<h4>Chapter 82: Chapter 81: The Choice</h4>
―――Early the next morning, South City.
A ck car was still driving on the wide road. Along the way, Norman Bet received numerous calls, but he didn’t answer any of them, eventually even turning off his phone.
Elliana Lyle didn’t have the heart to ask who it was; she just nkly stared out the car window in a daze.
From the rearview mirror, you could see several more cars, seemingly about to overtake them, and Norman Bet uncharacteristically exceeded the speed limit.
Finally, with a screeching sound, the car stopped abruptly, forcibly halted by a vehicle blocking the way ahead.
A tall man in a suit with a buzz cut got out of the car, walking directly to the front of Norman Bet’s vehicle. Elliana was so scared by the situation that she shrank back.
"Don’t worry, it’s okay," Norman Bet reassured.
The window slowly rolled down to reveal a young man with an average appearance, marked by a prominent flesh-colored scar across one eye.
He bowed to Norman Bet and then said respectfully, "Young Master! The Master says you should stay in North City. Pleasee back with us."
"Get lost." Norman Bet’s eyes, as icy as ever, now glistened with a trace of fury, clearly irate.
The man outside the window, named Raymond Wood, is a reliable bodyguard of Norman Bet’s father, Philip Bet, also considered something of ackey.
Hearing Norman Bet’s anger, Raymond dared not confront him, instead keeping his head slightly bowed as he repeated, "Young Master, please return with me. It’s an order from the Master." Then he added, "Don’t worry, Young Master, I’ll make arrangements to send Miss Lyle back."
"There’s no need to try to pressure me with him, move aside!"
"Young Master! Please don’t make this difficult for us." Before Raymond could finish speaking, several of Norman Bet’s bodyguards had already stepped out from the cars behind, numbering more than ten.
Raymond knew that if it came to a head-on confrontation with Norman Bet’s men, they’d surelye out worse. After all, the current head matriarch is unable to have heirs, and the Bets would inevitably be Normans’s in the future.
After thinking it through, Raymond recognized the pros and cons, so he stepped back a bit and bowed to Norman Bet, then returned to his car, driving away.
"Norman, was it Uncle asking you to go back?" As the car drove down the road, Elliana’s dazed almond eyes looked at the man.
"Mm! It’s nothing, don’t worry."
Norman Bet kept a cold face, devoid of any expression or emotion, yet seemed to be repressing something, though apparently, everything was fine.
"Oh." Elliana nodded slightly and fell silent, gazing for a while at the man’s handsome profile, then absent-mindedly turned her eyes back to the car window.
But Raymond was not about to give up. His men continued to follow Norman from behind but were squeezed out by Norman’s team, forcing them to follow from a distance.
By the time they reached the hospital, it was already noon.
This season, the sun hardly provided any warmth, and the hospital entrance wasn’t as deserted as that night.
After parking, she hurriedly pushed open the car door, her mind only on getting inside to see her mother. s, her ankle, injured before, failed her, and she fell forward.
Thankfully, Norman Bet caught her just in time, preventing her from hitting the ground.
"Don’t rush!" Norman gently picked her up, careful not to aggravate her foot injury.
The hospital had wheelchairs, and the man pushed her toward the ICU where Elliana’s mother was staying.
At this moment, only medical staff were in the room. Her mother’s room was empty, neither Mr. Lyle nor anyone else was there.
But she didn’t have time to care about that. What she didn’t know was that Mr. Lyle hadn’t told anyone except her.
She couldn’t go in now. She could only look inside from the window’s ss, where a group of medical staff appeared to be performing emergency treatment.
"Don’t be afraid, everything will be fine." The man held her tense hand tightly, managing to calm her down a bit.
At this time, she silently murmured, a normally non-religious person now finding herself praying: Nothing will happen... nothing will happen, please protect us, Buddha...
...
―――Half an hourter.
"The patient suffered a brain hemorrhage. Resuscitation failed. She is dered dead. Please ept our condolences."
A doctor in blue scrubs, wearing sses, said guiltily before slightly bowing his head.
These words utterly chilled Elliana’s already tense heart.
Her lower lip trembled, her transparent eyes filled with disbelief, and her hands clutched the wheelchair’s armrests, trying to stand up.
But her effort was in vain.
"No... No..." Elliana emotionally pped the wheelchair’s armrests, her voice bing more urgent: "Norman, push me in there, let me see!"
The woman lying in the hospital bed showed no sign of life. Her lips were pale, her face covered in minor scratches, with a bandaged head showing no hair.
Looking at this scene before her, Elliana opened her mouth but could not find words to say. Her tears broke free, flowing from reddened eyes down her cheeks.
Her mother was always so beautiful; how could she be like this? She would rather not believe this dead woman was her mother.
Norman squatted down in front of her, wiping her tears with his thumbs, though he couldn’t wipe them all away. His heart ached, yet he felt that perhaps crying would help her feel a little better.
What’s the point of it all in this life?
She still hadn’t protected her family, still let Shane Southwell kill her mother. She would never again hear her mother call her Elliana or see her mother’s smile.
"Mom..." Her trembling voice only lightly uttered that one word, holding all she wanted to say, all the words she couldn’t articte.
This was the second time she had witnessed her mother’s passing. She couldn’t ept it. Why... why did it have to turn out like this...
"Girl! Girl! Don’t do this!" Seeing Elliana’s face flush purple from holding her breath, Norman hurriedly patted her back, hoping to help her steady her breath.
But Elliana only felt her heart filled with thorns and a heavy stone crashing down, leaving her unable to breathe.
"Girl! Girl!"
The person in front of him suddenly went limp in his arms, eyes closed, clearly having fainted!
...
―――South Joy Hotel.
"Boss, your family is urging you. Do you think you should go back first?" Raymond Wood looked troubled. He hadn’t intended to disturb Norman Bet, but he couldn’t ignore the message from the Bets’ people.
"How are things at the hospital?"
Norman Bet sat quietly by the bed, lightly stroking the little girl’s forehead. The doctor said she’d be fine once she woke up, so he stayed by her side.
"Someone from the Lyle family hase and taken away Mrs. Lyle’s body," Raymond Wood replied.
"Okay." Norman Bet responded softly, keeping his gaze on Elliana’s small face, his emotionsplicated. At some point, all he wanted was to be by her side, without worrying about anything else.
Seeing Norman Bet’s nonchnt reaction, Raymond became a bit anxious. After some thought, he decided to convey Raymond Wood’s original words to Norman.
"Boss, Raymond said that Mr. Bet wants you to return to North City immediately, or face the consequences."
Norman Bet narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Raymond, who quickly lowered his head in fear.
"I understand. Has Lana arrived?"
Just yesterday, he had instructed Lana, who had recuperated, to return today to apany Elliana.
Upon hearing this, Raymond Wood let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had been pardoned, then nced at his watch and said, "She should arrive soon."
"Okay."
Raymond Wood understood Norman’s intention; he wanted to leave after Lana arrived. He wanted to spend a little more time with Miss Lyle.
"Boss, I’ll head down first then."
...
By the time Lana arrived, it was already 6 PM. After Norman Bet exined some trivial matters to her, he left the hotel.
This was also the first time Lana heard Norman say so much; it was rare to see the usually reticent Young Master speak at such length.
"Rest assured, Young Master, I will take good care of the Young Lady."