?Chapter 1234:


    “It’s all right,” she said calmly, her tone cool and collected.


    Noah still looked too fragile to handle visitors.


    Only when he restedfortably did Sadie rise again, her posture calm. “What’s your n for Noah’s treatment? And what about Stuart—has he been dealt with?”


    She had no special concern for Lawson’s oue, but she couldn’t ignore Hurst’s ruthless nature.


    A mocking twist appeared at the corner of Hurst’s mouth, his expression as cold as ice.


    His gaze slid to Sadie’s bandaged hand, taking in the white gauze against her pale skin.


    The stark contrast of bandage and skin seemed to magnify her vulnerability. Despite the scene, Hurst’s expression never softened. Any sign of sympathy was missing.


    “I see your hand was bandaged.” Hurst’s voice sounded casual, almost indifferent, as if they were discussing the weather. “You still don’t trust me?”


    Sadie locked eyes.


    She stood firm, unflinching beneath his unreadable stare. “Is there any reason I should trust you?” she asked, her words sharp and entirely warranted.


    Trust was never a word that belonged in the same sentence as Hurst.


    A soft, humorlessugh slipped from him as he dodged her question entirely.


    For someone like Hurst, trust was irrelevant—only the oue ever mattered. Turning away, he set his attention on Noah, whoy on the bed, more like a puzzle than a patient.


    “I read Mr. Wall’s file on the way here. To say his situation is critical is putting it mildly.”


    Tension thickened the air, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped. Sadie’s fingers curled tight at her side, an involuntary reaction she couldn’t suppress.


    Reality had never blinded her to Noah’s fragile state, but hearing Hurst say it so inly brought a fresh wave of dread.


    Whether he noticed or not, Hurst gave no sign that her distress mattered to him. He continued speaking in that emotionless tone.


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    “Stuart’s so-called solution—putting a chip in Mr. Wall’s brain—might keep him alive for now.” A derisive smile left his lips. “But don’t mistake it for a real fix. That’s only a bandage, hardly the kind of solution this calls for.”


    A somber shadow crossed Sadie’s face.


    Facts were facts, and she could not deny the truth in his words.


    A reckless person like Stuart was bound to chase after desperate, half-baked answers, leaving a trail of consequences behind.


    Still, the confidence in Hurst’s manner said he was nowhere near finished. There was a dangerous depth to him—Hurst never showed his full hand and could never be predicted.


    “So what exactly are you suggesting?” she asked, enunciating each word clearly.


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