Chapter 445 Morning Light Cargo Ship
Fiona slumped onto the bench, her knees buckling to the sides, causing a dull thud as the metal seat collided with the tiled floor. Her gaze was fixed on the intersecting lines of the tiles, her throat moving with difficulty as she spoke, "I should've known, Jeffrey would never let it go."
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly turned and grabbed my wrists tightly. I could feel the cold sweat from her palms sliding down my skin.
Her eyes, red and filled with tears, had droplets clinging to her lashes, trembling slightly under the overhead light. "Diana, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
I looked at her trembling shoulders. The person before me had completely lost her former sharpness and was no longer the proud Fiona.
Her meticulously styled curls were now a mess around her neck, and one of her expensive pearl earrings was missing, revealing the smudged foundation on the back of her neck.
"Last Wednesday," she gasped, "I went to Nicholas's office to deliver some documents. Jeffrey found me and proposed a 'hero saves the damsel' scheme. I was foolish enough to agree."
At this point, she suddenly covered her face with both hands, muffled sobs escaping through her fingers, her shoulders shaking violently.
"I just wanted to annoy you, but I had no idea he had a real gun. I was so stupid."
Her fingers twisted the silk cuff of her sleeve unconsciously, the fabric already wrinkled from her grip, her fingertips turning even paler.
"I didn't think he would actually have his men fire, or that he would do that to Anne."
"It's not your fault."
I stared at the gunpowder-stained cuff of her sleeve, my mind drifting to the tiny recording device Edward had given me. It reminded me that I had crucial evidence against Jeffrey hidden in my pocket.
"We'll find a way to bring justice."
Fiona shook her head, choking on her tears, which dripped onto her hand, smudging her delicate makeup. "Now Anne's life is hanging by a thread, and Edward is still in surgery, all because of my ridiculous jealousy."
The air in the hallway seemed to freeze, the only sound was the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above. Suddenly, the emergency room light went out. The red emergency indicator light came on, casting an eerie glow on the floor. We exchanged a glance and rushed towards the slowly opening door. The smell of disinfectant mixed with blood hit us, making my stomach churn.
"Edward's heart has stopped!"
The doctor shouted, pulling off his blood-stained mask. The fog on his mask hadn't cleared yet, and the ties around his neck were soaked with sweat.
Fiona's body tensed instantly, I stumbled and leaned against the wall, the zipper on the back of my dress scraping open, letting the cold air rush in, causing goosebumps to rise on my sweat-soaked skin.
As the doctor removed his mask, Fiona suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"Doctor, please, tell me, how is Edward?"
Her voice trembled, each word squeezed out in a desperate plea, "I'll do anything to ensure his safety."
The doctor silently freed his hand, the hem of his white coat brushing against Fiona's hand. The wheels of the hospital bed screeched against the floor tiles, and soon, the doctor and nurses disappeared down the hallway.
"He'll be okay," I murmured, more to convince myself.
"He said he would take me and Skylar to the beach for Skylar's birthday, he said he would teach me how to ride a jet ski..."
My voice grew smaller, finally turning into a suppressed sob.
The green light from the exit sign at the end of the hallway cast twisted shadows at our feet. I collapsed onto the cold tiled floor, the hem of my crystal dress wrinkled under my knees, the rhinestones reflecting the harsh light above.
Fiona suddenly grabbed my wrist, her voice low and urgent, tinged with anger, "I saw the box in Nicholas's safe yesterday when he wasn't around. It's full of encrypted ledgers of his and Jeffrey's illegal arms deals, each transaction marked with the names of innocent people!"
Her breathing was rapid, her eyes filled with hatred and determination, the texture of her tweed suit wrinkling with her intense movements, "I'm going to the police station to hand over this evidence myself!"
I gently touched her reddened hand, my thumb rubbing her pale knuckles, trying to keep my voice calm, "Fiona, take a breath. Edward is still in critical condition, we can't act rashly. Nicholas has a lot of power, if we're not careful, we could lose the evidence and put ourselves in danger."
"Calm down?"
Fiona yanked her hand back, stepping back and hitting the fire extinguisher box with a dull thud, her eyes filled with disbelief, the gold chain on her jacket jingling with her movements, "Diana, how can you be so calm? Edward's life is hanging in the balance, and those bastards are still out there!"
Her voice was choked with tears, "Do you know what those names in the ledgers mean? They're lives! We have to act now!"
The sound of plainclothes officers bursting through the fire door with a handheld LCD screen interrupted our argument, his gun bumping against the metal buckle on his belt as he ran. The cold light of the electronic map reflected in his bloodshot eyes, thirty-seven red dots frantically blinking in the area of the bridge.
"The electromagnetic jammer has fragmented the satellite signal!"
His collar was soaked with sweat, "Even the helicopters..."
"Morning Light Cargo Ship!"
Fiona suddenly remembered something, the screen light illuminating her determined yet slightly crazed expression.
Her slender finger jabbed at the port icon, "Three days ago, the customs declaration showed an inflated weight of three tons of cement, that number..."
She gasped, "It matches the number of bullets missing from last month's military smuggling case! This is their evidence!"
The officer leaned forward, staring at the port icon on the screen, veins bulging on his forehead. He quickly swiped the screen, pulling up related information, muttering to himself, "No wonder the tracking signal disappeared in that area..."
Then he looked up at Fiona, his eyes filled with both suspicion and a hint of hope, "Are you sure it's the Morning Light Cargo Ship? Is the information reliable?"
Fiona nodded firmly.
The officer became serious, "Please come with me to the station and tell us everything you know."
The alarm suddenly blared, the red warning light began to spin. Fiona grabbed my sleeve, ready to rush out of the hallway, her hair brushing against my hand, leaving a faint jasmine scent. But I stood still, holding her cold fingers, "Fiona, listen to me, don't be impulsive, we need to think this through."
"You don't understand!"
Fiona yanked her hand back, her pearl earring falling to the ground with the motion.
"Do Edward's life, those innocent lives, mean so little to you? How can you be so calm, it's terrifying!"
With that, she turned and ran towards the stairwell, her hurried footsteps echoing a sense of panic.
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