Chapter 124

Her eyes were red with tears as she pleaded, “Ms. Cameron, I’m begging you, please, don’t delay this any longer. What if something happens to Keen?”

Trapped between Haynes’s iron hold and Rachel’s shaky blockade, Stella’s pulse roared. That boy—her child, whatever his flaws—needed her. And no one would stop her from reaching him. With a determined look, Stella gave Rachel a sudden shove.

“Ahh!” Caught off guard, Rachel stumbled backward.

“Rachel!” Haynes’s expression shifted, and instinctively, he let go of Stella to help Rachel.

Seeing her chance, Stella lunged toward the doctor performing the emergency procedure.

Rachel caught sight of Stella’s movement and shouted, “Haynie, stop Stella!” But it was too late for Haynes to intervene.

Rachel turned to the crowd and cried out, “Is there anyone here who can help us? If you can save my child, we will make it worth your while!”

As soon as she spoke, several bystanders, who had been watching Stella interfere, stepped forward. They had long been frustrated with Stella’s interference, and the prospect of both helping and being rewarded was too tempting to resist.

“Let go of me! Let me go!” Stella thrashed wildly, but the crowd held her down with unyielding force.

Stella’s throat burned as she yelled, “The medicine’s in my pocket—use it! For God’s sake, use it!”

Before she could finish, Rachel interrupted, “Ms. Cameron, please stop hindering Keen’s rescue!”

Stella’s struggles were so fierce that it took several men to restrain her.

Stella glared at Haynes, her eyes blazing with desperation. “I’m his mother! I raised him from a baby! I know his condition best. Haynes, you’d rather trust a stranger over me?!”

Rachel stood between her and Haynes, her expression tinged with reproach. “Ms. Cameron, when you weren’t coming home, when you weren’t there for Keen, did you remember that you’re his mother? He’s lying there ill, and you’re preventing his treatment? What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?”

Rachel’s words sparked a flurry of murmurs among the onlookers.

“Wow, she’s really the kid’s mom?”

“She’s never around, never takes care of him, and now she’s blocking help? What the hell is wrong with her?”

“How could there be such a heartless mother?”

“Probably wants to remarry and sees the kid as a burden, huh?”

“Geez! Talk about a wicked stepmother!”

The crowd buzzed with accusations, painting Stella as a villain based on mere assumptions. The doctor, already unsure, hesitated even more after being repeatedly interrupted by Stella.

Haynes noticed the doctor’s indecision and snapped sharply, “What are you waiting for?!”

The doctor took a deep breath, about to proceed, when suddenly, a small figure darted through a gap in the crowd. The little figure quickly fished out a spray bottle from Stella’s pocket. Then, he rushed over to Keen’s side.

Both Haynes and the doctor noticed him, but it was too late to stop him.

Marvin sprayed the medicine directly toward Keen’s mouth and nose.