, completely drained.

Time stretched endlessly.

She prayed constantly, begging that nothing would happen to Lily, while reproaching herself for letting her daughter leave the hospital in the first place.

That overwhelming fear and despair, combined with the cold rainwater that had seeped into her bones, left her entire body rigid.

Lost in her chaotic thoughts, the emergency room doors finally opened.

She hurried to stand, but her legs had gone numb, and she nearly fell.

The young doctor emerged, his expression grim.

"The child's gastroenteritis hadn't fully healed, yet you took her home. What kind of parent are you?"

Adeline knew she was at fault and was filled with remorse.

She accepted every harsh word from the young doctor.

"How is she doing?"

"The child's condition isn't good. She needs to stay in the hospital. Go pay the fees—she can't be discharged anytime soon."

He turned to leave.

Adeline was confused. "What do you mean by 'not good'? Has the gastroenteritis worsened?"

Lily's symptoms didn't look like ordinary gastroenteritis to her.

The vague "not good" did nothing to reassure her.

But the doctor had lost his patience.

"I told you, the child's gastroenteritis is severe. She needs rest now. We'll organize a meeting to discuss treatment options later. What you need to do is take care of the patient, not badger me."

Working the night shift was frustrating enough.

The doctor left.

The hospital at night was deathly silent. She stood in the hallway, completely alone.

It felt like she was the last person left in the world.

She wanted to ask where Lily had been taken, but couldn't even find a nurse.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

She turned, and it was as if she'd found a lifeline.

"Dr. Nelson! Please save Lily, you have to save her!"

She began to kneel.

Frank Nelson quickly pulled her up. "No need for that. Tell me what happened."

Adeline hurriedly explained everything.

But she didn't know much—the doctor had barely explained anything before walking away.

Frank understood. "Wait here. I'll get her medical records."

As the hospital's medical director, retrieving a patient file wasn't difficult for him.

Lily had been sickly, frequently hospitalized, and Frank had always been her doctor.

He'd gone abroad for advanced training a year ago, which was when they'd lost touch.

Frank returned quickly with the medical records, his expression unusually grave. His first words to her were:

"You need to prepare yourself."

Adeline's nerves tightened. "What do you mean? Lily just has acute gastroenteritis. Don't scare me..."

Frank's expression remained somber. "I need to examine your daughter first. There might be some issues we didn't detect before. If confirmed..."

He looked at Adeline.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to continue.

"Let's go see her first."