In the hospital, Johnny was finally wheeled out, his ordeal merely a result of a stressful shock. ra couldn''t help but notice his temples speckled with grey, a clear sign of how deeply the incident had shaken him. She stood quietly by his bedside, a wave of regret washing over her.
Johnnyy there, staring nkly at the stark white ceiling for what seemed like ages before breaking the silence, "Has Quinne back yet?"
A whole night had slipped by, and no one had gone to fetch Quinn. Naomi had cried until her eyes were swollen.
"You fainted out of nowhere; I couldn''t think of anything else. Besides, the kidnapping was staged. She''ll probably find her way back on her own. How are you feeling now? Is it serious?" Naomi''s voice wasced with worry.
Johnny''s state was fragile, as if he might slip away at any moment. He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths before reopening them to focus on ra. ra stiffened momentarily, then hurried to his side, her lips moving soundlessly before she finally managed to speak, "Dad."
Johnny lifted his hand, intending to give her aforting pat on the head, but let it fall back down, as if the effort was too much. ra''s eyes stung with tears she refused to shed, her heart twisting in pain.
After a long pause, she reassured him, "Don''t worry about thepany, Dad. I''ll make sure we get that project back. The Bradford family business will pull through this rough patch." During the night of Johnny''s unconsciousness, ra had pieced together everything she knew, realizing just how critical this project was. It wasn''t just about making aeback for the Bradford family; it was a fight for survival. Thepany''s finances were already in the red, and Johnny had been bearing the weight alone, keeping everyone in the dark. Naomi, Quinn, and even ra herself had been spending without restraint, unaware of the pressure on their family''s backbone, who finally buckled under the strain.
Johnny remained silent. His throat too sore to speak, and he didn''t know what to say even if he could. The tense quiet was suddenly disrupted when Ryan walked in, who had learned from the household staff about the previous night''s drama. Ryan''s heart twisted the sight of his father. Johnny seemed to have aged twenty years overnight.
Ryan opened his mouth to call out, "Dad," but tears welled up before he could utter a word. He quickly retreated behind ra, quietly wiping away his tears. Observing his son''s distress, Johnny felt a twinge of disappointment but also relief. At least Ryan had a good heart, not one to harm others. A bit naive, perhaps, but safe was enough.
Johnny closed his eyes again, feeling a reassuring hand squeeze his. ra''s voice whispered softly to him, "Dad, I''m serious. I''ll bring that project back."
Johnny had little hope; the Ferguson Corporation was such a powerhouse that their involvement felt like a dead end.
ra added another note of caution, "Focus on getting better. If Quinnes back, keep her away from your meds. She''s capable of anything."
Naomi instinctively wanted to defend Quinn, but the memory ofst night''s projection stopped her cold. She found herself unable to utter a word, realizing she never truly knew her daughter.
As ra was leaving, she came face to face with Quinn and the police. Quinn looked a mess-clothes in tatters, eyes swollen, hair a wild tangle. She pointed usingly at ra. "Officer, it''s her! She orchestrated everything that happened to me!" Her eyes zed with hatred, as if she wanted to drag ra down with her.
From Quinn''s disarray, ra knew she must have faced some sort of retribution and was now out of her mind. Like a woman possessed, Quinn lunged at ra. "It''s all because of you! If it weren''t for you, my life wouldn''t be this miserable! You should just go to hell!"
The police quickly restrained her, but not before snapping handcuffs onto ra''s wrists. ra found the situation almost absurd. "Mind telling me what crime I''m supposed to havemitted?" she asked, a hint of irony in her voice.