Chapter 273 Daphne Goes to Ivrea City
"What's the chance he'll be okay?" Daphne asked.
Richard didn't sugarcoat it. "Less than 0.1%."
His words hit Daphne like a ton of bricks.
Basically, Charles would either end up a vegetable or with severe brain damage.
This was a tough pill to swallow, especially for Marcus.
Even though they were hard on Charles sometimes, she knew they all cared about him.
"Don't stress too much. Brian's the best in this field," Richard added, saying more than usual. "With his research, there's a chance he can help."
Daphne stayed quiet. Brian was indeed a top expert in psychiatry and neurology.
Still, she was really worried about Charles.
Brian, standing nearby, watched them. After a deep breath, he walked over. "Thanks for today. You can go now. Leave Charles to me."
"Are you confident?" Daphne asked.
"No," Brian said flatly. "But right now, you have no choice but to trust me."
Daphne didn't argue. He was right. This was Brian's specialty. No one was better.
Seeing the worry in Daphne's eyes, Richard asked Brian, "How confident are you, really?"
Brian hesitated.
"If you tell the truth, the ten billion dollars we discussed can be halved," Richard said coldly.
Brian wanted to say he didn't care, but the amount was too big to ignore. "Fifty percent, but the timeline is uncertain."
"Do I really only need to give you five billion dollars?" Daphne asked.
"Yes," Brian confirmed.
"As long as you can cure him, name your price," Daphne said, desperate. "Just let me know if you need anything."
"Ten billion dollars," Brian said, glancing at Richard.
Daphne agreed without a second thought. "Okay."
Brian stopped talking, feeling a bit greedy.
"He has another deal with me. For that, I'll make sure to cure him," Brian said. "Just leave him to me."
"I can't make that decision," Daphne paused. This was a big deal and needed the Lancelot family's approval.
It didn't matter if it took a few days or months, but if it took half a year or more, they needed to inform his family.
"If he passes the critical period in forty-eight hours, I'll talk to his family," Daphne decided. "I'll get their opinion."
Brian didn't respond. He handed her a family consent form. "Have them sign this once you agree."
"Okay," Daphne said, taking it.
For the next two days, Daphne stayed at the hospital.
As the forty-eight hours neared their end, her anxiety peaked; she didn't even notice her sweaty palms.
The waiting was torture. Every second felt like an eternity, and even a minute felt like half a year to Daphne.
When Brian came to update her, he saw the worry in her eyes. "If you were so concerned, why did you divorce him?"
Hearing his voice, Daphne looked up at him.
"How is he?" Daphne asked.
"He's out of the critical period. The good news is he won't be a vegetable," Brian said seriously. "The bad news is his central nervous system damage might cause various symptoms, including what Richard mentioned."
Daphne felt her heart tighten. "When will he wake up?"
"Within two days," Brian replied. "In the meantime, get the family consent form signed. Once he wakes up, I'll transfer him to my place, where the equipment is better for his treatment."
"Okay," Daphne agreed.
Seeing her still standing there, Brian raised an eyebrow. "If you don't go now, you'll miss the best time for his treatment."
"I want to see him," Daphne requested.
Brian nodded, and Daphne went to the ward.
Charles lay there with his eyes closed, his face pale. He no longer had his usual cold and distant demeanor nor his lively spirit. He was eerily quiet.
Seeing him like this, Daphne's heart ached. She stood by his bed, looking at him for a while before leaving the ward.
After getting Charles's medical data from Brian, she booked a flight to Ivrea City.
Things had escalated beyond her expectations.
In the original plan, they would divorce and go their separate ways.
If it weren't for Michael, if she hadn't suggested collaborating with him, would Charles be in this situation?
The more she thought, the more chaotic her mind became; her usual rationality was overwhelmed.
Lost in thought, she boarded the plane to Ivrea City.
Sitting on the plane, looking at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, memories of her and Charles flooded her mind; his gentleness and patience when they first married, his respect and understanding, his later doubts and distrust, his harsh attitude, and now, his life-risking protection of her.
It all felt like it happened yesterday, each scene vividly replaying.
She finally understood the saying: Except for life and death, everything else was trivial.
At 3 PM, the plane landed.
Daphne left the airport, initially planning to take a car to the Lancelot family, but then she thought of the elderly Marcus and the gentle Laura.
If she told them directly, they might not be able to handle it.
Thinking of this, she took a cab away from the airport.
In the car, she messaged Hayden, fearing Laura might overhear a call.
Daphne: [Hayden, are you there?]
Hayden: [Yes.]
Daphne: [Are you available? I need to talk to you privately.]
Hayden paused, glancing at Laura, who was playing chess with Marcus.
Laura had made a mess of the game, but Marcus was patient, guiding her.
"What are you looking at?" Marcus scolded Hayden, not caring that he was already a father. "If you weren't so clingy, Laura would be better than me by now. You never do anything right."
Hayden felt helpless. He wished Charles would come back.
Otherwise, even as a father, he was constantly scolded. It wasn't dignified.
Hayden said, "You're right."
"Since you know I'm right, go out and make more money." Marcus just wanted to criticize him. "All you do is read the newspaper all day, not doing anything productive!"
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