Volume 2: The Feast Above the Lies
Inside the carriage heading to St. Andrew's Hospital, the air seemed to freeze. Sean clenched his jaw, remaining silent, his eyes fixed on the street scenes rapidly receding ahead, as if the answers to Carl's assault were hidden within them. Irene clasped her hands tightly, her fingernails almost digging into her flesh. Guilt and unease welled up like a tide, nearly drowning her.
"Sean," Irene spoke again, her voice as light as a feather. "Tell me, who exactly is Carl...? Why was he attacked?"
Sean finally drew his gaze back from the window and took a deep breath, as if making up his mind to break some taboo. The night cast shifting shadows on his face through the carriage window, making him look haggard, like a sculpture on the verge of cracking.
"Carl..." His voice was low, with a barely noticeable tremor. "His family, the Howard family, used to be the Rockefeller family's greatest rivals. Before the rise of the steel shipping industry, the Howard family almost monopolized the entire ocean - going trade."
Irene held her breath. This information hit her mind like a thunderclap. She had always thought Carl was just an ordinary gallery owner, an artist with a charming smile and deep eyes, never imagining he had such a complex background.
"What happened next?" she pressed.
Sean closed his eyes, as if reluctant to recall that painful past. "After that... an accident occurred. The 'Heart of the Ocean', the most advanced cargo ship of the Howard family, sank during a storm. The ship was carrying invaluable goods, including almost all of the Howard family's liquid capital. Since then, the Howard family never recovered and gradually declined."
"Then... Carl..." Irene understood. The seeds of hatred had been sown from that moment on.
"Carl's father died shortly after the 'Heart of the Ocean' sank. The outside world said it was due to overwork, but I know he was driven to his death by anger. He couldn't accept the decline of the Howard family, let alone the rise of the Rockefeller family," Sean said heavily.
"So, Carl approached me to seek revenge? To retaliate against the Rockefeller family?" Irene's voice trembled.
Sean opened his eyes and looked at her with a complicated expression. "I'm not sure. Carl has always been an enigmatic person. He may harbor hatred towards the Rockefeller family, but he's also... very intelligent. He knows that directly confronting the Rockefeller family is like hitting a rock with an egg."
"Then why was he attacked?" Irene was completely puzzled. If Carl was really seeking revenge, he should have been more cautious and not exposed himself easily.
Sean was silent for a moment, and his gaze grew sharp. "Perhaps... he got hold of something he shouldn't have, something that threatens certain people's interests."
The carriage suddenly came to a screeching halt in front of St. Andrew's Hospital. Sean jumped out of the carriage first and walked quickly towards the hospital entrance, with Irene following closely behind. The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the hospital, and the doctors and nurses rushing back and forth created a tense atmosphere that made Irene's heart sink even further.
At the door of the intensive care unit, Sean anxiously stopped a nurse. "Excuse me, how is Mr. Carl Howard doing now?"
The nurse glanced at him and said in a solemn tone, "Mr. Howard is still in emergency treatment. The situation is very critical. The doctors are doing their best."
Upon hearing this, Sean's face turned even paler. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry.
Irene walked up to Sean and gently took his hand. "Sean, don't worry. Carl will be okay."
Sean didn't speak, just nodded silently, his eyes still fixed on the door of the intensive care unit. As time passed, every second felt like an eternity. Irene could sense Sean's tension and pain, and she felt equally uneasy and scared. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Carl, and she especially didn't want Sean to be hurt because of Carl's safety.
After a long wait, the door of the intensive care unit finally opened, and a doctor in surgical scrubs came out.
"Doctor, how is Carl?" Sean immediately stepped forward and asked anxiously.
The doctor took off his mask and said wearily, "Mr. Howard's condition has stabilized, but he is still not out of danger. He lost a lot of blood, and the wound is deep, damaging his internal organs. We need to continue observing."
Sean's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. He let out a long sigh, as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Thank you, doctor," Sean said gratefully.
"You're welcome," the doctor shook his head and said seriously, "It's a miracle that Mr. Howard survived. The attacker was extremely ruthless. If it weren't for his strong willpower, I'm afraid..."
The doctor didn't finish his sentence, but both Irene and Sean understood what he meant. Carl's survival was a blessing amidst misfortune.
"Doctor, can I go in and see him?" Irene asked.
The doctor hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, but only one person can go in, and not for too long. The patient needs to rest."
Irene turned to look at Sean, who nodded, indicating for her to go in. Taking a deep breath, Irene slowly walked into the intensive care unit.
The room was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and the regular beeping of various instruments filled the air. Carl lay quietly on the hospital bed, his face as pale as paper, with various tubes inserted into his body. With his eyes closed, he looked extremely weak, a far cry from the dashing gallery owner he used to be.
Irene walked to the bedside and gently took Carl's hand. His hand was cold and limp, causing a pang of pain in her heart.
"Carl," Irene called his name softly. "Wake up. You're okay now."
Carl seemed to hear her voice. His eyelids fluttered slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was dazed, as if he hadn't fully regained consciousness.
"Irene..." His voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible.
"It's me, Carl," Irene said softly. "You're safe now."
Carl smiled painfully, his eyes filled with pain. "I... I..." He tried to say something, but his words came out brokenly, unable to form a complete sentence.
Irene bent down and brought her ear close to his mouth, listening carefully.
"Beware... Sean..." Carl used his last bit of strength to utter these words before falling unconscious again.
Irene's heart sank, and a chill shot up from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Carl's last words hit her like a bolt from the blue.
"Beware of Sean?" What did he mean? Did Carl know Sean's secrets? Or did he know that Sean was also deceiving her?
Irene stood up and looked at the unconscious Carl with a complicated expression. She didn't know who to trust or what to do. She felt as if she was trapped in a fog - shrouded trap, surrounded by danger on all sides.
Stepping out of the intensive care unit, Sean immediately came up to her and asked anxiously, "How is he? Did he say anything?"
Looking at Sean, Irene was filled with doubts and unease. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to hide Carl's words.
"He just said he was in pain and didn't say anything else," Irene said softly.
Sean didn't suspect her words, just nodded, his eyes still full of worry. "What should we do now?"
"Let's leave here first," Irene said. "We need to think carefully about what to do next."
The two left the hospital and got back into the carriage. On the way back, Irene's mind was filled with questions. Why did Carl warn her to beware of Sean? What secrets was Sean hiding? And how should she face this feast of intertwined lies?
She knew that the truth behind the lies was about to surface.