Chapter 586

"...Huh?" Ronan Rhodes stared blankly at Melody Summers, not seeming to have processed what she’d said.

Melody Summers quickly stood up and explained, "Your villa is on fire! Sophie Thorne was trapped inside and almost didn’t make it out! I just took her to the emergency room. You should go see her!"

The moment Melody Summers finished speaking, a loud CLANG echoed as the food container in Ronan Rhodes’s hands fell to the floor.

******

When Ronan Rhodes and Melody Summers rushed to the emergency department, Sophie Thorne’s treatment had just concluded.

A doctor in a white coat, looking exhausted, pulled off his mask. He was breathing heavily and spoke to the two of them in a slightly hoarse voice, "...Given her condition, she inhaled an excessive amount of smoke. Logically speaking, her chances of survival were practically zero..."

Hearing this, Ronan Rhodes’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

But the doctor paused for a moment before his tone shifted. "However... it might be because the patient’s will to live was strong enough, but her damaged internal organs have actually started to slowly recover..."

As he said this, the doctor’s eyes filled with disbelief—after all, a situation like this was incredibly rare!

When this patient was brought in for emergency treatment, her respiratory tract and lungs had already suffered severe damage. She was practically dead on arrival, but she survived!

Not only that, but all her vital signs were improving at a visible rate!

In all his years as a medical professional, this was the first time he had ever encountered such a case.

If he weren’t so busy with work right now, he could publish several papers based on this case alone!

Melody Summers listened and nodded silently. ’The S Level Far Sea Secret Medicine really lives up to its name as a priceless miracle drug,’ she thought. ’To think it can even handle a situation like this.’

Beside her, Ronan Rhodes’s eyes turned red as he listened to the doctor. He asked in a trembling voice, "...Excuse me, how is my wife now? Is she out of danger?"

Just as Ronan Rhodes finished speaking, the doors to the emergency room opened, and two medical staff members wheeled Sophie Thorne’s hospital bed out.

Seeing this, Ronan Rhodes immediately rushed to Sophie Thorne’s side, his face etched with anxiety and concern. The doctor standing nearby answered, "She’s recovering very quickly. From the looks of it, she’s out of danger. We’ll move her to a regular ward for a few days of observation. If there are no issues, she can be discharged!"

Ronan Rhodes finally felt a weight lift from his heart. He half-knelt by Sophie Thorne’s bed, gazing at her pale face as a wave of residual fear washed over him.

After the medical staff had settled Sophie Thorne into a room and left, Melody Summers said to Ronan Rhodes, "By the way, there’s something wrong with those two bodyguards of yours. You’d better investigate them carefully!"

Meeting Ronan Rhodes’s confused gaze, Melody Summers explained, "When the fire broke out, the two of them just stood outside and did nothing to help. And when I carried Sophie Thorne out, they blocked my way and tried to stop me from taking her to the hospital."

Melody Summers described the scene to Ronan Rhodes, her expression firm. "I knocked them out and left them in the yard. There’s definitely something not right about them. You should have someone interrogate them thoroughly!"

’She even suspected they might have been the ones who started the fire. Otherwise, why would a fire suddenly break out when the humidity is so high?’

’Maybe they knocked Sophie Thorne out, locked her in a room on the second floor, and then set the villa on fire!’

Ronan Rhodes frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded. "I understand... I’ll arrange for someone to investigate right away."

With that, he looked at Melody Summers again and said with grave sincerity, "Thank you. I’m indebted to you for her life. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask."

Melody Summers waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t worry about it. Sophie Thorne and I are friends. You don’t have to be so formal."

...

It was late at night by the time Melody Summers left Sophie Thorne’s hospital room. The medical center, usually bustling and filled with noise, had gradually quieted down.

Since Colin Summers had already driven home, Melody Summers had to walk back on her own.

But just as she put on her coat and prepared to leave the hospital, she suddenly heard someone call her name from behind—

"Melody!"

Melody Summers turned at the sound of her name and was surprised to see it was Yuri Walsh.

Yuri Walsh looked like he had just worked a long night shift. His expression was a bit weary as he walked quickly over to Melody Summers and greeted her, "What are you doing at the hospital? Are you not feeling well?"

Melody Summers shook her head. "I’m fine. An acquaintance of mine was admitted, so I came to visit."

"Oh, I see." Yuri Walsh then asked, "Are you heading home now?"

Melody Summers nodded.

Seeing this, Yuri Walsh smiled and offered, "Are you alone? I can give you a ride home. It’s on my way."

Although the expression on Yuri Walsh’s face was sincere and friendly, after the death of Zara Walsh and the incident at The Serene Leaf Teahouse, how could Melody Summers dare get in a car with one of the Walshs?

So Melody Summers waved her hands and politely declined, "...No, thank you... I was sitting in the hospital room for a long time and feel a bit stiff. I’d like to walk for a bit and stretch my legs."

Hearing this, Yuri Walsh nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, I feel like taking a walk too. Since we’re going the same way, let’s go together."

Melody Summers: "..."

Melody felt resistant, but they were neighbors, after all, and there was only one main road from the medical center back to their residential area. She felt it wasn’t necessary to deliberately take a detour just to avoid Yuri Walsh, so she could only bite the bullet and agree.

And so, the two of them walked side-by-side on the road back to their neighborhood. The night was deep and all was silent, save for the occasional ambulance that would roar past them, carrying the injured.

The silent atmosphere felt a little awkward to Melody Summers. She had no choice but to take out her phone and scroll through the local trending topics, wanting to see if there was any discussion about the night’s turmoil.

Although news of the rebellion was an absolutely taboo topic on the internet, you couldn’t suppress the netizens’ desire to talk!

Melody Summers casually scrolled through a few local hot threads and, unsurprisingly, saw netizens chattering away in every corner, using homophones and abbreviations to discuss the events:

"NetizenXXX: Help, we’re closest to the East District. The booms tonight sound like firecrackers... It’s so intense..."

"NetizenXXX: Some expert predicted that tonight would be a major crackdown on the anti-gov forces. He was spot on! I’ll share his contact info with everyone!"

"NetizenXXX: They’re fighting in the East District, so how come I can hear the commotion all the way out in the most remote part of the North District? Don’t tell me... the rebels broke through?!"

"NetizenXXX: Person above, are you in The Metropolis Residences or the Garden Community? I heard the rebels went to the reconstruction zone to loot supplies. You’re so close to it, it’s normal to hear something."

"NetizenXXX: Sigh, I’ve lived for over twenty years and never seen a war, especially not one on my own doorstep. I’m too scared to sleep, afraid a bomb will land on my head while I’m out."

"NetizenXXX: Trust the government. How could that motley crew possibly be a match for the state? Just sleep peacefully!"

"NetizenXXX: Can’t have too much faith. Maybe 60%. Like, *micro*-faith."

"NetizenXXX: You can trust them 99%. The rebels are just a handful of people. They don’t even need the army; the Armed Police can take care of them!"

"..."

Melody Summers was trying to filter out useful information from this pile of idle chatter when she suddenly heard Yuri Walsh, who was beside her, ask, "What are you looking at? You seem really focused."