“The woman is dangerously obsessed with Asher,” Alexander said angrily. “She’s been pursuing him for ten years. In all that time, Asher’s probably exchanged fewer than ten sentences with her. Her mental state is clearly unstable. Thalia, she likely did this out of jealousy–hating you for ‘taking‘ Asher from her.”
Lady ckwood hs chest heaved with fury. “Complete lunatic! If anything happens to my son, I swear I’ll make her pa
Lady ckwood’s expression darkened as she red at her daughter inw, “Victorial Asher is still in surgery. How dare you speak of if anything happens? What kind of mother are you? Are you wishing ill
on your OWN SON?”
Lady ckwood .’s eyes were red rimmed. “Mother… I didn’t mean it that way…”
Fresh tears streamed down her face as she spoke,
Lord ckwood gave her a reproachful look. “Stop crying. Our son is fighting for his life in there. Your tears are bringing bad energy at a time like this.”
Thalia had no capacity to listen to their bickering.
For her, each minute–each second–stretched into an eternity of torture.
Self–reproach, regret, anxiety, and fear engulfed herpletely. The emotional weight pressed against her chest, making her heart ache and breathing difficult. The sensation resembled the suffocating feeling of a drowning person in their final moments–desperate for air that wouldn’te.
The minutes ticked by agonizingly slowly.
The sun began to set.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the doors to the operating theatre finally opened.
Lady ckwood Jr. was the first to rush forward. “Doctor, how is my son?”
The others quickly gathered around as well.
Thalia’s hands trembled uncontrobly, her palms cold with sweat, her heart suspended between hope and dread.
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The surgeon removed his mask, his tired face breaking into a relieved smile. “He’s out of danger now.”
Collective sighs of relief echoed through the corridor.
Thalia’s nerves, which had been wound tight all afternoon, finally began to loosen slightly.
Asher was transferred from surgery to the ICU. The doctor exined that he needed to remain there for a few days to prevent post–operative infection.
With the immediate crisis passed, Lord ckwood Sr. began to examine the day’s events more critically.
He fixed Lord ckwood with a stern gaze. “How did that woman infiltrate the estate? The security there is supposedly imprable–no one should be able <b>to </b>enter without an invitation. What have you found out?”
Lord ckwood suddenly remembered the numerous calls he’d received that afternoon, which he’d been
too distressed to answer.
“Let me check on the investigation,” he said, making a call.
After the conversation, he exined: “She entered as Damian Walsh’s guest. The security footage shows she was wearing a mask, iming she had a cold. Since Walsh personally vouched for her, the guards didn’t feel they could ask her to remove
“The Walsh family?” Lord ckwood Sr. frowned
“Their exnation is that Damian has been abroad for years and only recently returned to London. He
ims he wasn’t aware of the woman’s history with Asher. *
Lord ckwood Sr.’s eyes grew cold. “A conveniently perfect exnation. This is clearly more
“Of course.”
Randolph, who had been restraining his anger while Asher’s life hung in the bnce, now spoke up forcefully.
His voice rose slightly. “What’s the story with this obsessed woman? My daughter never provoked her, yet she kidnaps my younger child and stabs people! Has she no respect for thew<i>?</i>”
After a moment of silence, Lord ckwood Sr. turned his prating gaze to Thalia.
“Tell me, what exactly happened on that rooftop? How did Asher get injured?”
Tune Cod Teger
Chapter <b>54 </b>
Thalia lowered her head. “It was entirely my fault.”
Lady ckwood Jr. looked at her sharply. “Thalia, what do you mean by that?”
Thalia recounted the events exactly as they had urred.
Lady ckwood’s tone turned usatory. “So Asher took the knife that was meant for you?”
Thalia’s lips tightened. “Yes.”
Lady ckwood spoke with obvious displeasure. “Thalia, you were far too impulsive. We had already called the police, and security was on their way. Couldn’t you have waited? <b>If </b>you hadn’t acted so rashly, Asher wouldn’t have been injured needlessly.”
“I’m so sorry, Lady ckwood. It was entirely my fault,” Thalia responded, her voice strained, her head bowing even lower.
Lady ckwood pressed on. “Causing such trouble before you’ve even officially joined the family.”
Randolph’s expression darkened. “Lady ckwood, what exactly are you implying? This entire situation stems from someone obsessed with your son. My daughter is the victim here, yet you’re ming her?”
He continued coldly, “Easy for you to say she should have waited. My younger daughter was kidnapped with a knife at her throat, and the kidnapper threatened to kill her if Thalia didn’te. You speak as if
this is some trivial matter.”
“Security guards?” Randolphughed bitterly.
“Since you mention security, let me ask you–what exactly were your guards doing? How could a woman
so easily kidnap Lucy in broad daylight? Were your guards there to rescue people or to collect bodies?
Lucy is Thalia’s sister–her urgency to save her is now somehow a fault?”
Randolph was genuinely furious. Not only had the engagement ceremony been ruined, but his younger daughter had been kidnapped, and his elder daughter had nearly been killed trying to rescue her. They
were the victims, yet were being med and used–there was no justice in such twisted logic.
Not allowing anyone else to speak, he continued challenging Lady ckwood: “You criticize Thalia for acting impulsively, but if it had been your son with a knife at his throat, would you have remained so perfectly calm and rational?<b>” </b>
“And this talk about Asher taking the knife for Thalia–are you suggesting the de should have found my daughter instead?”
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“This is absurd. The culprit is obvious, yet you’re ming my daughter, who is also a victim. Does the ckwood family subscribe to victim ming?”
Lord ckwood Sr. cleared his throat pointedly. “Ahem.”
“Randolph, please calm down. This situation is certainly not Thalia’s fault.” His sharp gaze turned toward Lady ckwood. “What kind of unreasonable statements are you making?”
Lady ckwood was too incensed to bear this criticism. Her chest heaved with indignation. “Fine! Now you’re ming me too! I won’t argue with you anymore!”
She turned and walked away.
“Randolph, please don’t be too upset. This incident was clearly a security failure on our part,” Lord ckwood Sr. said reasonably.
Randolphposed himself, though his expression remained cold. “Since Asher is out of danger, I’ll be leaving now. Lucy is traumatized, and I need to check on her.”
Lord ckwood Sr. nodded and said to his son, “See Randolph out.‘
As Thalia moved to see Asher, Randolph’s face remained stern. “Thalia,e home with me. I don’t want them ming you if there’s any change in Asher’s condition.”
This statement caused visible difort among the ckwoods, but after Lady ckwood’s harsh words, they understood why the Winters might feel alienated. They could hardly object.
Thalia looked at her father with conflicted emotion. “Dad…”
(3)