Chapter 129

Anthony attempted to persuade Alexander to reconsider, but Alexander remained firm, so Anthony simply followed him. Stepping out of the hospital, Alexander was greeted by a massive crowd of reporters, all eager to catch a glimpse of anyone from the Kane or Blake families. They were desperate for any update on the family members involved in the recent accident.

As soon as they saw Alexander, the reporters surged forward, each competing to be the first to ask a question. Alexander's security team quickly intervened, holding the reporters back and pushing them away from him. Despite being restrained, the reporters continued shouting their questions, filling the air with a chaotic din. Anthony felt irritated by the clamor, but Alexander remained composed, unfazed by the noise.

"SIR, CAN YOU UPDATE US ON THE CURRENT CONDITION OF YOUR WIFE AND CHILD?" one reporter shouted above the crowd.

"MR. KANE, CAN YOU ALSO TELL US WHO THE OLDER WOMAN WAS WHO WAS WITH YOUR FAMILY IN THE CAR?" another reporter asked.

That question made the others pause, realizing they had been wondering the same thing. They eagerly prepared their cameras to capture Alexander’s response.

Alexander scanned the crowd with his eyes before speaking. The cameras zoomed in on him as the reporters hung on his every word.

"Since you're all curious about the woman who risked her life for my wife and daughter, I'll tell you who she is," Alexander began, his voice calm but commanding.

The reporters leaned in, waiting for him to reveal her identity.

"Angela Kane," he stated.

The reporters exchanged puzzled glances, trying to recall the name, but it didn’t ring any bells.

"WHO IS ANGELA KANE?" a reporter asked aloud, voicing the confusion shared by the others.

The question lingered in the air, but Alexander offered no further explanation. People watching the news broadcast also wondered who Angela Kane was, as her name wasn’t familiar to anyone, even though the public knew every member of the Kane family.

"As for my wife and child, they are both doing fine," Alexander added before turning to leave. He walked toward the waiting car, flanked by his security team.

The reporters continued shouting questions, but Alexander didn’t answer any of them. He got into the vehicle with Anthony, and their driver quickly pulled away from the hospital.

"You’ve given them a puzzle to solve. Now, they’ll have to dig into her past, a past you’ve tried to keep buried for years. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just explain everything? After all, you were the one who chose to talk to them," Anthony commented, glancing at Alexander.

Alexander shot him a look but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Ariana had been watching the entire exchange from a distance. She had overheard everything Alexander said. Ariana knew exactly who Angela was, and she was shocked to learn that Angela was no longer in prison. More importantly, she was surprised to discover that Angela had been with Lily and Viola in the SUV during the accident.

"This just got interesting," Ariana thought to herself.

"What do you plan to do with this new information, ma’am?" Samson, her assistant, asked, curious as always since he rarely knew her full intentions.

"Nothing changes. Everything is still going according to plan. She’s not a threat," Ariana replied dismissively.

"Alright, ma’am. But are you still going inside the hospital now that you’ve learned this?"

Ariana gave him a condescending look. "Of course, I’m going in. Don’t forget, I came here for a checkup," she said with a smirk before heading inside the hospital.

Samson sighed but followed her, knowing full well that her checkup wasn’t her true purpose.

Inside Lily’s VIP room, she was already prepared. She knew Ariana was in the hospital and wouldn’t be able to resist coming to see her condition firsthand. There's an old saying that the person who tried to kill you will always come back to see the result.

That’s exactly what Ariana intended to do. Even though she might have heard that Lily had survived, she still needed to see it for herself. Lily had instructed Sarah to leave the room when Ariana arrived. Although Sarah initially refused, furious that Ariana had the audacity to visit after everything she had done, Lily eventually convinced her it was necessary.

After finishing her fake checkup, Ariana couldn't resist going to the floor where Lily's room was. She ignored Samson’s warnings that it might raise suspicion and pressed on.

Arriving on the 10th floor, where Lily was staying, Ariana walked slowly down the hall until she reached Lily’s room. Lily had arranged for no guards to be at her door when Ariana came, allowing her to enter freely. Ariana knew which room it was thanks to the news coverage. It seemed Alexander suspected that whoever caused the accident might return to finish the job.

Though Ariana wasn’t foolish enough to attempt anything in the hospital, she had another plan in mind. All she wanted now was to face Lily and send her a clear message—the battle was far from over.

Ariana knew how powerful Alexander was, and she was fully aware that if he found out she had visited Lily, especially to have the conversation she was about to have, he would likely take her to one of his hidden facilities for interrogation, possibly even torture her. But she had a backup plan to ensure that wouldn’t happen.

Ariana calmly knocked on the door, turned the knob, and stepped inside. The first thing she saw was Lily, seated on a couch, sipping coffee. The room was as large and luxurious as a presidential suite, filling Ariana with envy.

She closed the door and walked further inside. Lily looked relaxed and comfortable, her only visible injury being a bandaged left hand. Her face was flawless, which irritated Ariana. If Lily had survived, the least she could have hoped for was some permanent disfigurement, but instead, it seemed like Lily had barely been touched by the accident.

"You came to see if I was still alive?" Lily asked coolly.

Ariana’s initial frown shifted into a smile. "I just wanted to confirm for myself, but I’m glad you’re still with us."

"Are you? Or are you planning something even bigger for me?" Lily responded, smiling as well.

Ariana chuckled. "Well, yes, but it’s a surprise. You’ll just have to be patient." She slowly walked around the room, making sure her words sunk in. "It’s a grand surprise, Lily. All you need to do is recover, get discharged, and it’ll be waiting for you. You’ll be completely shocked when you see what I have in store for you."

Lily smiled, but there was a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "I didn’t realize we were such good friends that you’d give me a gift—and such a big one."

Ariana smirked, sitting down on one of the couches and crossing her legs. "Oh, this will be a final gift. I guarantee it’ll send you straight to heaven—or maybe hell."

Lily’s eyes sparkled with what seemed like excitement, unsettling Ariana. Why was she smiling? She had to admit, Lily’s reaction made her uneasy, but Ariana was confident this time she wouldn’t fail.

"Thank you for the heads-up, Ariana Martinez. I’ll be looking forward to it," Lily said with a smile of her own.

"Good to know," Ariana replied, her voice dripping with malice.

"Care for some coffee before you go?"

"I’ll pass. I have other places to be. I just returned to the country, after all," Ariana said as she stood and headed toward the door.

"Enjoy what little time you have left," Lily called after her.

Ariana paused, turning back to face her.

"Let’s see who gives the bigger surprise. Because I’ve got one for you too—and mine will send you straight to hell!"