?Chapter 906:


    Ste blinked up at him, barely processing the gesture. Her fingers were ice-cold as she took the cup, trembling slightly—but she didn’t drink.


    Seeing how shaken she was, the butler spoke again, voice quiet and steady. “Mr. Carter’s pulled every string. The best heart surgeons in the country are in there with him. Mr. Briggs is strong. He’ll pull through.”


    She nodded faintly, but her throat was locked tight. Words wouldn’te. Then—after what felt like an eternity—urgent footsteps echoed down the corridor.


    Karson arrived, leaning on Lance for support.


    His expression was grim, jaw clenched, but his eyes gave away the worry he tried to hide.


    Even so, his presence somehow grounded the room. It didn’t make the fear disappear, but it gave Ste something solid to hold onto.


    Just seeing Karson and Lance walk in gave her a tiny spark of strength.<fn966b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f?ndnovel</fn966b>


    Was this what family was supposed to feel like?


    Karson walked straight to her, eyes scanning her bloodstained clothes, her pale, frozen face. He sighed deeply andid a hand on her shoulder, firm and warm. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “As long as there’s still hope, the Carters will do everything possible to save him.”


    His words steadied something inside her—like a hand catching her just before she broke.


    Tears welled in Ste’s eyes, blurring her vision as she whispered, “Thank you… Grandpa.”


    Karson gave her a small nod and didn’t say anything else. He took his ce outside the operating room, standing tall beside her, cane in hand.


    They didn’t have a shared history of years. She’d only recently be part of the Carter family. But in this moment, he stood by her without hesitation. Nearby, the butler spoke gently. “Mr. Carter, perhaps you should sit down.” Lance chimed in with agreement beside him, and after a moment, Karson gave in and settled into a chair, mindful of his age.


    ｍ????ｅ ｕ??ｄ??ｔｅｓ ??ｎ ???ｌ????ｖ??ｌ??.??????


    The minutes dragged like hours. Every tick of the clock was agony.


    Finally, the OR doors swung open.


    A team of surgeons stepped out, the lead doctor peeling off his mask, his face drawn with exhaustion.


    Ste and Karson jumped to their feet.


    Ste rushed forward, her hands trembling as she grabbed the doctor’s sleeve, her voice barely holding together. “How is he?”


    The doctor met her eyes, his voice serious—but there was a sliver of relief in it. “We got the bullet out. It was less than half an inch from the heart. Honestly, it’s a miracle he survived. But…”


    That one word stopped everything. But. Everyone braced for the bad news.


    “He lost a significant amount of blood,” the doctor continued. “And there was a period of oxygen deprivation. The trauma to his system was severe. He’s not out of danger. We’re transferring him to the ICU for monitoring.” He paused. “The next twenty-four hours are critical. If he wakes up, there’s a good chance of recovery. But if he doesn’t…”


    .


    .


    .