Chapter 553 Heart Damage
"My God! What have they done to you?" Liam exclaimed, staring at Ashley in disbelief.
"If the officers hadn't explained she was disguised by Andrei, we never would have recognized our own sister," Landon added, his voice shaking.
Ashley, unable to move or speak, could only watch her family with desperate eyes. Gathered around her hospital bed were Liam, Landon, Samantha, and Pauline, who had just arrived.
Her twin children stood nervously at her bedside, their little faces etched with worry.
"Mommy, you can't wander off again," Alex said seriously. "Next time, you have to hold our hands very tight, okay?"
When she had been in danger, Ashley's first thoughts had been of Ethan, quickly followed by her precious children. Her greatest fear was leaving them motherless.
Her eyes softened, clearly saying, 'I'm sorry I scared you, my darlings.'
"We're not afraid of how you look now, Mommy," Emma reassured her. "We just want you to be okay."
Ashley's gaze filled with gratitude at their sweet understanding.
"What about her face?" Samantha asked anxiously. "She can't stay like this forever."
"We've tried everything—makeup removers, even trying to peel it off gently. Nothing works," Pauline explained.
"What are we going to do?" Landon paced the room.
"Excuse me." A police officer entered the room. "I have news. We've apprehended Andrei. During interrogation, he revealed how the facial prosthetics work. This special solution is the only thing that will remove it safely." He handed over a small bottle. "We found it among his possessions."
"Thank God! Thank you, officer!"
After carefully applying the solution and following the officer's instructions, the lifelike mask gradually loosened from Ashley's face, revealing her true features underneath.
For Landon, Samantha, and Pauline, seeing her real face after so many years triggered an emotional avalanche. Tears flowed freely as they truly saw her—their long-lost sister and friend.
Samantha embraced her, sobbing. "Ashley, we finally found you. I've missed you so much... all these years..."
Pauline clutched her hand. "Mentor, I knew you'd be alright. I've missed you terribly."
Though Ashley couldn't remember them, their genuine emotion touched her deeply. Her eyes reflected warmth toward them.
"Ashley," Landon suggested, "since you can't speak yet, blink once for yes, twice for no. Understand?"
Ashley blinked twice, making everyone laugh softly.
"Are you in pain anywhere?" Liam asked with concern.
Ashley blinked twice.
"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
Again, she blinked twice.
Her eyes searched the room anxiously, clearly looking for someone missing.
"You're wondering about Ethan, aren't you?" Pauline said gently. "He's in surgery. Don't worry—he'll pull through."
Ashley bit her lip, her eyes filled with guilt. She thought, 'Is he badly hurt? Is he in pain?'
She blamed herself entirely. If she hadn't been kidnapped, Ethan wouldn't have been injured trying to rescue her.
With effort, she managed to force out a sound.
"Ashley, you're speaking!" Liam leaned closer.
After a moment of struggle, her voice emerged hoarse but clear, "Landon, Liam—please take me to Ethan."
The brothers exchanged resigned glances. After everything that had happened—finally rescuing Ashley only to have Ethan seriously injured—it was almost too much.
"I'll get a wheelchair," Landon said. "We'll take you to the surgical wing."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Minutes later, Ashley was wheeled to the surgical waiting area, her anxiety mounting as she watched the illuminated "Surgery in Progress" sign.
"Will he be alright?" she asked, her voice still rough. "Can I see him?"
"I understand your concern," Liam said gently, "but the operating room is a sterile environment. All we can do now is wait. Ethan is strong—he'll make it through this."
Ashley's eyelid twitched with worry as she silently prayed, 'Ethan, please be okay. We'll have our future together—no more tragedies, no more separations...'
Inside the operating room, the surgeon announced grimly, "The patient has sustained damage to his heart. The knife missed his left ventricle by millimeters. Any deeper and we'd have lost him. We need to ask the family about a potential transplant."
"I'll inform them right away," the nurse responded, turning toward the door.
Suddenly, a weak hand grasped her wrist, stopping her. Everyone in the operating room stared in shock at their now-conscious patient.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't be awake!" the surgeon exclaimed.
"Doctor," Ethan whispered, his voice barely audible, "I want to live. I'll accept a transplant if necessary, but please—don't tell my family how serious this is. My wife has suffered enough already. I don't want her to worry."
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