Chapter 18
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Alice licked her slightly chapped lips, a glint of madness sparking in her eyes.
It had been a long time since she’d felt this thrill.
“If you’re fine, then hold on tight!”
With that, she suddenly slammed the gas pedal.
The tires screeched as they scraped against the guardrail, shooting white–hot sparks into the air.
Just ahead of them was the city overpass.
If they couldn’t pull this off, the two of them weren’t just looking at a wreck–they could cause a massive chain of car accidents.
The other drivers, startled by the sheer speed of her car, instinctively pulled over. It was unlike anything they’d ever seen.
It left them insanely terrified
On the overpass , all the vehicles came to a standstill.
Below, drivers on the ground–level highway also sensed danger and quickly moved out of the
way .
Alice spotted a concrete barrier ahead and yanked the wheel. At the last second , she slammed on the brakes.
Bang!
The impact was deafening.
The car smashed into the barrier. The force flipped the concrete block, and the vehicle finally came to a shuddering halt.
The airbags deployed in an instant.
Blood trickled from Eric’s temple as he slumped forward against the airbag, unconscious.
Alice unbuckled her seatbelt, grimacing from the pain that spread through her body after the
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crash .
Then the sound of ambulance sirens was heard.
She exhaled slowly and shoved the door open..
The jolt from the collision left her sore all over, but she pushed through it.
Alice took a deep breath and waved to the approaching ambulance before rushing to the passenger side.
Paramedics arrived and pried open the passenger door, lifting Eric onto a stretcher.
“I’ll save him!” Alice said firmly.
One of the medics frowned. “Ma’am, you need to be checked out too. Don’t push yourself.”
“I’m a doctor. Her body ached, but it wasn’t enough to keep her from doing her job.
Still, the paramedics didn’t give her time to explain and hauled Eric into the ambulance.
Alice quickly caught up with them. She ignored those who tried to stop her and climbed into the back with them.
“Wait!”
She interrupted just as the nurse was placing an oxygen mask on Eric.
The nurse was ready to scold her for interfering with the doctor order, but Alice moved fast.
Before the nurse could stop her, she plunged a silver needle into Eric’s chest.
“What are you doing?!” the nurse cried, alarmed.
Check the monitor!” Alice barked.
Her gaze stayed locked on the needle in Eric’s chest, as she took a deep breathed.
The medics turned toward the monitor, and their eyes widened.
Eric’s vitals–once dangerously unstable–were now climbing back to normal. Heart rate. Blood pressure. All leveling out.
The nurse and doctor exchanged a look, then glanced down.
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The silver needle had turned black.
At the Nolan Mansion.
Oscar was doing much better since waking up.
Today, he could finally get out of bed and walk.
Ruby supported him gently, said something amusing, and the two of them exchanged at glance and smiled at each other.
From a distance, Irene watched them with quiet contentment.
But the moment was shattered when Hugh came rushing up. He leaned in close to Ruby and whispered a few words.
Though his voice was low, Oscar still caught it.
“What did you say? What happened to Eric?”
Hugh hesitated, unsure whether to speak the truth.
Irene, alarmed, quickly joined them.
“Hugh, tell me what happened to Eric!”
No matter what Eric had done to embarrass the family in the past, Irene was still his grandmother. Blood ties ran deeper than old grudges.
Hugh sighed. There was no point in hiding it.
He rubbed his forehead, looking troubled. “Mr. Eric and Mrs. Nolan were in a car accident on their way back . They’ve already been taken to the hospital.”
Hugh paused, his voice tightened.
“Mr. Eric… he might not… sigh!”
“Ms. Irene! Ms. Irene!”
Before he could finish, Irene’s legs gave out. She collapsed.
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“Mr. Oscar!*
Oscar staggered when he heard the news, the shock hitting him like a blow. A wave of nausea surged and he coughed up a mouthful of dark blood.
Ruby screamed for the servants to help. She grabbed her phone and called Melanic.
Then she turned to the servant and urged, “Go to the hospital. Find out if Eric is still alive!”
But before they could get any news, someone else arrived–William.
He came with a heavy–duty safe, escorted by two bodyguards to make sure everything was
secure.
Serafine Atelier had always prided itself on keeping its word. But this time, after the loss of so many priceless pieces, the major shareholders were furious.
William couldn’t care less what happened to Eric now. Honestly, he hoped the Nolans would be too caught up in their own drama to even ask about the items.
He’d even be willing to cover the losses himself–anything to get this mess over with.
And because Serafine Atelier held significant influence in Mapleford, even someone of William’s lower rank was treated with respect.
“Mr. William, I hope you understand. We’re dealing with something urgent right now,” Hugh said apologetically. “Please wait a bit–Mrs. Nolan will be here soon.”
William raised an eyebrow, intrigued. The Nolans were the most powerful family in Mapleford. What could possibly keep Ruby?