Chapter311
Liam's gesture and his words greatly comforted her. With an effort, she managed a small smile and nodded, "Yeah, Teresa told me once that a fortune teller had predicted a life filled with blessings for her. The Bennett family's fortune took off after she was born. Even an unexpected pregnancy turned out to be a blessing—it was with the first grandchild of the Garcias, and she easily became a cherished member of the Garcia clan. She'll pull through this time, too."
"Yes, she'll be fine," Liam nodded, offering reassurance to Diana and himself as well.
Otherwise, how could he face what might come?
Diana nodded again, "Mmm-hmm, Teresa will be fine. She has to be."
...
At the hospital.
Teresa had been rushed into the emergency room over an hour ago, yet there was still no word.
Gabriel, in thin hospital garb and slippers, stood outside the emergency room doors. Despite the chilly 40°F temperature, he didn’t feel the cold. Like a statue, he stood there in immense pain and worry, hardly moving at all.
"Son!"
When Teresa was taken ill, the housekeeper taking care of Gabriel called the Garcias. Katherine, upon hearing the news, immediately headed to the hospital with the butler.
Knowing Gabriel had come over straight from the hospital wearing only a thin hospital gown, Katherine quickly took his coat from the butler. She draped it over Gabriel's shoulders, asking urgently, “Son, how’s Teresa?”
Gabriel, who had been staring into the distance, slowly turned his head toward Katherine without a word.
Katherine saw the deep red in his eyes and the endless guilt and concern within them. She tenderly stroked his back, her heart aching for him, "Son, don’t worry. Teresa is going to be all right. She has to be."
As she spoke, Katherine's own eyes began to redden.
Finally, Gabriel nodded at her.
He knew that no news was good news.
Teresa would be fine. She just had to be.
Mason and Raymond quickly arrived upon hearing the news. Without a word, they joined Gabriel and Katherine outside the ER, standing silently together in anticipation.
Soon, Patrick and Sophia, alerted as well, rushed to the scene. Sophia's eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks streaked with tears—she had obviously been crying.
Seeing her distress, Katherine quickly consoled, "Don't worry too much. Teresa's been in there for almost two hours now. No news from the doctors must mean she's pulled through. She'll be okay."
Swallowing back tears, Sophia nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "Teresa's always been so sheltered, rarely hurt. I can't imagine how much pain she's in now."
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry... I couldn't protect Teresa." Gabriel hung his head in front of a deeply pained Patrick and Sophia, wracked with guilt.
Patrick laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, his voice grave, "Don't blame yourself. This wasn't your fault. The fault lies in the unpredictability of human nature. Teresa has been too well-kept, too naive."
He had heard the news—a student of Teresa's had stabbed her, nearly taking her life.
Teresa must have let her guard down because the attacker was her student.
Just then, the ding of the elevator announced its arrival, the doors sliding open, revealing Liam and Diana stepping out.
Their eyes quickly met the newcomers, and Mason began, "Liam—"
Liam approached them, about to greet the group, but before he could finish, Gabriel swung a ferocious punch, landing square on Liam's face, silencing him instantly and sending him staggering.
"Diana was shocked. "Liam!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.
Liam raised his hand, indicating he didn't need her help.
Gabriel's anger surged, ready to throw another punch at Liam.
"What are you doing, son?" Katherine, confused by the altercation, reached out to restrain Gabriel. "Liam and Diana came out of concern for Teresa. You can't hit people for that."
"Exactly, Gabriel, let's talk this out," Sophia said, noticing the blood trickling from Liam's mouth, yet his lack of resistance implored Gabriel as well.
In the hearts of Patrick and Sophia, Teresa’s decision to marry Gabriel and leave Liam was a betrayal to Liam, a debt of guilt they felt owed to him.
"I'm sorry," Liam said firmly, straightening his posture and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at Gabriel earnestly, his apology laden with sincerity, "Lauren, I couldn't bring her to you. She's gone. She jumped from the rooftop of the Evans Group building."
Gabriel's eyes bore into Liam's, and if not for Katherine and Sophia’s intervention, he probably would've knocked Liam to the ground right then and there.
"Just Lauren? How did she have the guts to kill Teresa and then find the nerve and opportunity to jump off the rooftop of the Evans Group?" Mason questioned, rising from his chair, frowning deeply as he spoke.
Mason knew very well who Lauren was.
With her parents in jail, Lauren was completely alone. How could she risk such a path? Didn't she worry about how her actions might affect her imprisoned parents, making their lives even worse?
"I'm also suspecting that someone was pulling Lauren's strings," Liam said, nodding at Mason before continuing, "The entrances of the Evans Group office are always heavily guarded. No one can enter without being an employee or a registered visitor. Plus, the door to the roof is always locked. Yet, somehow, Lauren easily made it up there today. There's something fishy about that. I've already instructed HR and security to investigate."
"If what you’re saying is true," Mason added, his expression darkening, "then this puppeteer bribed the Evans Group security, and the target was both Teresa and you. They wanted Teresa’s life and to ruin your reputation."
"Who do you think could be behind this, Mason?" Patrick asked uneasily from his side.
Whoever was after Teresa had malicious intent, and they knew they had to find out who it was to ensure her safety in the future.
"Pop, we've got to figure this out fast. Whoever is behind this isn't playing games," Raymond chimed in.
Mason nodded, "It’s too early to call. We’ll let the J-Unit handle this for now."
In truth, Mason had his suspicions, but without absolute certainty, he wasn't about to name names.
Furthermore, The Garcia family will handle the matter. Still, they have to go through the motions and show some respect to the authorities, or else it will seem like The Garcias are too arrogant, like they can manipulate everything from the shadows.
Gabriel looked at Mason, knowing in his heart that they had both arrived at the same conclusion. Then he gestured to Luke, who was nearby, and whispered a few instructions. Luke nodded and promptly left to carry out the orders.
Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—
At that moment, Diana, who had been standing quietly to the side, heard her phone ring. She quickly pulled it out, saw it was Thomas calling, and hurriedly answered the call...
