Chapter 464 Extraordinary Measures
The chill of the operating room, mixed with the scent of antiseptic, seeped into my bones. I stared at the flickering shadow as the safety door at the end of the hallway closed, Lucas's blood-soaked vow still echoing in my ears. The sound of the shattered thermos cup still reverberated in my eardrums, and the image of the charred child curled up in my mind kept overlapping with the cold gleam of Nicholas's ring from the charity gala.
"Stop staring."
Lila suddenly crouched down, her nimble fingers avoiding the remaining shards of glass as she covered the milk stains with scattered napkins. Her movements were too practiced, as if she had handled such scenes countless times. It was then that I noticed a fresh scratch on Lila's neck, hidden at the edge of her turtleneck, and a dark red stain on her cuff, clearly dried blood.
"You knew all along?"
As I grabbed Lila's wrist, I felt a thin layer of calluses, the kind that come from holding a gun for a long time.
Her pupils held the same cold, blue light as Lucas's.
This Lila, who grew up with me, now seemed like a complete stranger.
Lila threw the last piece of broken glass into the trash can, the sound of glass clinking particularly jarring in the silent hallway.
"Since the day he showed up with that mechanical eye."
Lila's voice was soft, yet it pierced my heart like a needle.
"You always said he looked at me with such tenderness, but you never saw him alone with those old newspapers, every word soaked in blood."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I felt a surge of anger, my voice rising uncontrollably. "Didn't we agree to discuss everything with each other? You knew how dangerous this was, you knew I wouldn't let you face it alone!"
I let go of Lila's hand and stepped back, bumping into the fire hydrant, the metal clanging loudly in the quiet hallway.
Lila stood there, her hands hanging by her sides, still holding the napkin stained with milk:
"Some things are safer the less you know."
Lila looked down, avoiding my gaze, her throat moving as she swallowed,
"Remember high school? You got into fights for me, this time I didn't want to drag you into it."
"So you decided on your own?"
I scoffed, "And now the evidence Lucas has, did you help him with that too..."
Before I could finish, Lila's head snapped up, a flash of panic in her eyes.
"Enough, Diana!"
Lila clenched the napkin, her knuckles turning white,
"You think everything can be solved legally? Remember when those kids cornered us, what did the police say? 'Kids messing around, don't make a big deal out of it!'"
Lila stepped closer, "Nicholas is a hundred times worse than them. Without extreme measures, we can't take him down!"
I felt my temples throbbing, the Lila in front of me, so out of control, was nothing like the girl who used to hide behind me. "Extreme measures? So you started hiding things from me, learning to shoot, working with dangerous people?"
I glimpsed a corner of black fabric in Lila's pocket, shaped like a gun holster, "What else have you been hiding from me?"
Lila opened her mouth, but in the end, she just shook her head.
In the distance, the sound of a nurse's cart wheels rolling echoed, mixed with her suppressed voice, "When it's over, I'll tell you everything, but for now, just trust that I'm doing this for us."
Lila's words hit me like a hammer to the heart. The emergency light at the end of the hallway flickered twice, casting shifting shadows on the wall. My throat tightened as I remembered high school, those girls who crazily pursued Edward. They were jealous of how close I was to him, always cornering me at the school gate. One time, the leader grabbed my hair and slammed me against the wall, and Lila suddenly rushed out, using her body to shield me. She was pushed into the flower bed, the rose thorns leaving crisscrossed scars on her arms, but she gritted her teeth and didn't cry out, just held my hand tightly. Now, the scratch on her neck overlapped with those scars in my memory.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
I almost screamed in despair, my voice echoing in the empty hallway, "You knew I..."
"Because I knew you'd risk everything to protect me!"
Lila suddenly grabbed my shoulders, her grip surprisingly strong. Warm tears fell on my hand, but her gaze was unwavering. "Diana, remember high school, how you shielded me with your body when they pushed me? Your back hit the iron railing, you were in so much pain but you said you were fine. From that moment, I swore I'd protect you."
Lila took a deep breath, her voice trembling but resolute: "Lucas is my husband, the man I love most. I have to be part of his plan, I have to get Nicholas's evidence. Watching Lucas fulfill his obsession, seeing Edward..."
Lila paused, turning away, tears blurring her profile, before continuing, "Seeing someone cherish you like I do, makes it all worth it."
The silence of the hallway was shattered by a series of hurried footsteps, each step striking my tense nerves. Lila and I held our breath simultaneously. I knew she was just as anxious as I was.
Finally, a nurse's pale face appeared from the operating room, her hair disheveled, sweat beading on her forehead, her white uniform stained, probably with sweat. Her eyes were tired but relieved.
"Edward's family?"
The nurse removed her stethoscope, the metal chain glinting coldly in her fingers.
I heard my teeth chattering, "Did the surgery go well?"
The nurse's fingers were white as she checked the records, the pen scratching the paper loudly. Lila suddenly grabbed her wrist, her sleeve falling to reveal a scabbed scratch. "What's the situation now? Please, tell us clearly!"
"His vital signs are stable."
The nurse finally looked up, her eyes bloodshot above her mask. "He'll be moved to a regular room after 48 hours of observation."
When the words "vital signs are stable" reached my ears, it felt like an invisible force drained all the strength from my body. Lila's hand tightened, then loosened weakly, and we both collapsed onto the cold bench.
I wanted to help Lila, but my legs were already like jelly.
"Did you hear that?"
Lila looked up at me and smiled, tears dripping onto my shoes,
"We made it, Diana, we really made it!"
At some point, the strong, pungent smell of antiseptic from the operating room seemed less unbearable, replaced by a sense of relief.
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