Chapter 263
"From now on, you'll stay with me okay?" Thea said.
Thea considered this deeply. The doctor had determined she would likely never be able to have children. Conveniently, she really liked Oliver and was willing to raise him. Even if she divorced Nicolas, she could manage.
"Are you serious?" Oliver looked up, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Will you still hit me later?"
"Absolutely not," Thea said firmly.
Oliver asked, and Thea answered. Nicolas saw a unique maternal glow emanating from Thea. He thought, If that child were still here, perhaps Thea would be happier? After all, I owe her this much.
After soothing Oliver's emotions, Nicolas hurried back to Key Biscayne. With Jepson and Stefan's downfall, countless messes needed cleaning up at Hendrix Group.
Meanwhile, Thea received an unfamiliar phone call. "Miss Rowland, you should know how hard it is for me to slip away right now. Isn't it a bit rude to stand me up?"
It was Teri. Thea suddenly remembered their appointment. She rushed to the café, noticing Teri's table was littered with empty cups. Regret filled Thea's eyes. "I'm really sorry for being late; something happened at home."
"I saw the news," Teri replied, her gaze lingering on Thea's face, noting the shadows under her eyes. The resemblance between Thea's and Duncan's eyes was striking; both had captivating eyes. Just seeing those eyes brought back bad memories for Teri.
Since Teri's release on bail, Duncan hadn't sent a single message of sympathy. No matter how much she loved him, it was time to wake up.
"Miss Rowland, you must know why I called," Teri said, taking a sip of her coffee and trying to hide her dark circles with thick concealer. "About my half-brother, the one you've met—you must realize he's nothing but a useless piece of work."
Thea looked at Teri. Without the confusion of romantic entanglements, Teri seemed much more likable.
"I heard you took care of his new girlfriend. That guy only cares about women. If the Langstaff Group really falls into his hands, forget about any collaboration," Thea said.
Teri's ability to remain heir for so many years, given Mason's favoritism toward his son, spoke volumes about her strength.
Thea nodded, skipping the small talk. "Compared to that foolish man, Ms. Langstaff, I think working with you would indeed be more pleasant. But how would you like me to assist you?"
A hint of a smile curved Thea's lips. At that moment, Teri likely understood why Nicolas chose her. Thea was stunning.
"The shareholders are extremely dissatisfied with Aiden. If you could gather some dirt on him, even Stefan wouldn't be able to protect him," Teri said.
Teri was magnanimous. She was refreshingly candid. With this level of openness, Thea wouldn't refuse the deal, especially since it benefited her.
Their coffee cups clinked together, and Thea and Teri saw each other's ambitions reflected in their eyes. As they stepped out of the café, Thea called Ursa. Having spent years in Silvercreek, Ursa understood many situations far better than Thea did.
Most of Thea's thoughts were focused on her conversation with Ursa when a car barreled toward her with reckless abandon, leaving her no time to react. The airbags deployed with violent force. The last thing Thea saw was a twisted face—Amelia's. Amelia must be under Nicolas's control now. How did she escape? Thea wondered.
"Thea, no matter how many helpers or escape routes you have, I will make sure you die this time," Amelia's voice echoed in her ears.
Amelia's car was unregistered, deliberately parked at a corner of the alley Thea had to pass, avoiding surveillance.
Pain dulled Thea's senses, but she fought to sharpen her focus, pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth to stay alert. With all her strength, she grabbed her phone from the passenger seat and dialed her emergency contact number three times. This simple action drained every ounce of her energy.
"Thea?" Nicolas's clear voice echoed in her ears. Thea's vision blurred, but she could still picture his face. "Nicolas it hurts so much. Please help me."
Her voice was faint, but it triggered an alarm in Nicolas's mind. Even before reaching Key Biscayne, he was racing back frantically. On the way, Nicolas couldn't count how many traffic violations he committed. One thought consumed him: Thea is in trouble. I have to get to her fast.
By the time Nicolas arrived at Silvercreek, Thea had already been rushed into the operating room. Joyce paced anxiously at the door, her breaths shallow and quick.
"Mr. Hendrix!" Joyce's eyes reddened at the sight of him. She wasn't relieved; she was furious. "Didn't your men take Amelia away? How did she manage to escape and injure Thea again? The doctor said Thea already had fluid build-up in her body, and this impact could endanger her life!" The thought of Thea lying on the cold operating table, her life hanging in the balance, sent Joyce into a fit of rage directed at Nicolas.
Darwin felt a cold sweat break out. He wanted to cover Joyce's mouth to stop her from saying anything else that might anger Nicolas. But when Darwin glanced at Nicolas, he saw no sign of retaliation. Nicolas ignored Joyce entirely and swiftly moved to stand under the red light outside the operating room, rooted to the spot.
"Mr. Hendrix, the guards watching Amelia have just informed us that they were all drugged, and even the surveillance was tampered with beforehand. We haven't found any trace of how Amelia escaped," Darwin lamented. Having been with Nicolas for so long, Darwin's own confidence had grown. He had unconsciously believed that no one would dare touch those Nicolas intended to keep, even letting his guard down entirely.
"Mr. Hendrix, the main responsibility for this incident falls on me," Darwin admitted, his head bowed.
Yet Nicolas neither blamed him nor displayed any emotional response. His focus was solely on the surgery door. He had never felt such tension before. He couldn't even bear to think about what he would do if something happened to Thea. He thought, We finally reconciled. Could God really be so cruel as to not leave us a chance to be together? I refuse to believe that. We've faced so many challenges together. Thea will be fine. Nicolas stood there through the night, his legs numb.
As time dragged on, Joyce's emotions became more unstable. She slapped herself repeatedly. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been lazy and had gone out with Thea, this wouldn't have happened." Each slap was harsh and precise, making Darwin wince in sympathy. After what felt like an eternity, the operating room door finally opened. "Who is the family member of the patient?" the doctor asked.