Chapter 336

Hannah's frame shivered, and Claude's hold around her instantly grew firmer.

The doctor continued gravely, "Ms. Scott, though your mother has been stabilized, her injuries are exceptionally grave. The bleeding inside her skull has been halted, yet the harm to her brain tissue is significant. Several ribs are broken, accompanied by bruised lungs, and her abdominal organs have sustained damage... Truthfully, making it through the operation at all is extraordinary. As for the moment-or possibility-she might awaken, I cannot predict."

Hannah's gaze lifted sharply. Drops of moisture clung stubbornly to her lashes, and the flood of sorrow mixed with fragile relief robbed her of breath.Not gone? At least... At least her mother still remained.That meant hope.

Claude exhaled, the sound soft, and brushed away

the moisture along her cheeks. "We should feel grateful."

Hannah inclined her head, her voice thick with feeling. "Yes." She expressed her appreciation to the doctor and the nurses trailing behind him. "Thank you... Truly, thank you. I mean every word."

At that moment, the nurses wheeled out the portable hospital bed.

Margaret lay beneath a network of tubes, her head encased in heavy wrappings. Her complexion was drained of color, but the faint blips on the monitor proved that life still clung to her.

Hannah hurried to her mother's side and clasped her mother's chilled fingers.

The nurses guided the bed briskly down the hallway.Hannah and Claude followed without delay.

Moments after their departure, the door at the far end of the corridor, leading to the blood donation area,swung open. Vincent stepped out, his face pale. He was still tugging his rolled sleeves into place as he emerged.In that instant, his eyes caught Claude's arm still encircling Hannah, the two moving away together.

Vincent approached the chief surgeon. "Doctor," he said in a clipped tone, "I want a thorough briefing on Margaret Scott's state."

Elsewhere, within Erica's opulent residence, mellow jazz drifted languidly through the air.

Erica, draped in a deep crimson silk robe and barefoot upon a lush rug, moved in a jagged waltz at the center of the lounge with Logan.

Her rhythm was erratic and forceful-more like venting than dancing. She clung to Logan's neck, her figure pressed into his, tilting her face toward the features so uncannily like Vincent's, eyes glassy, her laugh fractured and unhinged.

From a shadowed corner, a subordinate entered without sound. "Miss Stanton. Raymond Scott-dead on the scene. Margaret Scott-sustained critical

harm, taken to intensive care. Prospects of survival are minimal. The intoxicated driver we employed has surrendered and admitted all."

Erica froze. She thrust Logan away, a sharp burst of exultant laughter escaping her. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect!"

She spun in place, intoxicated with triumph. "Hannah Scott! You tore apart my factory, wrecked my valuable mine, and crippled my trade!" Her gaze burned with hatred and perverse delight. "Now you will learn what it means to lose the ones you treasure most."

She approached the towering pane of glass and tapped twice with fingers lacquered in vivid red."Two lives... Quite a bargain for you."

With a flick of her hand, she dismissed the subordinate. Yet, before he could vanish, she remembered something and called after him, "Where is Vincent?"

The man inclined his head. "At the hospital." A dark glint flashed in Erica's eyes. She pivoted abruptly toward Logan, closing the space between them in long strides.

The subordinate departed soundlessly.

Erica's slim fingers rose, tracing the angle of Logan's jaw, her gaze hazy and fixated. "Vincent, when will there be a place for me beside you?"

Her touch drifted downward to his neck, a blend of provocation and possessive claim.

"I've waited endlessly. Why... Why can't you notice me?" Her tone spiked without warning before she surged forward, locking her arms behind his neck and crushing her lips to his.

Logan endured it passively.

Her kiss grew fierce, forcing him back into the breadth of the sofa.

She straddled him. "Why... why..." The tremor in her voice deepened as her movements turned frantic. In the dimness, their bodies intertwined-harsh breaths and stifled sounds filling the space.

No one knew how much time passed before the frenzy ebbed.

Erica lifted herself from Logan, her breathing ragged,a slow satisfaction softening her expression.

She spared Logan no glance. Without speaking, she strode toward the adjoining bathroom. Now, she would make her way to the hospital. Watching Hannah break apart-that would be the sweetest reward.