Hearing her words, Quennel looked at Hannah in surprise, a faint smile ying on his lips. He had expected her to feel sorry for Lionel, to see him beaten and forgive him for his endless series of blunders.


    He never imagined she could be so resolute.


    "What did you say?" Lionel roared. "Hannah, say that again!"


    Hannah took a deep, steadying breath, ignoring the man''s furious shouts. She swallowed the bitterness and frustration lodged in her throat and walked straight back into her hospital room.


    Seeing her leave, Lionel lunged forward to follow, but Quennel blocked his path.


    "Shouldn''t your biggest concern right now be Sandra?" he taunted condescendingly. "You wouldn''t want her to wake up, not see you, and throw herself off another building in despair, would you? Then you''d just find a way to me Hannah for that, too."


    Lionel''s brow tightened, and he grabbed Quennel by the cor.


    "Quennel, don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. Let me make this clear: Hannah and I will never get a divorce. You''ll never have her!"


    Quennel just smiled faintly, pulling Lionel''s hand away. His gaze shifted to the figures approaching from behind Lionel.


    It was Mr. and Mrs. Woods.


    Lionel noticed his gaze and turned to see them. As soon as they saw him looking, the couple hurried over.


    "Sandra''s... her surgery is over. She''s been moved to her room," Mrs. Woods said, her voice a hushed, hopeful whisper. "Mr. Rosenberg, would you... would you like to see her?"


    Lionel hesitated, his eyes fixed on the closed door to Hannah''s room.


    "Hah." Quennel let out a coldugh at his indecision and pulled out his phone. "Send two guards to Hannah''s room," he said into the phone. “No one gets in or out without permission."


    "Sandra is badly hurt. Her face... it''s


    ruined. I don''t know what she''s going to do when she wakes up," Mrs. Woodsmented, tears streaming down her face as she remembered seeing her daughter wheeled out of surgery. She covered her mouth, her body shaking with sobs. "What have I done to deserve this? My son just passed away, and now my daughter... Is this world


    trying to kill me?"


    The sound of her crying grated on Lionel''s nerves, each sob an usation of his own guilt.


    He took a deep breath, his gaze returning onest time to Hannah''s room.


    I''ll exin everything to herter, he promised himself. Then he turned and told Mrs. Woods to lead the way to Sandra''s room.


    Before pushing open the door to Hannah''s room, Quennel nced back at the retreating figures, then entered with a hooded gaze.


    "Sandra''s mother just came and took him away. The surgery was a sess."


    Sitting on the edge of her bed, Hannah simply nodded.


    The room was so quiet that the only sound was the wind rustling through the trees outside the window.


    Quennel walked over and closed the window.


    "Hannah, don''t be too upset. The most important thing right now is to take care of yourself. We can deal with everything elseter. He turned to look at her tonely figure, apang of unease in his chest. ''


    Anyone with eyes could see how biased Lionel''s heart was. Yet she had remained so devoted, so foolish, constantly brainwashing herself into believing that if she just did a little more, tried a little harder, she could finally win his love.


    What a fool.


    "You get some rest. I''ll be in the small adjoining room. Just call out if you need anything," Quennel said, opening the door to the small room meant for family stays.


    “Quennel,” Hannah called out, looking at him. "Aren''t you going home?"


    He stopped. "You silly girl, what am I supposed to say to that? Right now, nothing


    is more important than being here with you. I won''t bother you. Just take some time for yourself."