Chapter 124: She Can’t Leave Me...

The emergency light above the door had been on for more than six hours before the door finally swung open.

Dominic immediately lifted his head.

He had been sitting and standing and pacing around the same small section of the hospital hallway for hours. He had checked his phone countless times, but there was nothing that could make the waiting easier.

The bright hospital lights made his eyes ache. The smell of disinfectant filled the air, and the quiet beeping of machines could be heard from somewhere behind the closed doors.

Then the doctor finally stepped out.

Dominic stood up so quickly that the chair behind him almost fell over.

He hurried toward the doctor. "Doctor, how is she?"

The question came out immediately.

The doctor looked at him but didn’t answer right away.

That silence made Dominic’s heart drop.

His hands tightened into fists. "Doctor?"

The doctor took a breath before asking, "Are you her family?"

"Yes, I am," Dominic answered without hesitation.

The doctor looked at the document in his hand.

"She needs surgery immediately. We need you to sign the consent form before we can begin."

"I’ll sign it."

Dominic reached for the paper before the doctor could say anything else.

The doctor handed him the form.

"You should read the contract carefully before—"

Dominic didn’t wait. He quickly took the pen and signed his name.

Dominic Halcyon.

He handed the document back. "Doctor, go right now and save her."

There was desperation in his voice that he couldn’t hide anymore.

The doctor nodded. "We’ll do our best."

He turned around and hurried back through the emergency room doors, and the door closed behind him.

Dominic stood there for a moment, staring at it.

His eyes remained fixed on the door as if he could somehow see Amelia through it.

He slowly released a breath, but the relief didn’t come.

Not yet.

Not while she was still inside.

A few seconds later, Cameron Hoyle walked toward him.

Cameron had been Dominic’s assistant for years, and he had seen his boss deal with countless difficult situations. But he had never seen Dominic this restless.

"Sir, should I call the Winston family?" Cameron asked.

"Yes. Call them." Dominic’s answer was immediate.

Cameron nodded and stepped away.

Dominic began pacing again. His shoes made quiet sounds against the polished hospital floor.

He walked to the end of the hallway, turned around, and walked back.

Every time his eyes landed on the emergency room door, his heart tightened.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Amelia.

The way she had looked when they found her.

He didn’t want to imagine the worst.

Not now.

Cameron pulled out his phone and searched for the Winston family’s number.

He pressed the call button and held the phone to his ear.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

The call was answered on the third ring.

"Hello, Mr. Cameron. Is there anything important to discuss?" Mr. Matt’s voice came through the phone.

Cameron straightened.

"Hello, Mr. Matt. Tell Mr. Winston that his daughter had an accident."

There was silence.

"What?" Matt’s calm voice immediately changed.

"How did it happen?"

"We don’t know what caused the accident," Cameron replied. "We just happened to see her car on the roadside."

"Which hospital?"

"Brighton Memorial Hospital. You know where it is located, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Cameron. I know it." Matt’s voice had become hurried. "I’ll be there soon."

The call ended.

Cameron lowered the phone and stared at the screen for a moment. Then he walked back toward Dominic.

"Sir."

Dominic turned around.

"I’ve done it." Cameron paused. "I called the Winston family."

"Okay. That’s good."

Dominic nodded.

He turned back toward the emergency room.

The hallway became quiet again.

Then, suddenly, the emergency room door swung open.

Dominic immediately looked up.

Two nurses pushed a hospital bed out, and Amelia was lying on it.

Dominic’s heart stopped for a moment.

Her face looked pale beneath the bright hospital lights. A bandage covered part of her forehead, and there were small scratches across her skin. Her hair was messy, some strands resting against her cheeks.

Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving.

There were wires attached to her body, and an oxygen tube rested beneath her nose.

Dominic hurried toward the doctor.

"Doctor."

The doctor turned toward him.

"Please tell me everything went successfully."

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile.

"Mr. Dominic, don’t worry. Everything went smoothly."

Dominic’s shoulders finally dropped. "She’s out of danger?"

"Yes. She’s stable now."

Dominic closed his eyes for a brief moment.

The relief that had been trapped inside his chest finally escaped with a slow breath.

"Thank you."

The doctor nodded.

"You brought her here early enough. Her injuries were serious, but we were able to treat her in time."

Dominic looked at Amelia.

The sight of her lying there so quietly made something inside him ache.

The doctor continued. "However, there is something you should know."

Dominic’s expression changed. "What is it?"

"Because of the injuries she suffered, there could be some complications."

"What kind?"

The doctor hesitated. "She may develop amnesia."

Dominic froze. "Amnesia?"

"Yes."

The word seemed to hang in the hallway.

"There’s a possibility she may have problems remembering certain things when she wakes up."

Dominic looked at Amelia again. For a moment, he couldn’t speak, and then he nodded slowly.

"As long as she’s alive."

The doctor gave him a small nod.

"She needs rest now. We’ll keep monitoring her condition."

"Thank you, doctor."

The nurses continued pushing Amelia toward the private ward.

Dominic followed them. He stayed close to the bed, his eyes never leaving Amelia’s face.

The sound of the wheels rolling across the floor followed them down the hallway.

When they finally reached the private room, the nurses pushed the bed inside.

Dominic stood at the entrance for a moment.

Amelia looked so fragile.

It was difficult to believe that the same girl who could argue with anyone was now lying silently on a hospital bed.

He walked closer.

The monitor beside her bed beeped softly.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The steady sound was the only thing filling the room.

Dominic pulled a chair closer and sat beside her.

He looked at her pale face.

"You have to wake up." His voice was low. "You can’t just sleep like this."

Amelia didn’t respond.

Dominic swallowed.

He leaned back in the chair but kept his eyes on her. He didn’t know how long he would sit there.

He only knew he wasn’t leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~

Matt pushed the door open and walked into Mr. Winston’s room before quietly closing it behind him.

The room looked almost ready for them to leave.

Their bags were packed and placed near the door. Some clothes were folded neatly inside a suitcase, while a few other things were still scattered across the bed.

Mr. Winston had been discharged that evening, and the family had been preparing to go home.

Matt stood near the door. His face was unusually serious. He didn’t know how to tell them.

He had delivered difficult news before, but this felt different.

This was about their daughter.

"Sir."

Mr. Winston turned around. He immediately noticed the expression on Matt’s face.

He stopped what he was doing. "Is everything alright, Matt?"

Matt stared at him. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Mr. Winston’s expression became worried.

"Tell me."

Matt swallowed.

"Mr. Halcyon’s secretary just called me and said that..." He stopped. His voice failed him.

Mr. Winston stared at him. "What did he say, Matt?"

Stella also looked toward him. "Matt, what happened?"

Matt took a slow breath. "He said that one of the Misses had an accident."

"What?" Stella screamed and immediately stood up. Her hands began shaking. "Which one of them?"

Matt looked down. "He didn’t say anything about that."

"How can he not say?" Stella’s voice trembled. "Which one of my daughters had the accident?"

"I don’t know, ma’am."

Mr. Winston’s face became serious. "How does Mr. Halcyon know about my daughters?"

"I don’t exactly know, sir." Matt shook his head. "He only told me that one of your daughters had an accident and that she was taken to Brighton Memorial Hospital."

Mr. Winston stared at him. "Brighton Memorial?"

"Yes, sir."

Stella immediately picked up her phone from the bedside table.

"I have to verify if it’s true." Her fingers trembled as she unlocked the phone.

She quickly searched through her contacts, and Amelia’s name appeared first.

Stella pressed it. She brought the phone to her ear and waited.

The call wasn’t connecting.

She stared at the screen. Her heart began beating faster.

She tried again, and there was still nothing.

A terrible feeling settled in her chest.

"No..."

She immediately searched for Sylvia’s number and dialed it.

This time, the phone began ringing.

Ring!

Ring!

The call was answered.

"Hello, Mom." Sylvia’s soft voice came through the phone.

"Sylvia..." Stella’s voice shook. "Where’s Amelia?"

Sylvia frowned.

"She went home." She paused. "Mom, why are you asking all of a sudden?"

Stella didn’t answer.

Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears.

Then one tear rolled down her cheek and then another followed.

Soon, she was crying.

"Mom?" Sylvia’s voice immediately became worried. "Mom, talk to me. Is something wrong?"

Stella covered her mouth as a sob escaped.

Sylvia’s heart began pounding.

Something was wrong.

She could hear it in her mother’s silence. She could hear it in the way she was crying.

If anything happens to Amelia...

The thought entered Sylvia’s mind.

Her chest tightened.

I’ll blame myself.

She had been the one who pushed Amelia to go home.

If she had stopped her...

If she had gone with her...

Maybe none of this would have happened.

"Mom, please talk to me."

Mr. Winston watched his wife for a moment before gently taking the phone from her.

He brought it to his ear.

"Sylvia."

"Dad?" Sylvia’s voice trembled.

Mr. Winston tried to remain calm. "Do you know when last you saw your sister?"

"This evening."

"Where did she say she was going?"

Sylvia swallowed.

"She didn’t tell me where she was going." She paused. "Dad, what’s going on?"

Mr. Winston looked at Stella. She was still crying quietly.

He took a deep breath. "It looks like your sister had an accident."

There was silence on the other end.

Sylvia’s eyes widened.

"W... what?" Her voice broke. "An accident? How?"

"Mr. Halcyon called and told us that one of you had an accident." Mr. Winston paused. "Since you’re not the one, that means it was your sister."

"No. No. That’s not true." Sylvia’s voice shook as tears began rolling down her eyes.

"Amelia can’t have an accident." She shook her head repeatedly.

"She can’t leave me."