Chapter 8

Outside the hospital, Tom stood beside River and said, “Mr. Marsh, the family of the victim refuses to sign the pardon letter.”

River looked down at the name on the document.

[Mark Stane.]

The familiar surname made him pause. “Why does that name look so familiar?”

Tom was about to say that this was Violet’s father when Nina spoke up. “There are so many people with the same names nowadays. That name is very common.”

Then, she teared up and said, “River, you’ll help me, won’t you? I don’t want to go to jail. I’m so scared.”

River immediately moved his focus away and patted the back of her hand gently as he said firmly, “With me around, nothing will happen to you.”

He then tossed the pardon letter to Tom and said coldly, “Handle it. I just want it done.”

Tom hesitated for a moment before he whispered, “Shouldn’t you explain things to Mrs. Marsh? This is her—”

But River thought Tom was talking about how Nina was slapped in the face, so he dismissed his words with an annoyed wave of his hand. “It’s only right for me to punish her according to the family rules. Don’t say anything more about it.”

…

Back in the ward, when Violet’s despair was about to swallow her whole, Tom came to her again.

He held the pardon letter and said calmly but with authority, “Please sign this, Mrs. Marsh, or Dr. Luther won’t operate on your father. He won’t survive.”

It was not a blatant threat but sounded every bit like it.

Violet glanced at the ICU. As she listened to the faint beeps from the monitors, she felt herself tremble.

After a long time passed, she said, “I’ll sign it.”

The moment she finished, the pen slipped down from her limp fingers.

Tom put the pardon letter away and left.

The red light above the operating room was blinding, but Dr. Luther did not show up.

Dr. Stern was so anxious that he was covered in cold sweat. “Where is Dr. Luther? The patient is in critical condition. If he doesn’t get operated on soon, he’s going to die!”

Violet’s face was pale as she called Tom.

But the moment the call went through, Tom said, “Mrs. Marsh, Dr. Luther did arrive, but Miss Lane suddenly had trouble breathing, and Mr. Marsh asked Dr. Luther to check on her first.”

Violet was so angry that she trembled. She called River.

But there was no answer.

Her despair overcame her, and she did not dare delay things anymore. She ran through the corridor in a frenzy and searched through the entire hospital, floor by floor.

In the end, she found River in the VIP ward on the top floor. He was sitting beside Nina with a gentle look in his eyes.

“River!” Violet rushed to the door and cried out hoarsely, “Let me see Dr. Luther! My father is waiting in the operating room!”

River looked up slowly in displeasure. “Dr. Luther is treating Nina. If you’re throwing a tantrum, do it with more tact.”

“There are plenty of doctors in the hospital. Why do you have to ask Dr. Luther to treat her? My dad’s life is on the line, you—”

But before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted.

“I already told you before that you aren’t allowed any special privileges for your father’s surgery.”

He refused to look at her any further and said to his bodyguards coldly, “Take her outside. Don’t let her interfere when Dr. Luther’s treating Nina.”

The bodyguards immediately stepped forward to drag her out.

Violet struggled and demanded at the top of her lungs. “You forced me to sign the pardon letter, and I relented! Why are you still refusing to let Dr. Luther treat my father?!”

In her despair, she pleaded, “River, I’m begging you… Please save my father first!”