Chapter 540 Survive
"George!" Emma ran desperately, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up to him.
George slowly turned around, a sharp knife protruding from his chest. His eyes were unfocused, and his lips moved as he whispered, "Emma, keep going..."
"No!" Emma screamed, her heart breaking as she fell to her knees, clutching George's body as it grew cold. "You can't leave me. We promised to see the cherry blossoms together."
The dream shifted suddenly, and Emma saw herself three years ago, standing in a burning house. George tried to rush into the flames but was held back by the crowd. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks. "Emma, you can't die."
On the operating table, Emma began to struggle violently, and the monitor emitted a sharp alarm.
"Blood pressure's spiking!" The anesthesiologist quickly adjusted the medication. "She's having a nightmare!"
Miraculously, even under anesthesia, George turned slightly and gently placed his hand on Emma's forehead, as if to soothe her. The numbers on the monitor gradually stabilized.
A nurse noticed tears slipping from the corners of George's eyes. In his unconscious state, he murmured, "Emma, don't be afraid. I'm here."
When Emma finally fought her way out of the darkness, the first thing she felt was the familiar warmth in her hand. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her blurry vision slowly coming into focus.
George lay beside her, their hospital beds pushed together. His pale face was still covered by an oxygen mask, but his beloved eyes were watching her tenderly.
"George." Her cracked lips trembled, her voice barely a whisper.
George immediately struggled to remove his mask, his long fingers gently brushing away the tears on her face. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Emma realized her face was wet with tears. She remembered the terrible dream and suddenly grabbed the front of George's hospital gown. "I dreamt you..."
George pulled Emma into his arms, carefully avoiding the tubes attached to her. "Dreams are the opposite of reality. See? I'm right here."
A nurse entered the room for rounds and teared up at the sight. "Both of you need to lie down! Your wounds could reopen!"
But neither of them moved. Emma curled up in George's arms, listening to the strong, reassuring beat of his heart.
"You know," George whispered, kissing the top of her head, "during the surgery, I could hear you crying. I thought, my Emma is so sad. I have to wake up."
Emma looked up and saw the tears glistening in George's eyes. She reached out with a trembling hand to touch his newly healed eyelashes. "Can you really see?"
"Yes." He gently wiped away her tears. "The first thing I saw was you, even though your face was covered in blood and soot."
Emma laughed through her tears, but the movement pulled at her wounds, making her gasp in pain. George immediately grew anxious. "Don't move! You broke three ribs and..."
"It was worth it," Emma interrupted, her gaze firm. "As long as you're okay, it was worth it."
Outside, the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, shining on their clasped hands. Those hands, scarred and battered, were now more tightly intertwined than ever.
Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest surrounding an abandoned factory, Phoenix was fleeing in a panic. Her meticulously styled curls were tangled by branches, and her expensive dress was torn by thorns. Behind her, she could hear the distant footsteps and barking of the Russell family's guards. Her heart pounded in her throat.
"This way!" A familiar female voice called from behind a bush.
Phoenix skidded to a stop and saw Anna waving at her in the moonlight. The woman she once saw as a rival now had the same look of fear in her eyes.
"What are you..."
"Shut up! Follow me!" Anna grabbed Phoenix's wrist and dragged her into a hidden sewer. The foul water reached their ankles, and rats scurried past, but they paid no attention.
At the end of the sewer, a black car without license plates waited. Anna shoved Phoenix into the back seat and jumped into the driver's seat, slamming on the gas. The car shot into the night like an arrow.
They finally stopped in front of a secluded mansion. Phoenix followed Anna through multiple security checkpoints, her heart racing faster with each door they passed. By the time the final metal door opened, her knees were shaking.
In the center of a spacious conference room, a man with a golden retriever stood with his back to them. The crystal chandelier cast a cold light on him, and his long fingers tapped rhythmically on the mahogany table.
"Kieran," Anna's voice trembled. "We failed again."
The tapping stopped abruptly. The air seemed to freeze.
"Turn around." Kieran's voice was low and elegant, but it sent a chill down Phoenix's spine.
When Kieran's masked face turned towards them, Phoenix involuntarily took a step back.
That face, which looked as innocent as a college student's, twisted into a chilling smile.
"How much time did I give you?" Kieran walked closer, the sound of his shoes on the marble floor like a countdown to death. "And what did you accomplish? You only managed to blind George."
He suddenly grabbed a crystal ashtray from the table and smashed it against Anna's forehead. There was a dull thud, and blood immediately streamed down her face.
"Useless!" Kieran's voice remained calm, as if someone else had committed the violence.
Phoenix bit her lip hard, not daring to make a sound, but Kieran had already turned to her. "And you..." His cold fingers brushed her neck. "You couldn't even handle your aunt? And she found out who you really are. Doing bad things under your real name, you're quite something."
His fingers tightened suddenly. Phoenix was horrified to find that this seemingly gentle Kieran had incredible strength. Her breathing became labored, and her vision started to darken.
Just as she was about to pass out, Kieran released her. Phoenix collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, her throat burning.
Kieran returned to his seat, elegantly crossing his legs. He snapped his fingers, and an assistant immediately handed him a file. Phoenix saw a photo of a vibrant young woman, identified as Wanda, a psychology expert who had studied abroad.
It was Anna, post-surgery.
Kieran gestured for the assistant to bring a file folder. "Here is your new identity, Fenix Lewis, a Columbia University Medical School graduate, orphaned." Kieran chuckled. "It fits Emma's penchant for helping the unfortunate. You might even become her best friend."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
