he bedside phone shatte

tantly hammering against her ribs. She

nd. "He's crashing! The doctors say that mass they found-it's cancer.

had warned about. She had pushed it to the back of her mind, buried it under the chaos of the gala and the marriage and Eston's assault

room and collided hard w

wearing black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt,

ld terror in her eyes. He dropped the

s refusing to expand. "He's dying. The

t waste a single second asking questions. He pulled

to the phone. He grabbed Audriana's hand a

ed lights. Ellwood sat next to Audriana, making rapid-fire calls. He was mobilizing the top oncolo

halt at the emergency e

t heads were already standing outside, sw

tor rushed forward, practically bowing. "Mr. Maxwell, the cancer h

's knees

lared at the director, his eyes burning with a terrifying

her arms around her daughter's neck. "The sedatives wore off and they told me everything," Edythe sobbed into Audriana's shoulder. "I've been sit

urned and walked directly into the doctors' c

rgeted therapy. If we administer it during a high-risk bypass... he might surviv

the conference table. The loud

nance. "Use the experimental drug. Do the surgery. If he dies, I will personally ensure t

ere he had been reviewing scans. "We have the protocol ready, Mr. Maxwell. But we need the hospital's full surgical infrastructure to execute it. That i

clipboard with a surgical consent form. He hande

hand was shaking so violently

hers, his chest pressing against her back. He guided her hand, fo

he looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.

htened over hers.

?" Her voice was barely a w

d nothing. Then: "The drug is not FDA-approved. If he su

he risk pressed down on her chest-not just her father's life, but Ellwood's exposu

d like a physical anchor. The panic in her chest slowly receded.

-a nurse had approached her and silently handed her a pair of soft hospital slippers.

took five ag

ut. He looked like he had run a marathon, but he was smiling. "The t

w her arms around Ellwood's waist, burying her face into his c

is arms hovered in the air. Then, slowly, he lowered his h

nd walked over. She cle

burning red. She quickly wiped

djusted his shirt and looked at Edythe. He g

e to the massive diamond ring on Audriana's left hand

said smoothly, stepping away. He gave Audriana a

all, leaving Audrian

s arm and dragged her to