Chapter 471 Dangerous Aura
I noticed Fiona paused deliberately three steps away from the hospital bed, her eyes sweeping over the emergency equipment and the comatose Edward, a look of disdain crossing her face.
Fiona reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, the pearl bracelet on her wrist sliding down and snapping back with a soft clink, the sound unusually clear in the silent room.
"The once high-spirited Mr. Howard, now reduced to this."
Fiona's voice dripped with sarcasm, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor as she circled to the right side of the bed, her gaze challenging as it met mine. She traced a finger along the wires of the monitor, a dangerous smile playing on her lips.
"What if this thing suddenly malfunctioned?"
Before I could react, Fiona yanked the wires, and the monitor blared a piercing alarm, the sharp sound echoing through the room. My blood rushed to my head, and I instinctively moved to stop her, but her cold stare froze me in place. Fiona looked down at me, a cruel smile curling her lips.
"You really are devoted."
Fiona leisurely pulled a diamond-studded compact from her limited edition Chanel bag and began touching up her makeup, completely unfazed by the alarm. Her movements were elegant and unhurried, with a chilling calmness about her. It was as if she hadn't just caused chaos in the room.
I stared at the pearl bracelet on her wrist, the pearls clinking softly with her movements, each sound like a hammer striking my heart.
The twilight filtered through the blinds, casting a pattern of light and shadow on her bracelet. My eardrums pounded, and my throat felt like it was filled with shards of glass as I struggled to speak.
"Are you insane?"
Fiona calmly closed the compact.
"Look at you, all worked up. I'm not a child."
She drawled, her high heels clicking as she walked to the window and suddenly yanked the blinds open.
The room flooded with the glow of the setting sun, making her crimson nail polish gleam. I noticed the edges of her nails were stained with dried dark red, unsure if it was lipstick or something else.
"This room is stuffy. A little fresh air won't hurt."
I stepped forward, blocking her view of the bed.
"Reconnect the monitor, now."
Fiona suddenly moved closer, the scent of her rose perfume mixed with danger filling the air, her pearl bracelet brushing against my hand, causing a slight sting.
"Why the rush?"
She lifted my chin with her finger.
"Do you really think he can hear your sweet nothings while he's in a coma?"
The heart monitor beside Edward's bed was still offline, his pale face turning an unhealthy shade of gray from lack of oxygen.
"Increase the dosage on the pain pump."
Fiona pressed the call button, her hair brushing my shoulder, the scent of roses mingling with the antiseptic smell.
"Edward's frowning like he could kill a fly."
Footsteps approached quickly, and the attending physician rushed in, his eyes scanning the tangled wires of the monitor, his brow furrowing instantly.
Fiona leaned against the windowsill, her crimson-tipped fingers idly playing with her pearl bracelet, seemingly oblivious to the doctor's tense expression.
"Ms. Griffin, this is an intensive care unit. Any interference with the equipment could endanger the patient!"
The doctor's voice was laced with obvious displeasure as he reached to reconnect the monitor.
The setting sun poured into the room, making Fiona's nail polish shine. I noticed the dried dark red stains on the edges of her nails again, unsure if it was lipstick or something else.
Fiona, however, calmly pulled out her phone from her quilted Chanel bag, bringing up a document and showing it to the doctor with a cold smile. "I heard you're applying for a national research grant?"
She then produced a gold-embossed business card, the corners marked with "International Medical Foundation Board Member," a coveted institution for young doctors.
The doctor's lab coat trembled slightly, sweat beading on his forehead.
"I'll arrange for a review and adjust the pain management plan immediately."
After the doctor left, Fiona casually lowered the dosage on the pain pump by two levels, then pulled out an aromatherapy candle from her bag and lit it. The smoke swirled in the twilight, blurring her outline. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, blood dripping through my fingers.
"What do you want?"
Fiona twirled the candle, the flame flickering at her fingertips.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The smoke from the candle twisted eerily, and Fiona suddenly flicked the candle wax onto Edward's blanket. The wax, like snow on frozen ground, instantly turned dark red.
Fiona's phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen, her smile growing colder. As she turned, her high heel crushed a pearl with a sharp crack.
"Want to know about Nicholas's arms smuggling route in the Southeast region?"
Watching the smoke from the candle twist into irregular shapes, I couldn't understand why Fiona used such a casual tone to drop such a bombshell about Edward. The monitor, now reconnected, beeped rhythmically, but my heartbeat was loud and clear, pounding in my chest.
"What do you want?"
My throat tightened as I demanded.
Fiona twirled the candle, the flame flickering at her fingertips, then chuckled softly.
"I need a small favor from you."
The scent of rose perfume mixed with danger filled the air, and I instinctively stepped back, my lower back hitting the bed rail.
Fiona stopped just short of touching me, her gaze shifting over my shoulder to Edward's pale face.
"How long has he been like this?"
Fiona's tone was unusually devoid of sarcasm.
I watched her warily, not answering. She didn't seem bothered, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the candle wax.
Fiona raised an eyebrow, then reached out to tuck the blanket around Edward, her movements uncharacteristically gentle.
"I just wanted to see your reaction."
She brushed her fingers over Edward's exposed hand.
"And see how bad Edward's condition really is."
As Fiona stood up, her cold pearl bracelet slipped onto my knee. She stared at Edward's furrowed brow, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere. Wear flat shoes."
"Why should I listen to you?"
I gripped the bed sheet tightly.
Fiona bent down to pick up a fallen pearl, placing it on Edward's pillow.
"Jeffrey and Nicholas's secret. I bet you're interested."
The last ray of sunlight through the blinds stretched Fiona's shadow long, almost covering the entire floor. Before leaving, she glanced back at the bed, slightly increasing the dosage on the pain pump before walking out in her high heels.
"Don't lose my bracelet."
Fiona called back from the doorway.
"It's witnessed quite a few interesting things with me."
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