Chapter 1415:
Alexia signed each page without hesitation and handed the documents back to the nurse.
With the papers in hand, the nurse disappeared into the operation room, leaving everyone else gathered outside in tense silence.
Word had gotten out fast, and soon the hallway was crowded with new arrivals. Napier, Jace, Anika, Brea, and Wade all arrived one after another.
Anika’s voice trembled as she turned to the group. “Do you know how they’re holding up right now?”
Tension crackled through the assembled crowd. Tears streamed down Alexia’s face, and she struggled to form a single word.
Charles wiped his eyes and turned to Napier, trying to speak. “Grandpa…” The words caught in his throat. He just shook his head, unsure how to continue.
Trudy squeezed Charles’ hand for reassurance before facing the others to explain what had unfolded since the livestream ended.
“In short, they managed to get everyone out safely,” Trudy remarked, though her voice wavered. “But we still don’t know if they’ll pull through.”
Ari had lost a lot of blood from Macauley’s attack, but after receiving treatment, the doctors were hopeful she would recover.
Doctors were fighting to keep Brandon and Myron alive, their conditions grave but not beyond hope.
Only Millie’s prognosis was worse.
“Millie’s doing really badly,” Trudy said, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes filled with tears. “They just sent out a notice. It’s serious.”
She reached for Alexia and gently rubbed her back, offering what little comfort she could.
Helga soon appeared, leaning heavily on both of her children as they guided her forward.
Her eyes told the story—red and puffy from hours of tears.
𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝗵𝓮𝗿𝗲: gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧾ⅼ𝗈𝗺
Guilt clung to her, weighing down every breath she had taken since the incident.
She broke down and cried, her voice shaking. “Ari was right there in my arms. If only I had paid more attention, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”
Giffard tried to comfort her, his words rough and strained. “You can’t take all the blame, Mrs. Elliott. Macauley set off a smoke bomb. Nobody could see a thing. He was after Ari, and he even shot at the guards. It was out of your hands.”
No matter what he said, Helga couldn’t let go of her regret. Babette approached soon after, offering her arm to help her grandparents, who wore the same look of worry as everyone else.
Brea’s voice came from the edge of the group. “Does anyone know what’s happening at the factory?”
“By the time the rescue team got them out, the building had already come down. Macauley and Vivian were still trapped inside. I don’t think they could have survived that, though,” Sheridan said, steadying Alexia.
The whole group fell quiet, the silence broken only by the steady footsteps and hushed orders of the hospital staff. Someone in the crowd finally spoke up. “Has anyone heard about Nicole?”
No one had an answer. Every person in the hallway slowly shook their head.
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