Chapter 158 The Figure in White
Mr. Brown lay still, his breathing shallow but steady. The monitors, once filled with frantic beeps, now hummed a reassuring rhythm. His peaceful expression, almost serene, contradicted his previous turmoil.
The attending physician, still reeling from the experience, turned to Elbert with an awe-struck voice. "Sir, how did you do that? I've never witnessed anything like it in all my years of practice."
Lori, her tears subsided for the moment, looked at Elbert with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. The others in the room followed suit, their eyes fixed on he who had, against all odds, brought a glimmer of hope into their despair.
"Mr. Brown's injuries were severe," Elbert began, his voice soft but steady. "His consciousness was fading, slipping away with each passing moment." He looked down at Mr. Brown, his expression unreadable. "However, the human will is powerful. Sometimes, it can even defy the limitations of the physical body."
"The name I mentioned," he continued, "It reignited his will to live. It gave him something to hold onto; a reason to fight."
"Ann," he said, his voice filled with a quiet sadness. "She was the love of his life. They were separated for unknown reasons, and he's been searching for her ever since."
His eyes flickered with a distant pain. "I found her for him, and it's given him the strength to hold on. Perhaps, someday, it might even be the reason he wakes up."
"He's a man of deep love, unwavering loyalty," Elbert murmured. "This… this is his way of fighting back."
Lori frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. "But how did you know all this?" she asked, sounding bewildered. "We're his daughters, and even we never heard him speak of her."
Elbert's gaze turned sharp, "He's carried this love with him for years, a silent burden. You, his own children, were too blind to see it."
"He never married," Elbert continued, his voice laced with a quiet anger. "He adopted all of you out of kindness. He made a promise, you see, and he's been waiting for her ever since."
Lori froze, her breath hitching. Elbert knew; he knew the truth that had remained hidden for all these years.
"How did you find her?" Lori whispered, her voice barely audible.
"The internet," Elbert replied, his gaze distant. "...And a bit of deduction. Mr. Brown is a powerful man. If he couldn't find her, then she must have been in a position where she couldn't be found."
"So, I narrowed my search," he continued, "Focusing on those who were… incapacitated. Unable to respond to his search."
Silence descended upon the room, heavy with understanding and regret. Lori stared at her father, her heart aching with a newfound empathy. He had carried this love, this burden, for so long, and she, his own daughter, had been oblivious.
The doctors and Leonard were speechless, their eyes filled with awe and sorrow. Even Leonard, hardened by years of police work, felt a lump forming in his throat. This man, this titan of industry, had a heart as fragile and as pure as any other.
"It's a tragedy," Leonard whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "To love so deeply, to be separated by fate's cruel hand… and to be reunited under such circumstances."
Mary sobbed, her shoulders shaking with grief. "Thank you," she choked out, her eyes finding Elbert's. "Thank you for everything."
Elbert nodded, accepting her gratitude with a solemn grace. He remembered Mr. Brown's philanthropy, his unwavering generosity towards those in need. "It was the least I could do," he replied softly. "He's a good man. He deserves all the help he can get."
The room, once filled with despair, now held small hope, a testament to the enduring power of love and the kindness of strangers. Even Leonard, a man who had seen humanity's worst, felt his cynicism removed and replaced by a newfound faith in the inherent goodness of the human spirit.
As the weight of the moment began to lift, Lori turned to Elbert with a serious look. "Elbert," she began, her voice hesitant, "There's something I need to ask you."
She paused, her gaze unwavering. "Where were you when my father's accident happened?"
Leonard stiffened, his eyes widening in alarm. "Lori, what are you suggesting?"
Lori ignored him, pulling out her phone. On the screen, a grainy surveillance video played, showing the horrific moment when the two vehicles collided. The video had been edited, a red circle highlighting a figure standing on the sidewalk. It was a tall man in a white shirt, his face obscured. He stood motionless, watching the accident unfold, before turning and walking away.
Lori then held up another phone, its screen cracked with a single text message barely visible: [Elbert, I need to see you. It's urgent.]
"This was my father's phone," Lori said, her voice trembling slightly. "Elbert, you always wear white shirts. And this message… can you explain yourself?"
The room, once again, fell silent with thick suspicion. Elbert's attire, the text message… it was all circumstantial, but it was enough to plant a seed of doubt.
Leonard, however, was quick to defend Elbert. "Lori, you're jumping to conclusions! This was an accident. The driver admitted to being distracted, and the police have already closed the case."
But Elbert held up a hand, silencing him. He frowned, his gaze distant. "This was no accident," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And that man in the video… that's not me. That's Steven Harris."
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