Chapter 432

Morwen, exasperated and red-faced, could only get into her car and angrily leave Royal Bay. "That's too much!" she fumed. "I only wanted to use this opportunity to get Hank to name me Richard's new wife and marry him while he's still in a coma. By the time he wakes up, whether he likes it or not, there's no changing the fact that we're married. How could they have the antidote? This is absolutely humiliating!" Morwen clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. She felt someone was constantly sabotaging her plans.

After Morwen's departure, peace returned to Royal Bay. Garry turned and went back to the villa. He found Sidney calmly drinking water and asked bluntly, "Tell me the truth. How is Mr. Hampton doing?" Hank, easily deceived by Sidney's unconcern for his son, had left without looking back after hearing it wasn't serious. To Hank, as long as Richard didn't die, the Hampton family wouldn't be in chaos. But Garry was different. He'd sensed something was wrong when Sidney first lied, but had restrained himself from questioning him.

Sidney paused, his hand hovering over his glass. He knew he couldn't hide it from Garry. Sighing, he admitted, "The antidote was effective, but Mr. Hampton's wounds are too severe. There's only so much I can do."

Garry panicked. "Only so much you can do? Aren't you the country's top doctor? Aren't you able to save anyone still breathing? And now you're telling me there's nothing you can do?" He felt like crying, unable to accept Sidney's words. "Go treat him now! Why are you giving up before trying your best?"

"Calm down," Sidney said, rubbing his temples. He knew the poison was gone, thanks to the pills Tiffany had left. These precious pills, besides curing numerous illnesses, also strengthened the heart. That's why, despite the deep chest wound, Richard had survived. However, the dagger that pierced his heart had been tampered with. It wasn't that Sidney hadn't saved him; Richard had simply fallen into a deep sleep, and only he could awaken himself. "We can only wait," Sidney said gravely. "Mr. Hampton isn't weak. He'll wake up soon."

Good deeds rarely make headlines, but scandals spread like wildfire. Within hours, the highly anticipated engagement party ended with shocking news: Tiffany had stabbed Richard, causing serious injuries and leaving him in a coma. He'd been rushed to the hospital, his condition unknown. Rumors flew, and Tiffany became a woman vilified by millions.

"I heard Miss Kelley stabbed Mr. Hampton for his assets!" one person gossiped. "And that she transferred all his assets to herself!"

"She cheated him and then stabbed him—what a wicked woman!" another chimed in.

"I heard she stabbed him because he discovered her affair!" a third added. "She did it to protect her lover."

"Really? I can't believe it," someone replied.

The rumors spread relentlessly, cursing Tiffany within hours. The other guests, convinced Tiffany was a harbinger of misfortune, left, blaming her for ruining the party. They painted her as a seductress who'd deliberately disfigured Melody, justifying their hatred with their own narrative of a vicious woman. As they departed, they sneered, "Look, she's hiding; she doesn't dare come out."

"That's right. Assault is a serious crime. We should arrest her and put her in jail," another agreed.

"I wonder how Charlie Kelley raised his daughter. I heard she's not his biological daughter," someone else mused.

"Yeah. I don't know what he's thinking—kicking out his biological daughter for that sinister adopted daughter. What a fool!"

As the guests left, Abbie and Zoe searched for Tiffany. Abbie, exhausted and sweating, called Zoe: "Any luck?"

"No," Zoe replied, near tears. "How did this happen? No matter what people say, I don't believe Tiffany would do such a thing!"

"Me neither," Abbie said, collapsing onto the stairs, panting. When the incident happened, they'd been waiting patiently for the party to begin. The news of Tiffany's attack had thrown everything into chaos, and Tiffany had vanished. Worried sick, they'd been searching relentlessly.

"Let's keep looking," Abbie said, rising. "Since she hasn't left the hotel, we'll find her!"

"Okay," Zoe agreed.

Meanwhile, in a hotel room, Tiffany sat lifelessly on the cold floor. Sunlight fell on her face, but her eyes remained unmoving. After several breaths, she moved, attempting to stand. The wounds on her legs, self-inflicted, bled anew. Seventeen cuts—the result of her fight against hypnotic control. She'd fought to retain her consciousness, and succeeded. The feeling of being controlled vanished.

Tiffany, having studied ancient texts on hypnosis from Felix, finally understood the essence of the practice. She could now counter-hypnosis.

"I wonder how Richard is," she thought, her face paling. Ignoring her wounds, she stood. The door opened, and Abbie and Zoe rushed in.

Relief washed over them at the sight of Tiffany. Seeing her injuries, they panicked. "What happened to you?"

Tiffany shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, then asked urgently, "Where's Richard? How is he?"

"We don't know. We were looking for you. We only know he was sent back to Royal Bay. With Sidney there, he should be okay," Zoe said, holding Tiffany, her voice trembling. "Tiffany, you scared us to death!"

"I'm sorry," Tiffany said, starting to walk, then stumbled, touching a chair. "Where's the light switch? Why didn't you turn on the lights?"

Zoe and Abbie exchanged a look; their expressions changed.