Hospital.

Charlotte was making her usual rounds through the inpatient wing, jotting down notes on her patients, when a nurse approached her and

whispered, “Dr. Sterling, the patient in Room 36 is refusing to listen. He’s insisted on hobbling out with his cane to visit his wife in another department.”

Charlotte paused, pen hovering over the chart. Room 36–that was Stevenson, wasn’t it?

“His wife’s here too?”

“I think so. She’s in orthopedics.”

Charlotte closed her notebook and offered the nurse a reassuring smile. “I’ll bring him back in a bit.”

“Thank you, Dr. Sterling.”

At the nurses‘ station, Charlotte picked up the phone and called the orthopedics department to find out which room Candida was in, then headed across the corridor.

The nurse in orthopedics explained that Candida had fallen down the stairs, suffering a shattered left foot and a dislocated pelvis. She’d been brought in by ambulance–alone.

It was likely Candida herself had contacted Stevenson.

Charlotte reached the room and lifted her hand to knock, but paused when she heard Candida’s muffled sobs from inside. “I carried my daughter for nine months–how could she suddenly belong to someone else? How could something like this happen?”

Stevenson’s voice sounded worn, exhausted. “This… this is my fault…”

Charlotte pushed open the door.

looked up, startled, then quickly dropped his gaze,

1/3

Chapter 324

thought.

administration finds out, your insurance won’t cover the cost,” Charlotte reminded him gently, though her

was the one who called him over, Dr. Sterling. I’ll send him

promise I’ll go back afterward. If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. The

his wife off guard; her eyes turned red as

hold back tears.

moment. “Just this once. Don’t let it

again.”

Sterling!” The Donovans‘ gratitude was plain in

away, Candida

anyway?”

steps back, and

rescue, remember?” Stevenson began. “When the ambulance took them away, that bracelet fell from the girl’s wrist, so I picked it up. It looked valuable–gold coins and all–so I held onto it: Later, I showed it to a friend from the village, but he said it wasn’t worth much. After that, I just put it away and

about it.”

expected Lottie to find it, or that those coins would turn out

Charlotte stood still, stunned.

her hand went to her bare wrist. She’d

2/2

14-43

Chapter 324

after the kidnapping, it had

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255