"Sandra, are you absolutely sure you saw Hannah?" he asked again, his tone sharp.


    The usation, on top of her already wounded feelings, was too much. The tears streamed down her face as she let out a cold, bitterugh.


    "What are you implying, Lionel?" she snapped. "That I lied to get you toe here? Is that the kind of person you think I am?"


    She took a deep breath and grabbed the wheels of her chair. "I know you''re obsessed with Hannah. You love her. But that doesn''t give you the right to nder me. If I needed yourpany, I would have asked for it directly. I don''t need to resort to tricks!"


    Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. She started to wheel herself away, her movements jerky and angry.


    "I wasn''t using you, I was just asking," he said, quickly following her. He fell into step behind her, taking hold of the wheelchair''s handles. "What did the doctor say? How''s your leg healing?"


    "I don''t need your help! Let go!" she twisted around, trying to shove his hands away.


    He held on tight. "I''m sorry, I was out of line. Your leg is still healing, you shouldn''t get worked up."


    His apology brought her nofort. "I don''t need your apology, Lionel," she sneered. "In your eyes, everything that''s gone wrong between you and Hannah is my fault anyway. What''s the point of these empty words now?"


    She tugged at his hands, but his grip was like iron.


    "If you don''t believe me, call Hannah yourself! I''ll even lend you my phone since


    she blocked you! Just let me go!" she yelled, struggling against him.


    In the ensuing scuffle, she lost her bnce and tumbled out of the chair,nding hard on the floor A wave f par shot through her, an all her pent-up emotions came flooding out in a torrent of sobs.


    "Sandra!" Lionel rushed to her side, but she shoved him away.


    "Get away from me!" she shrieked. "You think I''m a liar, so why are you pretending to care? I don''t need you! Go away!"


    A crowd was starting to form, their curious stares making the situation even more humiliating. Lionel knew he had been wrong. He knelt down, scooped her up, and gently ced herback in the Wheelchair


    "Are you hurt anywhere? Let''s go find a doctor."


    “No!” she pushed him away again. "I don''t need you! Leave me alone!"


    He knelt before her, trying to calm her down.


    At that exact moment, Hannah, Peter, and Samuel emerged from a nearby wing of the hospital, having finished the DNA test. They were drawn by themotion and turned


    to took.


    Hannah''s eyes narrowed as she saw Lionel, on one knee, tenderly consoling the sobbing woman in the wheelchair.


    "Oh, look, it''s those two again," Samuel said loudly, his voice dripping with disdain. "Are they nning another PR stunt for the gossip columns?"


    Lionel''s head snapped up at the sound of his voice, and his eyes met Hannah''s.