Chapter 84: Everyone Is a Patient.
Flora's chest tightened the moment she saw Scott's message. A strange panic gripped her - she hadn't expected anything like this. Her fingers moved before her mind caught up, quickly dialing his number.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Hello, babe. What happened?" she asked immediately, her voice tight with worry.
"It's my mother," Scott replied, his voice low and serious. "We found her on the highway. She looked... terrified. Something's not right. The doctor's already on his way."
"Oh my God. Yes-yes, please do everything. I was so scared when I saw your message," Flora said, her voice trembling. "Is everything okay now? Are you okay?"
Scott sighed, and she could hear the fatigue behind it. "Yes, baby. I'm fine. Just stay wherever you are. You're at the office, right?"
"Yes, I just wrapped up a big presentation," she answered quickly. "I couldn't take my phone in, or I would've called you first. I'm so sorry."
"No need to apologize. I'm on my way right now. I'm coming to pick you up," he said firmly.
Flora jumped to her feet. "No-Scott, stay with your mom. She needs you more. Who's with her now?"
"Maxson," he said. "He's there with her. You don't have to worry. The doctor will arrive soon. I just... I have this bad feeling, Flora. I can't explain it. I just need to have you close."
Flora's heart dropped. "Bad feeling? What do you mean? You're scaring me again."
"You don't need to be scared," he said gently. "I just... I don't know why, but something tells me nothing bad will happen if we're all together."
♡♡♡♡
Scott's Mansion.
Before Scott could leave, he made sure the doctor had arrived. And the moment the man stepped in, Scott didn't waste a second.
"Sir-Mr. Silver-I'm really sorry I took so long," the doctor apologized, slightly out of breath.
Scott narrowed his gaze. The air around the man felt heavy - something about him was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I didn't call you here to waste time," Scott said sharply. "Go upstairs. She's waiting."
Without another word, the doctor rushed up the stairs toward Charlotte's room.
Charlotte had been unconscious since they brought her in. Her skin was pale, her body soaked in sweat, her breathing shallow and uneven. Maxson sat at her side, chewing on his thumb, completely lost in panic.
He suddenly shot to his feet and started pacing. "Bro... we need to inform Aria," he said, voice cracking under the weight of anxiety. "She doesn't know anything yet. I'm sure she's out there somewhere, completely clueless. We can't keep this from her."
Scott shook his head, his tone steady but firm. "Maxson, calm down. We can't panic her right now. Let Mom stabilize first - then we'll let her know."
Maxson's fists clenched at his sides. His lips trembled. "I just- I don't know what to do anymore."
"I've already called Joel," Scott said, trying to ground the moment. "Told him to seal off every route on the highway. Song Base, Suspicions, Axing, Daxing - every checkpoint. I don't care how messy it gets. No one escapes this."
Just then, Joel stormed through the door, his face grim, his energy tense and alert.
"Boss," he said without hesitation. "We caught some suspicious individuals on the highway. They're in custody already."
Scott's brows shot up. "What? Who are they? Were they involved?"
Maxson stepped forward, his voice shaking. "Yes! One of them looked familiar - I swear! God, what if they were the ones-"
"Maxson!" Scott said, snapping with just enough force to pull him back. He grabbed his brother by the shoulder and gently pushed him down. "Breathe. Calm down. We'll get through this. But if we lose our heads now, we give them what they want."
Maxson shut his eyes, exhaling shakily, his jaw clenched hard.
Scott looked ahead, his voice low, almost cold. "Whoever tried to hurt my mother... they picked the wrong family."
♡♡♡♡
Silver Mansion.
Joan stepped out of the room, still processing what her husband had told his mother. She didn't say much. She just needed a moment to breathe. Quietly, she walked down the hallway and made her way outside.
When she reached the living room, the sight that greeted her made her pause.
Grandmother Lydia was sitting comfortably on the couch, her silver-gray scarf tied neatly as always, gently rocking Baby Jeda on her lap. The baby was giggling, her tiny hands patting Grandmother's chest and reaching for her necklace. Their laughter mingled, soft and warm, filling the room with something that felt like peace.
Joan stood there for a second, smiling to herself.
"Grandmother," she called softly.
Grandmother Lydia turned her head with that always-alert grace, her eyes crinkling with warmth when she saw her.
"Oh, my sweet granddaughter-in-law," she beamed. "How are you? Is everything alright?"
Joan hesitated just a beat too long. Grandmother noticed.
"Hmm?" Grandmother Lydia's smile faltered slightly. "Is everything fine?"
Joan quickly nodded and gave a reassuring smile, trying not to let anything show. "Yes, Grandmother. Everything is fine."
She walked over and sat gently beside her, resting her hand on the older woman's arm as if to prove it.
"If you say so, I'll believe you," Grandmother said, still studying her with that sharp intuition that age grants.
There was a pause, then Joan looked up. "Um... Grandmother, I wanted to prepare the meal myself today. The one you told the servants to make - the shittoda."
Grandmother blinked. "The shittoda? Hah! Why?" She frowned slightly, clearly surprised. "The servants are there to help, my dear. Why would you stress yourself?"
Joan gave a soft chuckle. "I just want to. Please."
Just then, Baby Jeda let out a loud squeal and bounced up on Grandmother's lap. "Ah! Ah! Ha! Ha!" she laughed, flapping her arms like tiny wings.
Both women burst into laughter, the tension breaking.
"Oh-ho, do you want to help Mommy too?" Grandmother asked, tickling Jeda's belly. "Is that it? Do you want to go cook with her? Or should we all go together and make it?"
Joan stood up, still smiling. "No, no, Grandmother. You stay. Play with Jeda. I'll be in the kitchen. I won't be long."
Grandmother Lydia nodded slowly, her hand brushing Joan's gently as she passed. "Thank you, my dear. Thank you so much."
Joan walked off toward the kitchen with a smile that barely touched the storm quietly stirring behind her eyes.
♡♡♡♡
Screech!
Scott car tires gripped the road sharply as he took the final turn. A rumble escaped his throat - low, tight, as though it had been locked in his chest all morning. His fingers clenched the steering wheel as he exhaled deeply.
His mother had woken up. That alone had settled some of the chaos in his chest, like a wave slowly retreating after a storm. But still, something inside him refused to rest.
"Until I see Flora... I won't be okay."
He didn't just need to be near her - he had to be. His heart was loud in his ears, but he didn't care. He just wanted to feel her presence, see her eyes, know she was safe.
-
Inside the company building, Flora was already gathering her things. Her desk was half-cleared, her laptop unplugged, her files stacked neatly. She moved swiftly but carefully, her mind still spinning from Scott's call.
Just then, Tesly popped her head into the office.
"Flora? You heading out already?" she asked, tilting her head.
Flora turned, forcing a small smile. "Yes, I just got an emergency call. My husband's on his way to pick me up."
"Oh," Tesly nodded. "I think Fiona wanted to speak with you today. Something work-related, I think. But I don't think she's even around right now."
Flora sighed. "That's fine. Could you just pass along a message? Tell her we'll talk another time. And please remind the others to continue with the project. They should drop their feedback in the portal - I'll respond as soon as I can."
Tesly gave a quick thumbs-up. "Got it. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"Thanks, Tes," Flora said softly, then turned back to her desk. Tesly exited with a quick wave.
A few moments later, Flora's phone rang.
She answered it immediately. "Hello, babe - are you downstairs?"
"I'm here," Scott's voice came through, low and gentle. "Do you want me to come up and get you?"
"No, no, baby. I'm coming down right now," she said quickly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading for the elevator.
By the time she stepped out of the tall glass doors of the company building, she saw him - leaning against the car, waiting.
Scott looked calm on the outside, but Flora knew him better than that. His jaw was too stiff. His eyes, too alert. Like he was holding something back - something heavy.
She didn't say a word.
Instead, she walked straight into his arms, and he opened them without hesitation.
Their hug said what words couldn't.
His hands held her tightly. Her cheek rested against his shoulder. They didn't need to speak - not yet. The air between them was enough. The kind of silence that only love could make comfortable.
They held each other for a long, quiet moment before finally getting into the car.
Still, not a word.
They didn't need one.
This was how they moved - how they had always been. Even when the world was loud, even when their hearts were shaken, they knew how to find each other in the quiet.
And that was enough - for now.
♡♡♡♡
Evening.
Back at the house, Maxson sat quietly beside the bed, gently pressing a damp cloth against Charlotte's forehead. Her breaths were slow, her skin clammy with leftover sweat. Her eyelids fluttered now and then, as if even in unconsciousness, something still haunted her.
The doctor had arrived not long ago - just in time to stabilize her. His bag still sat open on the floor, its contents scattered from urgency.
Scott stepped in, Flora beside him. She gripped his hand instinctively the moment she saw Charlotte, pale and frail against the bedsheets. The tension in the room wrapped around them like fog.
The doctor straightened, rubbing his brow with the back of his hand. "She's stable," he said at last, voice low. "But she's not out of the woods. What she experienced wasn't physical - it was emotional. Deep trauma. Whatever she saw out there..." he paused, glancing at the floor, "it shattered her."
Flora's fingers curled around Scott's. He didn't say anything, just gave her hand a small, firm squeeze.
Then, a phone buzzed.
Maxson reached into his pocket and saw Joan calling. He stepped away from the bed and answered, voice quiet. "Joan?"
"Grandmother's worried," Joan said softly from the other end. "She's trying not to show it, but she's suspicious. I told her everything's fine but..." she hesitated. "We need answers. What really happened out there?"
Maxson's jaw tightened. He turned slightly toward the window, watching the sky fade into night.
"I don't know," he admitted, his voice hollow. "But I'll find out. I swear I will."
He hung up and looked back at his mother. The woman who had once been the strongest force in his life now lay broken in bed. The air in the room had shifted - not just from the weight of her condition, but from something unspoken pressing down on all of them.
The kind of silence that doesn't bring comfort... only questions.
Scott stood unmoving beside Flora. His expression was unreadable, but Flora knew that look. Beneath it was fear, frustration, and something else - the unbearable burden of not knowing who to blame yet.
No one spoke.
The ticking clock on the wall was the only sound. Yet even that felt loud in the hush that blanketed the room.
It wasn't just Charlotte who needed healing.
They all did - each one bruised, confused, and hurting in ways they hadn't dared to speak out loud.
Tonight, everyone was a patient.
In their own way.