<b>hapter </b><b>256 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>256


    Hannah felt the full force of their malice pressing down on her, her chest tightening with suffocating rage. “I’m going to work on HG13 virus,” she choked


    <b>out</b>.


    With those words, she stormed out.


    <b>‘</b><b>My </b>only chance to make everyone respect me again and put this whole incident behind us is to develop the HG13 virus inhibitor, she thought.


    Aria nearly ran into Owen at the doorway. He handed her the med kit and said, “I’ll be right here waiting.”


    Aria took the med kit and strode into the emergency room.


    A doctor, looking grim, announced solemnly, “The baby likely won’t make it. Let’s stabilize her first and wait for the director and the OB–GYN team to


    arrive.”


    Giana tried frantically to get up, but the doctor quickly held her shoulders. “Giana,” he said, “you’ll have other children.”


    Tears streaming down her face, Giana sobbed hysterically, “You’re lying! I can’t get pregnant again. I’ll never conceive again!”


    Hearing Giana’s desperate cries, Aria parted the curtain and stepped inside.


    Her sudden entrance caught everyone off guard.


    Giana’s face was ashen as she reached out a trembling hand toward Aria. “Aria, please… save me. Save my baby.”


    In that instant, <b>á </b>gaunt, pallid face shed through Aria’s mind.


    In her mind<b>, </b>she suddenly heard a desperate voice from the past, “Aria, please save me… I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die…<b>” </b>


    Aria took a deep breath, steadying the turmoil within. She opened the medical kit, retrieved a vial, and shook out a pill. Bending down<b>, </b>she held it to Giana’s lips. “Take this.”


    cing all her hope in Aria, Giana swallowed the pill without hesitation.


    The two doctors snapped to attention, fixing their gaze on Aria with <b>a </b>mix of professional rm and suspicion. Their voicesced with urgency<b>, </b>one demanded, “What did you just give her?”


    Aria was wholly focused on taking Giana’s pulse, tuning out the doctors‘ urgent questions.


    Giana cut in firmly, “I trust her. Get out.”


    The two doctors‘ expressions darkened. One of them cautioned urgently, “Giana, there are many unlicensed quacks practicing traditional medicine. Aria doesn’t have a medical license. You can’t just…”


    Giana snapped, “Get out!”


    Aria looked at them firmly. “She can’t take any more stress. Leave now.”


    The two doctors exchanged a helpless nce<b>, </b>then finally turned and walked out.


    “Everyone outside, leave now,” Ariamanded.


    Everyone else slowly filed out<b>, </b>leaving only Giana’s two closest friends by her side as the room grew quiet.


    The room fell into silence, broken only by the faint beeping of medical monitors.


    Giana asked weakly, “Can<b>, </b>can you save my baby?”


    <b>Chapter </b><b>256 </b>


    It was <b>possible </b><b>to </b>save the baby. But it would require acupuncture.


    <b>Aria’s </b><b>fingers </b>tightened unconsciously as she looked <b>at </b>Giana<b>, </b>choosing her words carefully. “The baby could be saved if we <b>could </b><b>get </b><b>you </b><b>to </b>a <b>specialized </b>hospital <b>in </b>time<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    <b>They </b>were stuck in Jamn, too far from any proper hospital, and her condition wouldn’t hold out much longer.


    Clinging to herst shred of hope, Giana bit down hard on her lower lip, her eyes pleading desperately. “You must have a way, don’t <b>you</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Aria’s heart ached with bitterness<b>. </b><b>‘</b>If only the old traditional medicine practitioner were here, she thought, ‘this child would have had a chance.


    <b>“</b><b>If </b><b>an </b>experienced traditional medicine practitioner can administer acupuncture promptly and provide supportive treatment, there’s about <b>a </b>fifty percent chance of saving the baby,” Aria said cautiously.


    Giana gripped Aria’s hand tightly, desperate hope shing in her eyes. “Then please<b>, </b>Aria, do it!”


    Aria felt her throat constrict–the suffocating sensation left her utterly speechless.


    Giana’s heart sank like a stone. The hope that had just red up was instantly snuffed out. Her voice quivered as she barely managed to ask, “You<b>, </b><b>you </b><b>do </b>know how to do this, right?


    “Aria, please just try. If you try and the baby doesn’t make it, I’ll ept it as fate.”


    Aria’s gaze darkened as it fell on Giana’s face. “Giana, thest person I treated, um, didn’t make <b>it</b>.”