Chapter 11

The news was an absolute bombshell, and Tina was left with a dull hum in her head.

How many days had it only been, and something so terrible had happened to Loving Heart Orphanage! And how is she supposed to go out with Samuel keeping her at the mansion?!

“I’ll be right there!” Nonetheless, she asked which hospital Sylvia Woods was at, hung up and quickly rushed out of the mansion.

The bodyguards posted there promptly got in her way. “Miss Lynd, you’re not allowed to leave.”

“I’m going to the hospital!” Tina cried anxiously. “Someone important to me is hurt—I need to check on her!”

“Family?”

“Yes, she’s family…”

One of the bodyguards made a call then, and said, “But your family is doing fine at home, Miss Lynd.”

“I’m not talking about them, they’re not—” Tina tried to explain, but then remembered…

Hence, she tried to make a run for it, but the bodyguards simply restrained her and locked her in her room.

“Samuel Langford, you scumbag!” Tina stamped her feet, hating Samuel to death even though he wasn’t there.

That was when she spotted a tree in the backyard with branches that had grown near the wall, and suddenly had an idea…

Ten minutes later, she managed to climb down to the backyard from the window with torn blankets, and then used every bit of strength she had to climb up the tree.

Eventually, she reached the top of the wall, and though her legs had turned to jelly and were shaking when she looked down, she gritted her teeth and jumped off.

Still, she ignored the bruises and cuts all over her body and hailed a cab. “Excuse me… could you take me to—”

That was when she suddenly realized that she had used up all her money.

“Where are we going?” the cabbie asked impatiently then. “Get in—don’t just stand there.”

“Sorry… I-I think I’ll walk,” Tina said awkwardly.

“Then why did you stop me? What a waste of time!”

As the cab sped off, Tina tried to scrounge for some coins from her pockets. Then, she limped towards a bus stop as she withstood the pain…

Once she reached the hospital, she asked a nurse at the ER department desk, “Hello, I’m looking for Sylvia Woods.”

“Are you her family?”

“Yes.” Tina nodded.

“Okay,” the nurse replied. “She’s at Ward 3398—she’s not in danger for the moment.”

Tina nodded, but the nurse called out to her when she was about to head upstairs.

“Hold on a moment… Since Madam Woods was hit in the head during the incident, we scanned her head, and spotted a tumor in her brain.”

Tina became worried right then. “What? A brain tumor?! Is it malignant or benign?”

“No worries, it’s benign. However, it’s growing quite far inside and general surgery won’t do. She needs to be transferred to a hospital specializing in neurology…”

Tina basically had no idea what the nurse was talking about, until she mentioned an approximate cost for the surgery.

“... It would probably cost fifteen grand.”

“Oh, I see…” Tina murmured.

She entered the elevator, her thoughts a mess.

She had grown up in Sylvia Woods’s company and often volunteered at her orphanage, and no one knew about the circumstances better than her.

The Lynds had funded the founding of Loving Heart Orphanage as a PR move, and basically did not care about it. In fact, any donations from any charitable person would end up in the Lynds’ pockets. That was why life had never improved at the orphanage, and the children had to live frugally.

Although Sylvia didn’t have any children, she loved the children at the orphanage dearly and would use her own salary for all expenditures, even taking up a considerable debt…

How was she supposed to fork out fifteen grand for the surgery now?

Meanwhile, Tina headed to Sylvia’s ward, where she found Sylvia awake.

“Oh, Tina!” Sylvia grasped Tina’s hands frailly, and there was trauma mixed with delight even as she murmured, “Thank goodness I’m still alive to see you! That was so close… What would happen to the children if I’m gone?”

Despite Sylvia's long-winded complaint, Tina was also asking herself—yes, what would happen to the children if Sylvia was gone?

She had thought of Sylvia as family for the longest time. How could she just watch and do nothing?

“I wonder when I will get better… This is definitely going to cost a lot.” Sylvia sighed just then.

“You’ll definitely recover.” Tina gave her hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ll get the money!”

“Are you going to borrow from the Lynds?” Sylvia asked worriedly, even though she was still in the dark about Tina’s family drama.

“I’ll come up with something.” Tina sighed and rose to her feet then. “Wait for me, madam. I’ll come back later to check on you.”

She made up her mind—she would go to Samuel Langford!

According to the agreement, she would be rewarded with fifteen million dollars after three months.

Surely she could ask to be paid a portion before that, couldn’t she?!

“Move, little lady!” A car honked behind her. “You’re in the way!”

Tina turned and realized that she was at the basement parking lot already.

Her eyes lit up. She could just wait here, and Samuel would definitely show up!

The thought affirmed Tina’s decision—she must get to Samuel! Madam Woods’s condition couldn’t wait!

As she turned to leave, she whipped out her phone and searched for Samuel’s office address.

However, she was so distracted she ran headlong into someone at a corner.

“Ouch!”

Startled, Tina quickly apologized, “Sorry…”

“Are you blind?! Watch where you’re going!”

The woman’s sharp voice caused Tina to look up in panic.

After all, the person she had run into was none other than…