Elizabeth Wilson wasn't directly involved, so she couldn't truly understand what Emily Blair was feeling. She could only sit in silence.

Thankfully, Tristan Davis soon returned with food, and the warm, comforting aroma quickly filled the hospital room, dispelling the heaviness that lingered.

Over the past few days, Emily had wanted to talk to Alex White and Andrew Lane, but they were nowhere to be found.

She'd even asked Tristan to wheel her around the hospital in hopes of running into them, but the Austin family had already left, taking Isabella's remains with them.

The nurses said Alex White checked out the same day Isabella's body was taken away. Emily had even gone to his empty room, only to find someone else had already moved in.

If she could, Emily would have preferred to speak to him face to face.

But clearly, from the accident to his discharge, Alex had never come to see her. It was obvious he didn't want to.

Maybe he regretted everything.

Stuck in the hospital, Emily couldn't do much besides send Alex a message from her phone.

I know you're hurting, but I still want to thank you, and I'm sorry for your loss.

She typed and deleted, reworded, deleted again—hesitating, revising, unable to settle on the right words.

Finally, with a sigh, she sent a short message: Sorry for your loss.

Alex didn't reply right away, so Emily opened Andrew Lane's chat.

This time, she didn't hesitate: Thank you for helping with the kidnapping.

Neither Andrew nor Alex wrote back.

A few days later, Emily was discharged. The sun was shining as Tristan, Emma George, and Elizabeth all came to take her home.

Emma stood outside the hospital, beaming, flicking water over Emily with a branch of bay leaves. "Out with the bad luck!” she sang. "We have to get rid of all the hospital gloom, darling."

Emily closed her eyes, feeling fat droplets hit her shoulders and hair.

After a moment, she couldn't help but laugh, "Mom, that's enough, or you'll have me catching a cold!"

Emma hurriedly set aside the branch. “Oh, right, I forgot it's autumn already. We need to keep you warm! Into the car, let's all get in first."

Emily smiled as Tristan helped her into the back seat.

Truthfully, she no longer needed a wheelchair or even a cane, and she could walk on her own. But Tristan was never quite convinced.

No sooner had they settled in the car than her phone rang. It was the police station: they'd finally caught the two kidnappers, apprehending them in another state after several days on the run.

"Let's stop by the station first," Emily said quietly.

Tristan nodded. "Of course."

At the station, the officers explained what had happened just as Emily had expected. The kidnappers denied everything, claiming no one had hired them and that they'd acted alone, simply out of spite toward Emily.

Whoever was behind this was clever. So far, the investigation hadn't turned up any suspicious bank transfers or sudden increases in assets tied to the driver or the kidnappers.

The officers' faces showed their frustration; the case was at a standstill.

Emily didn't press further. Once she had her answers, she left the station.

Outside, Tristan updated her, "Benjamin Gomez is heading back to Aetheria today- private plane, his daughter's with him, plus their staff."

Emily remembered: Isabella Austin's ashes had been interred just yesterday.