Chapter 341 It's Finally Settled
During this whole mess, the docs kept coming out, saying the patient was in bad shape. The last time, they even asked the family to sign some serious paperwork.
Isabella was on edge, and those bright lights were making her feel all woozy, like she was in some weird dream.
Out of nowhere, someone gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder. She turned and saw Quentin's warm, concerned eyes. He handed her a paper cup. "Here, drink some warm water."
Isabella mumbled a thank you, took the cup, and sipped a bit. The warm water felt good going down, finally giving her some comfort. She handed the empty cup back to Quentin. "Got any more?"
Quentin smiled. "Yeah, sure."
He took the cup and headed to the nurse's station to get more water.
Isabella downed four cups in a row, each one fetched by Quentin. Even though she was sitting a bit away from the nurse's station, she could still hear two young nurses gossiping.
"He's so hot!"
"Totally, and he's so classy. Plus, he's super sweet. Look how he treats his sister!"
"I wish I had a brother like that."
"Haha, let's all dream big tonight and maybe we'll get lucky."
Hearing this, Isabella just looked down.
"More water." Quentin's voice came from above, and the cup was in front of her again.
Isabella took it but didn't drink. She just stared at the water, lost in thought.
Quentin sat down next to her, staying quiet. They both stayed silent until the emergency room door opened and a nurse came out, making Quentin stand up.
Isabella looked up nervously, biting her lip.
The nurse smiled a bit. "Don't worry. The patient is out of danger. The doctor wanted me to let you know."
"Thanks." Quentin's face relaxed.
Isabella's tense body finally eased up. She felt exhausted, probably from being so stressed for so long.
She took a sip of water and heard Quentin ask, "Wanna head back?"
Isabella looked up.
Quentin said, "Should I call Seb to pick you up?"
Isabella shook her head. "I'll wait until Aunt Esme..."
She paused and corrected herself, "I'll wait until Esme wakes up before leaving. She got hurt saving me, after all."
Quentin's eyes showed he understood. "You can't forgive her?"
Isabella didn't know what to say.
Quentin went on, "Don't beat yourself up. You saved her life before, and now she saved yours. It's even."
Even though his words made sense, Isabella still felt uneasy, her mind full of thoughts about Esme. She didn't want to stay, but she didn't want to leave either.
After a while, they wheeled Esme into the ward. She was still out cold. Isabella looked at the once beautiful and delicate Esme, now lying there pale with an oxygen mask. The monitors showed her vital signs, and Isabella's heart ached.
Isabella had never been a cold-hearted person. Esme had risked her life to save her, and Isabella couldn't ignore that.
But what should've been a simple feeling was now all tangled up because of Esme's true identity, leaving Isabella totally confused.
Quentin came out of the bathroom with a wet towel. He walked over and wiped the blood off Esme's face and hands.
There was a knock on the door.
The door to the ward opened, and it was Seb.
Undoubtedly, it was Quentin who called him, prompting Seb to put aside his work and rush over.
Seb first looked at Isabella sitting on the sofa, then at Esme lying on the bed, and asked Quentin, "How is she?"
Quentin said, "No big worries; the wound wasn't fatal. But it's pretty deep, and she lost a lot of blood when she got here. She's still out cold, and the doctor said it'll be a few hours before she wakes up."
"Okay." Seb nodded slightly and walked over to Isabella.
Isabella sat on the sofa, with Seb standing in front of her. He gently turned her head to rest against his chest, softly patting her cheek with his palm, and said, "It's alright now."
At this moment, Sweetie, who had been sleeping, woke up and started crying, probably hungry.
Quentin walked over, glanced at Isabella, and said, "She's been really scared today and has been in the hospital for a long time. Why don't you take them home first? I'll call you when my mom wakes up."
Quentin had already briefly described the situation over the phone. So Seb knew that Esme was in this condition because she had taken a knife for Isabella.
Seb's tone was no longer as harsh as before. He nodded and said, "I'll bring Bella to visit Esme tomorrow."
Quentin nodded and watched them leave.
After closing the door, Quentin sat on the sofa, resting his head on his hand, and rubbed his temples with his eyes closed.
Seb's car was parked in the hospital's underground parking lot. After getting in the car, Seb placed Sweetie to the side, took a clean towel from the compartment, wet it, and wiped Isabella's hands and face.
Isabella was in a daze for a moment, then raised her hand to hold his wrist. "Seb, I heard something really shocking today."
Seb looked at her. "Hmm. What is it?"
Isabella licked her lips, still feeling thirsty. She struggled to get the words out of her throat. "Esme told me not to hate her in the car today. She also said she's mom. Do you think this is some kind of joke?"
As she spoke, Isabella gave a slight, bitter smile.
Seb looked at Isabella but didn't smile. His thumb gently caressed Isabella's cheek, a hint of turmoil evident in his eyes. "Bella, have you ever considered that this might not be a joke?"
Isabella pursed her lips.
Seb sighed. "When Esme first appeared, I had Jack investigate her. I knew she came back to reconnect with her family. Everything that happened afterward confirmed that she was deliberately getting close to you. I knew from the moment she gave you that gold bracelet at dinner."
Isabella's eyelashes trembled. She was lost in thought for a long time, then suddenly lowered her head, took off the bracelet from her wrist, and threw it out of the car window without hesitation.
The bracelet fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and was run over by an oncoming car.
Isabella saw that, bit her lip hard, and then looked away. "I don't hate her, but I don't want to accept her either."
Seb hugged her. "Whatever decision you make, I'm here for you."
Isabella's eyes welled up. "Okay."
The last ray of sunlight sank below the horizon, and the world fell into darkness.
In the silent hospital room, a faint light glimmered. Esme slowly opened her eyes and saw Quentin sitting by the bed.
