DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 521-530
Chapter 521
“Give it a whirl,” Arabella whipped out a massager and put it on Grace’s shoulders.
In no time, Grace closed her eyes in comfort, “This thing is amazing! Where did you get it? Bet it cost pretty penny.”
She’d bought a few massagers through her friends before, expensive but not too effective. However, this one felt great, so it must’ve cost a bomb. She always felt guilty making Arabella spend money.
“Not that pricey,” Arabella set it to a hand massage mode, watching her tenderly.
Grace relaxed and said, “My neck has been killing me for the past few days. I had trouble sleeping. Your gift couldn’t have come at a better time!” Arabella frowned at this, and she addressed her concern, “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”
“I can’t bother you with every little thing,” Grace started, but Arabella’s slender fingers were already on her arm.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a pathological sleep disorder.
Grace grinned, “I’m getting older, my body is going downhill, a bit of pain here and there is very normal at this age. You’re so sweet, I’m touched. Now I can get a good night’s sleep.”
“From now on, let me know if you’re not feeling well. Don’t worry about bothering me,” Arabella finished, she showed her how to operate the massager again, “This is the remote, there are different modes.”
After explaining, she sent a video to her phone, “In case you forget, I made a video of how to use it. Just watch it if you forget the procedure.”
“You’re such a sweetheart!” Grace looked at her, moved.
“Also,” Arabella pulled out a sachet from the gift bag, “Hang this by your bed, it’ll help you sleep.”
Grace took the sachet and admired it, “Your handiwork is getting better and better. The swan is so lifelike.”
“All thanks to your teaching.”
Arabella hung the sachet by the bed, there was a faint medicinal scent, very comforting.
“Also, these aramis can be used for massage, let me give it a shot.”
Seeing Arabella taking out two packs to prepare a foot massage, Grace quickly refused, “No, no, no, I can’t let you do this.”
“I’m your granddaughter, who else should do it?”
“You’re not just my granddaughter anymore.”
“Am I not still your granddaughter?”
Arabella opened the aramis, and was about to put it on her feet.
“No way, no way, I can let you do this,” Grace kept refusing.
“Just try it, it’ll feel great!” Arabella put the aramis on old woman’s feet and started to massage them.
The old lady laughed like a blooming flower, “It tickles, really tickles.”
Arabella couldn’t help but laugh, “See, didn’t I tell you, it feels great, right?”
“Yes, you’re the best child!” Grace couldn’t stop smiling, feeling truly happy.
“I have another gift in there for you to check out,” Arabella said, still massaging her feet.
“Another one? How many gifts did you prepare, you little rascal!” Grace kept pulling gifts out of the box, including a whole set of coffee brewing tools, high–end coffee beans, knee pads, steam eye masks, a blood glucose meter, reading glasses, and more.
བ ད མཆ ཇ ངན ཛ
Finally, Grace found an odd scarf in the bag.
It looked as though it was made by someone who wasn’t very good at knitting, certainly not Arabella. With her skills, she couldn’t possibly make something like that, but it didn’t look store–bought either.
Arabella saw her confusion and calmly explained, “It’s a hot trend this year, designed by a very unique designer. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure stands out.”
“Oh, I see,” Grace didn’t question further and happily accepted the gift.
“Also, there’s cake.”
Grace looked surprised, scanning the room, “The one on the table?”
Just as Arabella finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.
Grace was puzzled until she saw the person who walked in and overlapped with the young man in her memories.
It was Alberto Rollins.
Time had made him calmer and steadier, with less youthful vigor but more maturity and optimism.
He was well–dressed, energetic, with a voice as deep and resonant as a bell, “Grace, long time no see.”
His warm and enthusiastic demeanor was still imbued with his long–standing dignity and charm.
“Alberto?” Grace was surprised to see him.
Seeing who it was, Grace beamed, “No worries, I’m grateful you could come!”
“Grandpa Alberto, there’s a chair over there, please have a seat,” Arabella handed Grace a dry towel for her feet and deliberately asked in front of Alberto, “Granny, you haven’t yet told us how you like these gifts.”
“I love them, of course I do. I love brewing coffee and this set is beautiful, and these coffee beans are my favorite. I heard this brand has stopped production; how did you manage to get it?”
Arabella smiled slightly; indeed, those coffee beans had ceased production. Last year, the owner of the coffee bean company got old, handed the company to his son, but the son wasn’t good at running it, and accidentally drove the company to bankruptcy.
Alberto bought their company, took over their factory and formula, and started production again, producing coffee beans just for Grace.
Arabella casually said, “The company changed hands.”
“Then I’ll stock up in case they go out of business again!” Grace joked.
Arabella looked at her gently and assured her, “They won’t.”
In his lifetime, this production line would serve her alone.
But Grace didn’t know, she praised with a smile, “And these knee pads, blood glucose meter, reading glasses, and especially this scarf, are all very useful. You’re such a good kid, you’re so thoughtful!”
In fact, all these gifts were from Alberto, sent in Arabella’s name.
He spent two whole months knitting that scarf, stitch by stitch.
They said a scarf signified warmth and care.
Chapter 522
At that moment, Arabella shot Alberto a glance, her expression practically shouting: Granny likes it, she thinks you’re really thoughtful.
Alberto grinned, clearly pleased.
“I’m going to go grab the cake, you guys chat,” Arabella washed her hands and took the cake out of the box.
The cake was adorable, a smiling granny surrounded by a ring of peaches with various fruits as decorations, and the words ‘Longevity and Health‘ were written on top.
Alberto had started making that before dawn, under the guidance of a few pastry chefs. Though he wasted quite a bit of ingredients, he finally managed to make a decent–looking cake.
Grace couldn’t figure out who made it. She laughed and asked, “Bella, did you make this? It’s so pretty!”
She knew that her granddaughter was a whizz at baking.
However, Arabella gave a little smile, “I didn’t make it this time.”
She couldn’t pull off something this professional. The cake was filled with Alberto’s feelings for Grace. “Did you light the candles?”
Arabella placed a ‘70‘ candle on the cake, to which Alberto quickly replied, “Let me do it! I have a lighter.” Seeing him pull out a lighter from his pocket, Grace looked surprised, “I didn’t think you smoked?”
“Right.”
Because Grace once mentioned she disliked the smell of smoke, Alberto hadn’t touched a cigarette in decades. He lied calmly, “Bella asked me to get it from downstairs.”
Grace glanced at the brand of the lighter. It wasn’t something he could buy at a regular convenience store.
Catching her look, Alberto quickly added, “But I was afraid they wouldn’t have it downstairs, so I borrowed one from one of my guys.” That cleared up the air, Grace put her doubts aside.
Arabella knew that this lighter was specially purchased by Alberto, just so he could personally light the candles at this moment.
“I’ll pull the curtains.”
In the flickering candlelight, Alberto sneakily glanced at Grace’s radiant face, the face he’d been missing, and finally got a chance to see today.
Back when Grace’s husband was alive, he would see her under the disguise of business dealings, and if luck was on his side, he’d even catch a glimpse of Grace.
But since Grace’s husband passed away, he hadn’t seen Grace alone after attending the funeral.
After years of her absence from his sight, Grace’s bone–deep elegance made her even more womanly.
Tears welled up in Alberto’s eyes. If it wasn’t for Bella’s invitation, he’d have to send his well–wishes to Grace from far away.
“Make a wish!” After singing the birthday song, Alberto gently prompted her.
Grace closed her eyes to make a wish, then blew out the candles.
Amidst the applause, Grace cut the cake into several pieces.
“You can only have a little bit,” Arabella reminded her.
“Alright, alright, I’m already satisfied with just a taste!” Grace took a bite.
“How does it taste?” Alberto eagerly asked.
“Delicious! Sweet but not cloying, it’s just right.”
“Let me try,” Alberto took a bite, then asked with concern, “How have you been feeling lately? Any discomfort?”
“I’ve been much better; Bella is going to perform surgery on me tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry, Bella’s a great surgeon, you’ll blink, and the surgery will already be over.”
“Haha, I sure hope so.”
“Granny, after the surgery tomorrow, you’ll be back to full health! Then you can go out more often.”
“That would be great, I’ve been bedridden for months, I’m turning moldy.”
feel tired,
The three of them chatted and laughed until Grace started to feel tired, and Arabella and Alberto left together.
“If it wasn’t for you today, I wouldn’t be able to attend this event, I’d regret it for the rest of my life,” Alberto patted Arabella’s shoulder, saying. “You’re a good kid, thanks for your encouragement. With this experience, L.can leave this world without regrets.” Alberto laughed, then thought of Attlee and his ilk, his face cooled slightly, “Has that ungrateful son of hers been bothering Grace recently?”
“He’s been here a few times, but the nurses chased him away. Sometimes they don’t notice him, but in the end, Granny always kicks him out of the room.” “I knew that they couldn’t keep still. The surgery’s tomorrow, we can’t have any problems.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve installed surveillance in the room.”
“Haha, great!” Alberto left the hospital with her, “I must go to Dawnstar to handle some things, then I’ll fly back. I can only rest easy after your granny’s surgery is successful.”
Arabella knew that he wanted to accompany her granny through the surgery, so she nodded, “I also need to go back to the company to handle some things, see you tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
Arabella got in the car and soon received a call from Dean.
Arabella calmly answered, “About ten minutes, how many designers do we have in total now?”
“About thirty, but only six of them have won major awards.”
“Mhm, set up a special column for these six on the official website, like Molly’s column representing a certain style, constantly updating with new designs.”
“Alright, no problem!” Dean immediately noted it down, and then said, “Speaking of Director Molly, a lot of people have been copying her designs recently, Ms. Bennett, do we need to step in?”
Was that even a question?
Arabella dismissively said, “Sue them one by one, until they’re scared. Don’t worry about time, or the compensation being too low. In short, we need to let everyone know that anyone who dares to copy the works of any designer under the Collins group will be held legally responsible! They also need to apologize on the official website, we need to go after them until no one dares to copy.”
“Right, I’m on it!”
“I’m busy tomorrow morning, schedule anything important for today.”
Because she was going to perform surgery on her granny tomorrow morning.
“Should I move tomorrow’s meeting to today? A new company wants to discuss cooperation with us tomorrow morning, should I move that to today too?”
“Mhm, alright,” After ending the call, Arabella continued driving.
She was busy at the company all day, spent the evening with Romeo, and handled some personal matters at night.
After busting her ass until 2 am, Arabella had barely hit the sack when her phone started buzzing.
The persistent buzzing sounded especially jarring in the dead of night. Being a light sleeper, Arabella was quickly roused by the noise.
Chapter 523
“Bella, get your ass to the hospital! No time for chitchat, hurry!!!”
It was Caden on the line.
Caden was always a chill dude, so for him to be in such a tizzy, she didn’t need to think twice, something bad must’ve happened to Granny!
In no time, a roaring sports car zoomed off from the other side of the villa.
Louisa, who had just gotten up for a drink, heard the noise and glanced out the window, catching sight of a red Ferrari disappearing into the distance
What the hell was Bella up to this late at night? Something must’ve gone down.
Arabella slammed down the pedal, drifting wildly on the empty streets at night.
A place that would normally take half an hour to reach, she managed to get there in just ten. The car screeched to a halt at the hospital entrance, giving the waiting nurse quite a fright.
Arabella’s car had nearly mowed her down!
Catching her breath, she hurried over, “Ms. Bella, thank God you’re here! Dr. Caden had me wait for you, your granny’s condition is critical, we’ve missed the golden window for treatment!”
Arabella froze for a second, then quickened her pace towards room 301.
“Ms. Bella, wait for me,” the nurse couldn’t keep up with her.
Like a whirlwind, Arabella reached room 301, only to find it empty.
“Ms. Bella, the operating room! Please quickly change into the surgical gown,” Another nurse reminded.
Arabella changed into the sterile gown in a flash, and as she entered the operating room, all the monitors were screaming one thing: Granny was on the brink!
“A ruptured heart caused by a heart attack! Quick!” Caden’s voice snapped her back to reality
A ruptured heart caused by a heart attack was the most severe complication of myocardial infarction
The condition was extremely dangerous, with a mortality rate of 100% within a short time. Many people died on the spot before they can even be taken to the hospital.
Luckily, granny was in the ward when it happened, and the nurse on duty noticed and rushed her to surgery
Before Arabella arrived, Caden had already opened Granny’s chest. He quickly cannulated the femoral artery, and opened the pericardium, but bad news struck: there were large clots in the pericardium.
And then, things took a turn for the worse.
“Damn, sudden ventricular fibrillation!” a doctor cried out.
Arabella reacted instantly, “Defibrillate.”
Not long after, the doctors breathed a sigh of relief, “Defibrillation successful, heart rhythm restored, blood pressure back to 70mmhg
“I’ll deal with the clots!” Arabella took over.
Last time, a doctor had seen her deal with adhesion and clots, so he knew that she was a whiz at it, so they let her handle it.
After Arabella finished, she instructed someone to cannulate a vein to establish extracorporeal circulation, but soon, more bad news came
“Damn, blood pressure is dropping again!” a doctor reported.
Arabella kept her cool, “Block the ascending aorta, infuse cardioplegia to soften the heartbeat!”
“Blockage successful, cardioplegia infused.”
“Externally palpate the ascending aorta.”
Upon Arabella’s command, a doctor palpated the ascending aorta, “Palpation complete, no obvious thickening or intramural hematoma”
The possibility of a ruptured ascending aorta was ruled out.
Arabella glanced at the slightly thickened aortic arch, “No signs of aortic dissection, ruling out aortic rupture, initiate cerebral hypothermia”
She did this to prevent cerebral ischemia from causing brain damage to Granny
Chapter 524
“The wound is getting bigger.”
“Bleeding is increasing.”
“The extracorporeal circulation can’t be maintained.”
Doctors kept updating Arabella on her grandma’s latest condition.
Arabella had just sorted out all the problems when a new one popped up. A heart attack had caused the heart to rupture, making the surrounding myocardium very fragile. The hole in the heart was 3 cm, and only highly skilled suturing could possibly succeed.
“How about we call Dr. Caden?” one of the doctors who wasn’t familiar with Arabella suggested, genuinely believing that Caden was more skilled.
But Caden immediately shut him down, “No one is better suited than her!”
Arabella calmly carried out the suturing operation, ensuring the heart was repaired sturdily.
Those who had never seen her in action were surprised, her suturing technique was seriously top–notch. Likewise, those who had seen her work were amazed all over again, her skills were still unbeatable.
Some of the doctors had never worked with Arabella before, but this time the teamwork was perfect, the operation went smoothly, and was done in just over four hours!
Just when the operation was about to end, one of the doctors suddenly exclaimed, “We can’t remove the extracorporeal circulation, the blood pressure drops immediately!”
Another doctor also noticed a problem, “The blood can’t return to the left atrium!”
“The heart has failed to beat again; blood pressure is dropping!” another doctor stated in surprise.
Everyone was puzzled, what was going on?
All they needed to do was remove the extracorporeal circulation machine, and the whole operation would be perfectly complete! But now this was happening!
Caden quickly recapped the whole operation, “There were no issues during the operation! Arabella’s separation and suturing were all handled very well! All the temporary issues were also addressed in the best possible way!”
“Where did the problem come from?” the other doctors asked one after another.
Having stood for over four hours, their faces were all very tense.
Arabella didn’t answer their questions, instead she ordered, “Continue assisting, bring the ultrasound machine here.”
“Arabella.”
“Bring it here!” Arabella suddenly ordered sternly.
Caden looked at her, whispering softly and sympathetically, “You know as well as anyone, it’s the old lady’s physical condition that can’t keep up with the treatment.”
In other words, Grandma’s body simply couldn’t withstand the stress of the entire operation!
This operation was completely different from the one they had planned for tomorrow.
This one was due to a heart attack that caused the heart to rupture! The mortality rate was extremely high!
Besides, Grandma had other illnesses which were not helping the cause.
It wasn’t that Arabella’s surgical skills were lacking, but that grandma’s life might be nearing its end, perhaps even today.
“Did anyone not understand what I said?” Arabella’s face showed a hint of anger.
Immediately, a doctor brought in an ultrasound machine from outside the operating room. Arabella observed that the ultrasound showed very little blood flow in the left atrium, but at least it wasn’t totally empty!
She could do it; she could pull Grandma back from the brink of death once more.
The sun slowly rose, it was already completely bright outside.
Louisa had spent a restless night, but Arabella had still not returned, not answering calls or replying to her messages. By ten in the morning, she couldn’t stand it anymore and had to call Romeo.
“Romeo, Bella left after two a.m. last night, she seemed in a hurry, and she hasn’t come back yet. I’m worried she’s in danger.”
Chapter 525
She had people sent out looking for her, but there was still no sign of Arabella.
She checked the security footage, only to see her daughter speed out of the driveway like a bat out of hell. It was really dangerous!
The next section of the road had a busted CCTV, so she had no clue where her daughter had ended up.
Serena, standing to one side, couldn’t help but feel a little giddy at the thought. Could Arabella have been in a car crash?
If that was the case, then the golden goose was hers for the taking!
Excited at the prospect, Serena could barely contain her hopes that Arabella would never return.
“She just up and left?” Romeo asked over the phone.
“Yeah, she was driving like a bat out of hell, faster than those racecar drivers on TV. Something must’ve happened!” Louisa was nearly in tears as she was still clueless as to what had happened to her.
“Don’t worry, I think I have an idea where she might’ve gone.”
There was only one person who could make Arabella rush like that!
As Romeo headed for the hospital while getting people to investigate, sure enough, he got a message just as he reached the hospital entrance. In the wee hours, the hospital CCTV had indeed captured Arabella’s figure!
She had come to the hospital!
“Code blue, we’ve got a cardiac arrest!”
“She’s not breathing!”
“Arabella, what do we do?”
“Hang in there, Granny!” Arabella was giving it her all, everyone was fighting against the clock, trying to cheat death!
But things were looking grim, Arabella’s eyes were red. For the first time, she realized that her medical skills couldn’t cheat death!
Caden, who had been watching her battle for hours on end, couldn’t help but try to reason with her,
“Bella, you know this is futile.”
“If you don’t stop, you won’t even have a last moment with her.”
“Don’t you want to hear Granny’s last words?”
“Bella?!”
“Get out,” Arabella didn’t want to hear any of that, “Granny won’t leave us! She won’t! She can’t! Continue the resuscitation.”
Romeo, who had found out Arabella was in surgery, called Louisa and filled her in.
“Oh, I see. That’s a relief! I’ll go see Granny later, I’m not sure what to bring for my first visit.”
Knowing how important Granny was to Arabella, Louisa began to ponder.
Romeo wanted to tell her that the nurses said Granny’s condition was critical, and that Arabella had been working on her since the wee hours past 2 AM, but he didn’t want Louisa to worry. So, he merely gave her some advice.
As time trickled by, Romeo waited outside the operating room. From ten to eleven, then from eleven to twelve, the door to the operating room remained closed.
Meanwhile.
At a restaurant owned by the Summerfield family, a newlywed couple stood at the entrance welcoming guests.
“Yoli, this is my uncle and aunt,” Zachary, dressed in a suit, whispered.
Yolanda, in a sweeping white wedding gown, immediately broke into a delighted smile and said politely, “Uncle, aunt, I’m so glad you could make it!”
Chapter 526
“So, you’re Yolanda, huh? You look a bit different from the photos we’ve seen, your face seems quite plump. People usually say that’s a sign of good luck,” Auntie said with good intentions.
However, Yolanda immediately felt awkward upon hearing that.
She was beaten up by Ms. Archer’s men last night and her body was covered in bruises. She was dressed up in a trailing wedding gown and white gloves today, but the injuries on her face couldn’t be hidden, so she had to cover them with thick foundation.
It seemed that her face was much chubbier than before, and it looked way different from her previous photos.
But the elders liked girls who were plump.
“Over here, please,” Zachary tried to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Last night his arm was cut by his father, and he had to have surgery, but their engagement invitations had already been sent out and it would be awkward to cancel the event at the last minute.
This morning, Attlee, Olga Murphy, and Yolanda went to visit him, and the Murphy family even promised to give them land worth $600 million.
Zachary’s mother hated Yolanda to the bone even last night, but now suddenly she was all smiles. After all, she had to put on a caring act in front of a $600 million deal, “Yoli, are you tired?”
“Auntie, I’m not tired.”
You still call me Auntie; you’ll have to change that after the engagement party!”
Yolanda was taken aback, and then excitedly said, “Okay, I’ll definitely change it then!”
Mr. Panter originally hated the Murphy family to the core, but he thought a $600 million deal for an engagement party seemed like a good deal.
If things didn’t work out the way he wanted them to be, he could always find an excuse to kick the Murphy family out, so the engagement party could proceed as planned.
“Zachary, does your arm still hurt? Do you need a break?” Yolanda asked with concern.
Zachary’s heart softened when he thought about Yolanda visiting him today.
“I’m fine, do you need to go in and rest?”
Most of the people who came today were from Zachary’s side, only about seven or eight from the bride’s side, but that didn’t stop Attlee and Olga from having a good time.
“Yoli, my dad’s brother and my cousin are here!” Zachary softly reminded Yolanda.
They both had high business statuses, so Attlee and Olga wanted to take that opportunity to get closer to them.
But the cousin’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw Yolanda, “I didn’t expect my brother’s fiancée to be so cute.”
“Cousin, you flatter me,” Zachary saw new guests arriving and went to greet them.
The cousin grinned at Yolanda, who blushed in response.
Seeing her reaction, he chuckled and continued, “I’ll add you on WhatsApp later, and we can chat about Zachary’s childhood stories!”
“Sure, big bro, Yolanda’s voice was sweet and coy.
The cousin didn’t expect Zachary, a strait–laced guy to have such a fiancée, which made him laugh even more, “Interesting.”
“Cousin, what’s so interesting? Tell me!”
“No, I just thought you’re really lucky,” The cousin patted his shoulder and was about to walk away, when he suddenly realized that Yolanda’s face looked familiar. He stepped back and took a closer look at Yolanda.
Zachary, thinking his cousin was interested in his fiancée, quickly pulled Yolanda into his arms, “Cousin, with that look in your eyes, people might think you’re interested in my fiancée.”
“Hahaha, I just thought she looked familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
If Yolanda hadn’t gained some weight, her face might have been recognized by the cousin.
But because her face was swollen, the cousin looked at her for a while and still couldn’t remember who she was, so he had to give up on that.
Half an hour later.
Chapter 527
All the guests had arrived, the host was hyping up the crowd on stage, then invited Mr. and Mrs. Panter to give a speech.
The moment Mr. Panter finished his speech, the whole place went bonkers with applause.
He was a far cry from the pitiful figure he was last night, begging for sympathy from Ms. Archer. He was all pepped up now, as if nothing had happened the night before.
“As the father of the groom, I want to take this opportunity to wish my son and his bride all the happiness in the world. I hope you two stick together through thick and thin, always love each other, and live happily ever after!”
A thunderous applause broke out again, everyone’s faces were filled with smiles and blessings.
Zachary and Yolanda exchanged a look, their eyes brimming with affection.
“I’d also like to thank the Murphy family for raising a smart and beautiful daughter. I’m proud that my son is marrying such a wonderful woman and I sincerely hope that our two families can get along like a house on fire!”
Again, the crowd clapped. Mr. Panter handed over the mic to Mrs. Panter, who was all smiles and grace.
To celebrate this joyous occasion and to thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend our engagement party, we’ve prepared some food and drinks. Please enjoy and forgive us if there is any lack of hospitality.”
The moment Mrs. Panter finished her speech, the grand hall was filled with applause once again.
Waiters started to serve the food. There were sixty–six tables, ten people per table, over six hundred people in total.
“Mr. and Mrs. Panter, please take your seats.”
“No, no, you take it first.”
“We’re all family here, no need to be so formal.”
Both sets of parents courteously offered each other seats and raised their glasses once seated.
On stage, a clown kicked off the entertainment and had everyone in stitches.
On the other side.
A frail hand reached out slowly towards Arabella, gently tugged at her dress, managed a weak smile, and softly said, “Don’t cry, sweetie.”
Before the old lady could comfort her, Arabella’s tears had already started to stream down her face.
Nobody knew better than Arabella the state of the old lady’s health. It was a miracle that the old lady could even talk to her.
Back in the triangular zone, Arabella never shed a tear despite her injuries. But now, tears were pouring out like a broken string of pearls, unstoppable. Grace, lying on the operation table, managed to muster a weak but kind smile, “I just dreamed of your grandpa. He said it’s time, he has come to take me.”
Arabella shook her head, her teary eyes were clear but were filled with sorrow, unable to accept the reality.
“Look, your grandpa is standing there, smiling at me.”
Even in her weakened state, Grace tried her best to comfort Arabella.
“My dear, it’s not your fault. It’s my body that’s failing me. You’re an excellent doctor, you’ve pulled me back from the brink of death several times. This time, my body just can’t take it anymore.”
She was supposed to have died years ago, but thanks to Arabella’s medical skills, she managed to live longer.
And for that, she was content.
Wiping away her tears, Arabella stayed by the old lady’s side, her voice choked up but gentle, “Grandma, don’t speak for now. I’ll try something else.”
Chapter 528
“I know my own body. To have a granddaughter like you in my life, I’m already more than content. I didn’t live this life in vain.”
Grace was huffing and puffing as she spoke, struggling to supplement, “My only regret is that I won’t be able to see you in your wedding dress, stepping Into the world of matrimony.”
Bella would surely look stunning in a wedding dress! But it was a shame that she wouldn’t be able to see it in this lifetime.
Just then, the operating room door was flung open by Caden, “Bellal Romeo has been waiting outside!”
“Let him in!” After Arabella finished speaking, she carefully wiped the tears off the old lady’s face, pleading softly, “Granny, please hang in there for a bit longer. Romeo is on his way. I haven’t even introduced you two yet.”
Grace seemed to not hear her, using her last bit of strength to smile, “I’m no longer a burden to you, look after yourself, be happy.” “Granny!”
Romeo ran in just to see Grace stop breathing in front of Arabella, her eyes weakly closing and her frail hand slipping down.
“Granny!” Arabella couldn’t believe what was happening right in front of her, holding onto Grace, her mind in a blank slate.
Not long after, the whole operating room was filled with the girl’s heartbreaking cries. Romeo’s feet froze in place, never expecting to be a second too late, a second that meant the difference between life and death.
“Granny, wake up!” Arabella knelt on the cold floor, cradling the old lady’s body and wailing hysterically.
That was the first time Romeo saw her cry.
From when he first met her, she had never shown her vulnerability, like there was nothing in the world she couldn’t handle.
She was always so proud, so strong, but now she was crying like a child.
“I didn’t even get to take you abroad, didn’t get to introduce Romeo to you, why did you have to leave me?”
Arabella cried out; her heartache evident.
“Granny, come back, we have so many things left to do together.”
“You promised me, you said you’d live to a hundred.”
“Granny, it’s all my fault.”
Seeing her blaming herself, Romeo walked over, bending down to gently hold her.
“You did your best.”
At least in Romeo’s eyes, from the early hours of the morning till the afternoon, she had done everything she could to save her granny’s life.
If there was any chance at all, she wouldn’t let her granny slip away from her.
Arabella sobbed sorrowfully and guiltily, “I’m a doctor but I couldn’t save her, why? Why couldn’t I save her? Why was there no other way?”
Romeo held her tightly, his eyes reddening. He knew how important Grace was to Arabella, and he understood her feelings at that moment more deeply. “It’s not your fault, you did everything you could. If you’re sad, cry it out. I’m here for you.”
“I couldn’t save her, Romeo,” Arabella lowered her head as if defeated by reality, and held onto the old lady’s body, crying bitterly.
When she was studying medicine, she had promised her granny that she would protect her health and ensure her longevity!
She had even promised her granny that she would live to a hundred, because there was no surgery she couldn’t handle in this world.
But now, her granny had passed away in front of her due to a heart rupture!
People knew that Dr. Bell was incredible, with superb medical skills, but they didn’t know that there were people in this world that even Dr. Bell couldn’t
hapter 529
Kenneth and Louisa, loaded with gifts, arrived at the hospital, only to learn that the old lady was being resuscitated in the operating room. Just as they reached the door of the operating room, they could hear a girl’s painful crying.
That voice was unmistakably Bella’s.
They both froze, their minds in a whirl. They looked at Caden, who stood silent at the door, and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Dr. Caden, how’s the old lady?”
“She just passed away,” Caden stood at the door, watching Bella crying her heart out inside, and Romeo just holding her, letting her sob in his arms.
If he could, he would want to comfort her too, but his position only allowed him to stand by, watching her in pain, unable to even approach and comfort her.
Caden’s eyes were also somewhat red, his voice filled with heartache as he exclaimed the situation to them, “Bella tried to save her for eleven hours, she really did her best.”
Eleven hours, if there was a glimmer of hope, she would not let the old lady leave; but the old lady’s body really had no room to turn around.
Louisa was struck hard, dropping the things in her hands. Kenneth quickly dropped what he had to support her, “Honey, are you okay?”
Louisa felt a pang in her heart, filled with grief. She had not expected that the old lady would pass away before they could at least see her for once.
They were too late!
At this moment, Bella must be devastated!
“Grace, Grace!”
Just then, an old figure ran out of the elevator, stumbling towards the operating room.
He was trying his best, pushing through the crowd all the way, and forcefully opening the door of the operating room, only to be met with a cold corpse.
He was about to lose his balance, but luckily, Caden at the door was quick to support him, or else he would have collapsed on the ground!
“Grace!”
This sorrowful call was filled with the old man’s sadness and pain.
He suddenly felt discomfort in his heart in the morning, and he had a premonition that something might happen to Grace.
All morning, he couldn’t reach Bella by phone. He was feeling uncomfortable as his heart was aching, so he could only send someone to the hospital to inquire, and he found out that Bella was performing surgery on Grace.
He thought it to be the surgery that was originally planned, so he waited patiently for the news.
When he felt a little better, and had somewhat recovered, he came to the hospital. Just as he reached the hospital entrance, he received the bad news. He learned that this surgery wasn’t the one originally planned, but that Grace had a sudden illness last night. Bella had been resuscitating her all night for eleven hours, but the old lady eventually passed away.
He did not know how he managed to walk to Grace’s side, looking at her, looking at her over and over again, and even subconsciously checking her breath, which was indeed gone.
His heart was squeezed into a ball, so painful that he could hardly breathe. After a while, he trembled and gently touched Grace’s hand. It was cold, without the warmth of life.
At that moment, he suddenly burst into tears, “Grace!”
Why did she leave just like that! Why didn’t she wait for him to come, not giving him a chance to see her for the last time, and just leave like that!
Wasn’t she the one who loved Bella the most? Why did she even leave her behind?
What happened? What happened last night?
“Grace!”
Alberto held the cold body, never expecting that in all these years the only time he would hold her would be in this situation.
His cry was filled with pain and despair.
Kenneth and Louisa, who had come to the door, all had red eyes when they saw this scene.
Why was all this so sudden?
As far as they knew, Bella had always given the old lady the best medicine, and she could have had successful surgery this morning. Why did this accident happen?
Arabella, too, was silently shedding tears on the side. She thought her grandma and Grandpa Alberto might have a good future. At least her grandma. could live for another ten or so years.
What suddenly happened last night that changed everything?
With the medication and physical condition of her grandma during this period, she couldn’t have suddenly had a heart attack, leading to a rupture of the heart!
Thinking of her grandma’s heart having a three–centimeter–long rupture, Arabella’s heart felt as if it was being torn apart, so painful that she couldn’t breathe.
Right, the surveillance camera!
She had installed a surveillance camera in her grandma’s ward before!
After work, she accompanied Romeo for dinner, a walk, and when she got home, she checked the surveillance. At that time, her grandma had already fallen asleep!
She thought her grandma would sleep until dawn as usual, so after taking a shower, she began to deal with her personal affairs.
She thought her grandma was preparing for the surgery the next day, so she went to bed early.
Could something else have happened last night? Something she didn’t know about and something she didn’t expect?
Thinking this, Arabella wiped away her tears, pushed Romeo away, and left the operating room.
“Bella!”
Louisa saw her coming out of the operating room, worried that she might do something stupid.
“Auntie, don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” Romeo comforted Louisa and followed Arabella’s steps.
Only Alberto was left in the operating room, holding Grace and crying in grief.
In the banquet hall of the hotel.
All the guests had almost finished eating, and seven or eight programs had been carried out. The host excitedly picked up the microphone on stage.
“Now, let’s invite the parents from both sides and our stars of the day, Zachary and Yolanda, to the stage. Let’s welcome them with applause!”
All the guests clapped enthusiastically. They didn’t expect the Panter family to be so extravagant this time. Not only was the venue decorated dreamily and beautifully, but each dish was also outrageously expensive, and the programs were all well–known artists and comedy groups. Even the host was famous!
“Let’s witness the couple exchange engagement rings with the warmest applause and the sincerest blessings!!”
As soon as the host’s voice fell, the whole venue erupted with thunderous applause. Zachary smiled and took out a ring box from his expensive suit.
Opening it, the diamond was almost as big as a pigeon’s egg.
Yolanda didn’t expect him to really be serious about marrying her, and suddenly became shy.
“The bride looks quite shy!” The host joked, “On behalf of all the guests, I’m going to ask the bride a question, are you satisfied with this ring?”
“Of course, I am,” Yolanda showed a shy and sweet expression, “But what I’m most satisfied with is the man in front of me.“.
The host led the whole venue in cheering.
“Now, let’s have the groom put the ring on the bride. Let’s encourage them with applause.”
Amid the applause of the whole venue, Zachary took out the ring and put it on Yolanda’s ring finger.
“Yoli, it’s truly an honor to be engaged to you.”
Chapter 23
“No need. There’s no place for me in this house anymore. Coming back would just irritate certain people,” Ethan said with icy aloofness.
Evelyn’s gaze chilled instantly. “Who says so? The Arnolds only acknowledge one grandson- you. When you’ve grown up, you’re to inherit the Arnold family fortune. If you don’t return home, then who will?”
Ethan was not aware that Owen, after marrying Sylvia Shenley, had explicitly forbidden him to step foot into the Arnold residence. Even Forrest was not recognized by the Arnolds.
“Ethan, mind your tone. Is this how she’s raised you all these years?”
Ethan’s eyes flicked upward, his grip around his fork tensing, pale knuckles highlighting the tense veins beneath. “How she raised me is none of your concern, Father. I didn’t intend to disturb you by coming here. I apologize, Grandma.”
Upon noticing Ethan’s emotional strain, Evelyn placed her bony hand over Ethan’s. “What’s happened? Has someone been picking on you? Tell me, I’ll take care of it.”
“No need.” Ethan put down his fork and pulled out a napkin, wiping the corners of his mouth. He cast a glance at the man standing beside him. “Did you bring him?”
The butler answered, “He’s right outside.”
Ethan waved dismissively. The butler gestured to the bodyguards outside. Soon, two
bodyguards dragged in a man wearing a black t–shirt, battered and bruised, and dumped him onto the floor. Owen’s eyes widened as he recognized the man.
“Forry?”
Forrest’s face was covered in bruises, his hands twisted into unnatural shapes with broken bones. He lay helplessly on the floor in a semi–conscious state, his eyes blazing with a fierce light.
Unable to hide her revulsion, Evelyn snapped, “Ethan, what did you bring this ill–omened creature here for?”
Owen, noticeably flustered, blurted out. “Ethan, he’s your brother!”
“Seeing the state he’s in, I’m sure he knows exactly who he messed with,” Ethan said, coolly watching Owen.
“If Father can’t teach him a lesson, then I will. Just because he’s been living with the Arnold family for a few years doesn’t mean he can forget his place.”
Owen’s face turned pale, rendered speechless in front of his mother, and unable to do anything to Ethan.
Ethan continued. “Lastly, let me remind you, Father: I don’t have a brother; my mother only had one son–me.”
The butler, helping Ethan onto his wheelchair, glanced down at the battered figure of Forrest sprawled on the floor. “Remember, know who you can mess with and who you can’t. This is the last time.”
Ethan was helped into the car, and the butler glanced in the rear–view mirror. Seeing Ethan in the back seat with his eyes closed and brows furrowed, he asked, “Mr. Ethan, is your leg acting up again? Should we go to the hospital?”
“I’m fine, let’s just go home.” Ethan opened his eyes, suppressing his pain. “How’s Madelyn doing?”
“Miss Jent should be up and about in a few days. The doctor says she’s recovering well.”
“Is that so? That’s good.”
“By the way, Miss Jent had a message delivered to you by the florist’s assistant. She said she really likes the flowers.”
“That’s good to hear,” Ethan murmured, a faint smile gracing his lips—because she liked them.
Suddenly reminded of something, he pulled out a small, exquisitely made black velvet box from his pocket. Opening it revealed a striking necklace of intertwined silver and gold letters, gently cradling a delicate, solitary pearl in their embrace. Each letter was from Madelyn’s name, intricately worked and artfully connected to create a beautifully crafted symbol of her identity. This was a gift he had planned to present to her upon their meeting. He eagerly anticipated the moment he could personally fasten the necklace around her neck.
The butler sneaked a glance at Ethan through the rear–view mirror. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mr. Ethan smile so happily.”
He could not help but think, ‘Not since the accident.‘
hapter 530
Yolanda’s eyes glistened with tears, deeply moved. “Me too. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have you in my life.”
“Next up, let’s have our beautiful bride put the ring on the groom!”
Yolanda took the ring box handed over by the staff, and upon opening it, a shiny diamond ring was revealed.
“Wow!” The host once again stirred up the crowd’s enthusiasm. “I have to tell all our guests that neither of the newlyweds has seen the rings the other prepared. This is the big reveal!”
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
“From their choice of diamond rings, you can see that these two are in sync. They’re peas in a pod, which just goes to show they’re a match made in heaven.”
The diamond ring was specially ordered from a well–known overseas brand by the Murphy family to maintain their image, costing around fifty grand. Meanwhile, Zachary’s ring, also from a renowned brand, was in a similar price range.
Both families were indeed well–matched in social status.
One was the son of the richest man in Golden City, and the other was the daughter of the wealthiest man in Tranquil City, who reportedly just spent 1.2 billion dollars on a plot of land.
They couldn’t find a more perfect, well–matched couple!
Zachary’s eyes softened at the sight of the ring, humbled by the attention from the Murphy family, knowing they were usually quite tight–fisted.
“Now, let’s have our stunning bride put the ring on the dashing groom’s finger! Let’s give them a round of applause to celebrate this sacred moment!”
The applause was deafening and seemed to go on forever.
Yolanda, her face beaming with joy, was just about to slide the ring onto Zachary’s finger when suddenly, the big screen on stage lit up!
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the screen, which started playing a steamy video: a disheveled bed in a dimly lit room, a man and a woman engaged in some activities, the sounds echoing throughout the hall.
The guests were taken aback, not expecting such a shocking turn of events during the ring exchange.
The parents from both sides stood frozen on stage, at a loss for words.
Yolanda’s face turned pale instantly. The woman in the video was none other than her!
No one knew better than her where this video came from!
Zachary’s eyes widened in disbelief, then shock. The woman in the video lifted her hazy eyes, murmuring, “Wilson, stop recording. Let’s get down to business.”
That was unmistakably Yolanda’s face, Yolanda’s voice!
And the face of the man? Zachary was stunned to recognize him as Wilson, a male classmate from their recent gathering.
At that gathering, Wilson was the last to arrive, barging in with a few friends with reckless abandon.
Rumor had it that he was the class troublemaker, a cocky dude who dropped out in his sophomore year and became a thug leader, commanding a small
gang.
When he stepped in, he downed a bottle of X.O. and announced his intention to buy out the whole place.
However, someone informed him that Yolanda’s fiancé had already booked the venue. So he just let his gang have their fill, ordering the most expensive stuff since Zachary was footing the bill.