Chapter 981 Awake
When Lola opened her eyes, the maid Briar immediately exclaimed with delight, "Ms. Medici is awake! Someone notify Mr. Hall right away!"
Lola's vision alternated between blurry and clear. The intricately carved ceiling, the elegant crystal chandelier, the elaborate bed canopy... She found herself in a luxurious bedroom, but how did she get here? Where was she?
"Ms. Medici, are you feeling better?" A youthful face with delicate features appeared before Lola. "I'm Briar. Mr. Hall assigned me to look after you."
Henry?
A flood of memories washed over Lola. Kimberly beating her mercilessly, abandoning her in the basement for three whole days. Dennis ordering someone to douse her with ice water, slapping her across the face.
When she was barely clinging to life, the servants had followed her parents' orders, leaving her to fend for herself—not a morsel of food, not a drop of water, not even the most basic medical attention for her wounds.
Desperate to survive, she had crawled to a corner and drunk the filthy dregs from a plastic basin.
The memory made her close her eyes, her heart constricting with such pain she could barely breathe.
"Ms. Medici, are you alright? Why have you passed out again?" Briar grew anxious. "Celestia, call the doctor immediately!"
Lola hadn't actually lost consciousness. The memories had simply overwhelmed her, making her heart ache so severely that her body trembled with pain.
When the doctor arrived, Briar hurriedly explained, "Ms. Medici woke up briefly but passed out again. Now she's shaking all over—perhaps she's too cold?"
The doctor examined Lola and checked the medical equipment before leaning down to speak softly. "Ms. Medici, can you hear me?"
Lola remained unresponsive, almost catatonic.
"Ms. Medici?" The doctor noted that while most of the medical readings were normal, one monitor showed severe emotional distress. She must have remembered something traumatic upon waking. If her emotional state continued to deteriorate, it could trigger a cascade of adverse reactions.
"Ms. Medici?" the doctor called again, patiently.
Henry rushed in, his footsteps hurried. "Lola's awake?"
"She passed out again," Briar replied. "She was conscious for less than a minute."
Henry sat in the chair beside the bed and studied her. Though her eyes were closed, tear tracks were visible on her cheeks.
"Lola?" Henry called, his voice gentle yet urgent. "It's Henry... Are you awake? Did you have a nightmare? Don't be afraid, I'm here now."
At this, Lola could no longer pretend. She opened her eyes, which immediately welled with tears.
"Lola..." Henry was relieved to see her awake, but the sight of her tear-filled eyes broke his heart. He quickly dabbed at her tears with a tissue. "What's wrong? Don't be scared. You're with me now, you're safe. No one can hurt you here."
Lola's composure crumbled, and her emotions surged forth like a tidal wave.
Henry leaned down to embrace her gently. "You've just been pulled back from the brink of hell... You shouldn't get too emotional. I understand, I know you must be devastated."
He stroked her hair softly. "It's over now, it's all in the past. Cry if you need to, let it out, but then try to calm down, okay?"
Henry wiped away more of her tears. "I can't bear to see you cry."
The doctor and servants fell silent, watching. None of them had ever seen Henry treat a girl with such tenderness and care.
They were seeing Lola for the first time—an ordinary-looking girl with injuries on her forehead and chin. They couldn't fathom how Henry had fallen for her so deeply.
"Henry..." Lola clung to his neck with unexpected strength. She sobbed bitterly, her voice hoarse. "They really don't want me anymore. They treated me like a criminal. They truly don't care about me."
Henry's throat tightened with emotion, his heart aching for her. "Easy now, don't strain yourself. You're still on an IV, and there's a needle in your hand. Your injuries haven't healed yet. I know how you feel... I know you must be devastated right now."
"I've lost everything—my family, their love..."
"You still have me. I promised, no matter what happens, I'll be by your side. When everyone else is gone, I'll still be here with you."
Hearing this, Lola cried even harder.
There was a time when she had treated him as nothing more than a substitute, summoning him when needed and dismissing him when not, never truly respecting him as a boyfriend.
Yet when disaster struck and she was discarded like trash, it was Henry who took her in and gave her a home.
After crying for a while, Lola's emotions gradually settled.
Henry looked at her reddened eyes, his own eyes growing moist. He gently wiped the tear stains from her face. "That's enough now, no more tears."
Perhaps due to the emotional turmoil, Lola felt a sharp pain in her chest. Even when she pressed her heavily bandaged hand against her heart, the pain was so intense she could barely breathe.
"What's happening?" Henry urgently asked the doctor beside him.
The doctor immediately administered an injection. Within moments, Lola collapsed into Henry's arms like an exhausted kitten.
"Ms. Medici's bodily functions have already suffered varying degrees of damage. Now that she's just regained consciousness, strong emotional fluctuations could trigger further deterioration of her physical condition," the doctor explained.
Henry held her carefully, afraid to apply too much pressure. "When will she wake up again?"
"It's hard to say. Perhaps in a little while, or possibly not until tomorrow."
Henry nodded and turned to Briar. "Take good care of her. The moment she wakes up, let me know immediately."
"Yes, Mr. Hall."
Henry gently laid Lola back on the bed and tucked the blanket around her, silently studying her face.
The wound on her forehead hadn't healed—those three days of neglect had left it red, swollen, and rough despite the doctor's treatment.
Fortunately, she hadn't seen herself in a mirror yet. The sight would only make her cry again.
"I need to make a call. Stay with her," Henry said, rising and heading to his study where he dialed a mysterious number.
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