Chapter 282

Nathaniel's sharp gaze lifted. "Who's calling?"

Evelyn realized he'd missed the urgency. She thrust the phone into his hand.

"Answer it now! She might be in danger!"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, studying her face for a long moment before pressing the phone to his ear.

The desperate plea on the other end made his composed expression fracture instantly. He shot to his feet. "Where are you? Don't move! I'm coming!"

He ended the call and turned to leave, then hesitated, locking eyes with Evelyn.

She waved him off. "Go. I'll manage."

His jaw tightened. "Stay put. I'll return shortly." Then he was gone.

Evelyn froze. Those words—"Stay put. I'll return shortly"—echoed in her mind like a ghost from the past. The last words her mother ever spoke to her in that hospital room.

Her mother never came back.

The clock ticked past an hour. Evelyn finished her dessert and mindlessly scrolled through social media. Still no sign of Nathaniel.

'What's taking so long? I don't even know Amelia's room number...'

Too restless to sleep, Evelyn slipped out of bed. The VIP floor was silent, most patients already asleep.

She moved quietly toward the nurses' station. Before she reached it, she spotted police officers reviewing surveillance footage with a senior doctor.

"No need to escort us," an officer said. "We appreciate your cooperation."

The doctor nodded. "Our pleasure. Thank you for responding so quickly."

"Duty calls," the officer replied before leaving.

Evelyn caught snippets of hushed conversation from the nurses:

"—a stalker! In our hospital!"

"Can you believe he targeted Miss Amelia from 3C2? The audacity!"

"They should castrate creeps like that!"

"I just checked on her—still shaking like a leaf. Poor thing won't stop crying in her boyfriend's arms."

"That billionaire who bought the LED ads along Yonder River? Is he as gorgeous as they say?"

"More so. Makes my knees weak just looking at him!"

"Knees weak? Or something else?"