Alice York didn’t tell her grandparents about Mindy Vaughn’s car accident. They were getting on in years and couldn’t handle the shock.
After booking a car, Alice York hurried to say goodbye to them. "Grandma, Grandpa, sothing urgent ca up in Silvanus, and they’re pushing to head back. I won’t be staying the night."
Her grandmother had been discussing what to cook for Alice York that evening with her grandfather. When she suddenly heard Alice say she had to leave right away, her brow furrowed into deep lines. "Little Girl, why are you in such a sudden hurry to leave? You’ve been here for less than half a day. Last year, you at least stayed for one night..."
Alice York felt extrely guilty. "It’s an ergency. It can’t be delayed."
"Little Girl, can’t you try to reason with them? Just leave after dinner, how about it? It’s so rare for you to co back for a visit..."
Her grandmother wiped her hands on her apron and was about to pull Alice over, but her grandfather caught her arm.
That small gesture made Alice York’s eyes well up.
Her grandfather was always the more clear-headed one. "Little Girl already said it’s an ergency and she has to rush back to handle it. Besides, it’s not easy for her to co back for a visit in the first place. Don’t make things difficult for her."
Her grandmother fell silent, but she still looked heartbroken.
Her grandfather then turned to Alice York and asked with concern, "Little Girl, is the car on its way?"
"It is. It’s on its way now," Alice York replied.
Always wanting to be helpful, her grandfather made a move to go back inside. "Did you get all your luggage? And..."
"Grandpa," Alice York quickly stopped him, "I didn’t bring any luggage."
Her grandfather scratched the back of his head. "I could’ve sworn I carried a bunch of stuff in from the car."
Alice York chuckled. "Those were all supplents and clothes I bought for you and Grandma. Make sure you eat the food and wear the clothes. Don’t let them sit for too long, and don’t be afraid to use them."
With that, she glanced at her watch. The car was almost here.
When she looked up and saw her grandparents watching her, their faces full of reluctance to see her go, Alice York felt as if she had swallowed broken glass.
’But you can’t plan for everything. Who could have predicted this?’
The car was here.
After getting in the car, Alice York didn’t dare to look back, afraid she would see her grandparents secretly wiping their tears.
Not long after the car drove off, Alice York received another call from Mindy Vaughn’s phone. It was the "doctor" again, asking where she was.
Alice imdiately asked the driver, "Sir, how much longer until we reach the county town?"
The driver replied, "About sixteen or seventeen minutes."
Alice imdiately said to the doctor on the other end of the line, "I’m almost there. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. My mom, is she..."
BEEP BEEP BEEP...
Alice York hadn’t even finished speaking when the line suddenly went dead.
Alice York froze for a mont, then lowered the phone to look at the screen. The other party had hung up on her!
’The call being suddenly disconnected must an there’s an ergency on their end. Either they’re in the middle of resuscitation, or...’
Alice York didn’t dare to think any further. She quickly urged the driver, "Sir, please, can you go a little faster?"
A ten-plus minute drive wasn’t short, but it wasn’t long either. No matter how fast he went, he couldn’t fly. The driver could only offer a few words of comfort, not daring to actually break the law and speed.
After arriving at the county hospital, Alice York quickly paid the fare and ran inside. She first asked at the information desk, then hurried to the inpatient departnt. After checking with the nurse’s station, she found Mindy Vaughn’s room.
She pushed the door open and went inside.
Mindy Vaughn was sitting on the hospital bed, completely conscious. There were no signs of obvious major trauma on her body, just a piece of gauze taped to her arm.
"Mom, are you..."
Alice York was speaking as she walked in, but before she could finish, Mindy Vaughn cut her off, shouting a warning:
"Don’t co in! Run!"
Alice York’s expression changed. Her mother wouldn’t say sothing so alarming without a reason.
But before she could turn around, the door to the room slamd shut behind her.
Alice York’s heart leaped. At the sa ti, the phone she was clutching was forcibly snatched from her hand, so fast that she didn’t even have ti to fight back...
When she spun around, she saw two nacing-looking n standing before her.
"Who are you? Is this a robbery or a personal grudge?" Alice York asked, calmly backing away to shield Mindy Vaughn’s bed with her body.
Behind her, Mindy Vaughn gripped Alice York’s wrist tightly. "They haven’t ntioned money. It looks like a personal grudge."
Alice York glanced sideways. "Yours or mine?"
Mindy Vaughn shook her head. "I don’t know! They intercepted on the road, stole my phone, and even cut my hand to bring to the hospital and force to be admitted. They’ve been using my phone to contact you this whole ti..."
Alice York clenched her jaw, hating herself for not realizing it sooner.
’But they had been so ticulous; there was no way she could have seen it coming.’
"Relax, this isn’t a robbery. Our boss wants to have a few words with you," one of the n said, holding up a phone that was already dialing.
That was Mindy Vaughn’s phone. Alice York’s phone was in the other man’s hand.
In the few seconds it took for the call to connect, Alice York quickly reached for the call bell.
Every hospital room had a call bell next to the bed. As a doctor, she knew this better than anyone. As long as she pressed it, a nurse would co—sooner or later. It was a chance.
But when Alice York pressed it, she discovered the bell was broken.
"They broke it a long ti ago. It’s useless," Mindy Vaughn said mournfully from the side.
Unwilling to give up, Alice York pressed it a few more tis. It was still no use.
Behind her, the call connected. Before Alice York could turn around, she heard a vaguely familiar voice greet her:
"Hi, Alice York."
Alice York’s body stiffened. She turned to look at the phone. There was no na saved for the contact, just a string of unfamiliar numbers, but that voice...
"Rember ?" Finn Hawthorne’s voice was faint, laced with amusent.
Alice York gritted her teeth, her expression twitching slightly with rage. "It’s you—!"
The phone was on speaker, and Finn Hawthorne’s laughter rang out. "Surprised, aren’t you? That the next ti you heard my voice, it would be like this."
Alice York quickly cald herself. "Alright, what do you want?"
Finn Hawthorne asked her, "Do you rember what I warned you about?"
Alice York furrowed her brow, recalling what Finn Hawthorne had said to her yesterday: "Be careful. Don’t let yourself fall into my hands one day."
’And now...’
"See? You really are careless. Fell right into my hands so quickly. Tsk," Finn Hawthorne said, laughing, clearly in an excellent mood.
’Listening to him laugh, I wish I could slap him through the phone. Unfortunately, I don’t have that power. Besides, now isn’t the ti to provoke him. When you’re on the chopping block, you can’t be too arrogant.’
So, Alice York softened her tone. "What do you want? Is this revenge for that cat? Are you planning on drawing blood? Or just humiliation? You can’t be planning to have soone rape , can you? Or maybe just kill off quietly?"
"..."
The other end of the line went completely silent.
It was so quiet that if Alice York hadn’t been looking at the "In Call" screen, she would have thought he’d hung up.
Behind her, a frightened Mindy Vaughn gripped Alice’s hand. "Alice, they wouldn’t go so far as to kill soone, would they? We have the Sterlings backing us..."
Alice York had already prepared for the worst. "The Hawthorne Family doesn’t care about background. Besides, Finn Hawthorne is so doted on in his family—he gets whatever he wants. Killing soone and cleaning up the ss would be an easy thing for him to do."
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