With the massive explosion, Lillie couldn't contain her excitement.
If... if Janelle burned to death, then everything would go back to how it was before, right?
Ever since Janelle returned, things had been going badly for Lillie. As long as Janelle died, no one would disrupt her future life anymore. Lillie was thrilled.
She went to find Amber and told her the news.
"Mom, look!"
"Look at what?" Amber had been in a foul mood since returning from the office. She felt something was very wrong. The secretary she'd arranged for Westin suddenly wanted to resign. The benefits she offered were excellent—why would she quit? Had something happened that Amber didn't know about?
"The car exploded! Janelle was inside! This time, she can't escape!" Such a huge explosion—if she wasn't dead, she was surely disfigured. Either outcome was enough to excite Lillie.
"Really? Janelle was really inside?" Janelle had already secured the Aleen Group's bid qualification. If she continued and successfully completed the project, they were finished. But if she died in this explosion, everything she was working on would become theirs. Mother and daughter were ecstatic. Now, they just wanted confirmation that Janelle and that man had been blown to pieces.
On the short video platform, footage of Janelle and Erik rescuing Bryan sparked heated discussion.
[That girl is so badass! She looks so beautiful, but the way she rescued people was seriously cool!]
[Right?! I want to be that hammer in her hands. Sis, hammer me!]
[She's so pretty. Is everything we're seeing staged?]
[What nonsense are you spouting? Who would risk their life for publicity?]
[You guys are clueless. Do you know who she is? That's the heiress of Blue Whale Co., Ltd! Blue Whale has billions in assets. Does she need publicity?]
[Isn't Blue Whale's heiress called Lillie? That's not her! I've seen Lillie; she's not this pretty!]
Someone in the comments explained the events of five years ago. Opinions flew wildly. Many refused to believe such a stunningly beautiful and capable woman could have mental health issues.
And then, the car exploded.
[Oh my god! It really exploded! Is the girl okay?!]
[Is this really an accident? Could it be a plot? She just came back from abroad; someone couldn't wait?]
[Could it be Lillie and her mom? After all, five years ago, they stole everything from Janelle. They're probably afraid she's back for revenge.]
The scene was engulfed in a wave of heat. The live stream was forced to end. No one dared to approach to check. Rescue teams had arrived, but the fire was too intense for them to attempt a rescue.
"Janelle couldn't really be dead, could she?"
"How could she survive such a huge fire? Honestly, I actually admire Janelle. Getting dumped at the border and surviving on her own, then coming back for revenge..."
"Was this just a regular accident? Or did someone not want Janelle to live?"
Meanwhile, Janelle felt like all sound had vanished. When the explosion hit, Erik had shielded her and Bryan with his own body. Now, she felt no pain, but she could feel warm blood dripping onto her. She tried to move, but Erik held her too tightly; she couldn't break free.
"Erik!" she called him. She called several times, but he didn't respond. Beneath her, Bryan was unconscious. "Bryan?"
After a while, Erik stirred.
"Janelle... are you okay?" His first act upon waking was to check on her.
"I'm fine." Hearing his voice, Janelle finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was alright.
Erik's back was severely injured. Janelle used all her strength to push him aside gently.
"I'll get the rescue team."
Janelle, protected well by him, was mostly unharmed.
"Mmm," Erik murmured. His back burned with searing pain, but he remained stoic. It's okay. As long as she and Bryan are safe.
Janelle called the rescue team. They lifted Bryan and Erik onto stretchers and into an ambulance. Janelle climbed in after them. Doctors examined Bryan; his condition was critical. Erik sat beside Janelle, leaning his head on her shoulder. His back screamed in agony, but he didn't make a sound. He didn't want to distract the doctors working on Bryan. Janelle knew he was hurt, so she let him lean against her.
Soon, they reached the hospital. Bryan was rushed into surgery. Erik pulled out his phone.
"Lock down the news. Don't let anyone know I'm in Graham City. Also, find out who was really behind today's accident." Erik's expression was cold and ruthless. Anyone who dared touch his people would pay.
"Does it hurt? Should I get a doctor to look at you first?" His back injuries looked severe.
"It's fine. There's no one else here right now. I want to wait until Bryan comes out."
"Okay." Janelle understood and didn't insist. If it were Simon or the others hurt, she wouldn't leave either.
Winding Mountain Road
Bruce Aleen had won the qualifier race, but he felt no joy. He'd already crossed the finish line when the explosion happened, so he was unaware of the accident. One of his crew had witnessed the whole thing.
"Bruce, you okay?" It was obvious Bruce had fallen for the girl. Why else would he be like this? Ever since learning she was involved, he'd been completely out of sorts.
"I need to go see her." Finally, Bruce Aleen couldn't resist. Especially after watching the explosion video, he couldn't wait any longer.
"Bruce," his crew member grabbed his arm. "An explosion that big... they're gone for sure. I saw them being carried out on stretchers myself."
"Shut up! I'm going, don't argue!" Bruce Aleen wouldn't listen. The scene was chaotic, rumors flying everywhere. Some even claimed they saw the victims carried away covered in blood.
Hospital
Bryan's surgery was complete, and he was wheeled out. The doctor explained his condition.
"The patient sustained serious injuries, but he's stable now. We'll know more when he wakes up and we can run a full battery of tests."
"Okay. Thank you, Doctor." After the doctor left, Janelle helped Erik to Bryan's room. After checking on him, she guided Erik to the ER to have the wounds on his back treated.
Only when the doctor and Janelle helped remove Erik's shirt did she see the true extent of his injuries. For several hours, bearing wounds like this, he hadn't uttered a single sound.
"Erik, why didn't you say something sooner?" Janelle murmured, shocked at the severity. He'd stayed outside the operating room, guarding Bryan, all this time.