After reading the message, Austin''s mood finally lightened up a bit.


    Jules noticed him holding his phone and asked while tucking away his ID, "Did Miss Mira get back to you?"


    Austin turned off the screen and nodded, "Yeah. Let''s head to the airport."


    "Is sheing back?" Jules asked, already having a hunch but wanting confirmation as he trailed behind Austin.


    A smirk crept onto Austin''s lips as he let out a soft chuckle, "My sister has always been unique. Push her too hard, and it just backfires." Some things never really change, do they?


    That was why he had insisted on not calling her, opting to leave Emmitt a business card instead.


    Jules rubbed his nose and decided not to dig any deeper. As long as she''s returning, there''s no worry about Miss Mira not helping Donald.


    They made their way back to Riverdale overnight. Thankfully, Romero''s condition was stable with no newplications, which gave Austin a much-needed sigh of relief.


    **


    The next day.


    At noon, Mirabe received a message from As on Messenger, letting her know her parents were in Riverdale.


    Unfazed by the news, Mirabe seemed to have expected it. After all, she had ignored all the calls from the Cunningham family, anticipating something like this would happen.


    After some contemtion, Mirabe called As to sort out a few things.


    Meanwhile, Delh and Shawn, havingnded at noon, didn''t bother contacting any Cunningham family members. They headed straight to the hospital.


    As, adhering to Miss Mira''s instructions, informed Delh about which room Romero was in and waited downstairs.


    No one from the Cunningham family was at the hospital then. But even if they were, they''d have to pretend otherwise.


    The visit went smoothly. Delh donned a sterile gown and entered the room, her eyes clouded with a mix of emotions at the sight of Donald hooked up to a respirator.


    Austin had nailed it with one observation: no matter how severed ties might be, the connection of blood remains strong.


    After standing in silence for about fifteen minutes, Delh finally stepped out of the room.


    Waiting outside, Shawn asked, "Are you alright?"


    "I''m okay," Delh replied, shaking her head.


    Herplexion was pale. Since learning the news yesterday, she hadn''t managed much sleep.


    It wasn''t so much sadness, but the revtion that her estranged father, who had cruelly cast her out, was now critically ill. It left her old resentment adrift, with nowhere to anchor.


    "I talked to the doctor. Things don''t look too good," Shawn mentioned, briefly going over the worst-case scenarios the doctor had outlined.


    Delh looked through the ss into the room. After a moment, she lowered her gaze, her eyshes casting shadows on her cheeks, "Everyone faces their day eventually."


    Shawn wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, "It''s best to keep things in perspective."


    "Yeah," Delh nodded, "Let''s get going."


    Before long, they headed downstairs.


    As, seeing they had finished visiting, dismissed his men and drove the pair back to the vi.


    *


    Kitty and Austin found out about Delh''s hospital visitter that afternoon.


    "Emmitt, didn''t you have people stationed at the hospital? Howe nobody informed us?" Kitty stood outside the room, her expression stern as she addressed Austin.


    She wouldn''t have known if she hadn''t asked about Donald''s condition herself.


    "My guy was knocked out and left in the emergency stairwell," Austin replied, his face clouded with frustration.


    Kitty''s thoughts immediately flickered back to the people who had spirited their sister away back then-each one of them exuding a dangerous edge.