By the time the Gladstone family arrived at the hospital, Loretta was still inside the emergency ward.
The bright red light above the door remained on. The long hospital corridor was filled with a heavy atmosphere.
Mrs. Gladstone sat nervously on the chair outside the ward, her hands tightly clenched together.
Mr. Gladstone stood nearby with a dark expression while speaking quietly with a nurse to understand the situation.
Benjamin looked like he would rather be somewhere else, but he did not dare complain. After all, no matter what happened, Loretta was still his sister.
Only Isabella stood quietly at the side with her head lowered. From the outside, she looked anxious like everyone else.
But inside her heart, she was secretly praying.
'Please do not wake up.'
'Let the marriage return to me.'
She believed that if Loretta really died, then the Goodman family would naturally need another bride, and she, the original choice from the beginning, could take back what was hers.
Thinking of this, her heart began beating faster.
At the same time, fear also filled her chest. She knew her thoughts were not something to be proud of, so Isabella forced herself to look worried.
From time to time, she even glanced toward the emergency room with red eyes, pretending to be anxious.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Gladstone looked far calmer than before. She was not truly worried about Loretta herself.
What she feared was the trouble that would come if something happened to Kevin Goodman's fiancée.
Especially after the last incident when they had abandoned Loretta at the hospital. That matter had already nearly damaged the family's reputation.
If they acted coldly again this time, outsiders would definitely begin suspecting something.
Mr. Gladstone was thinking the same thing. His expression remained serious as he stood outside the ward.
Anyone looking at him would think he was deeply worried about his daughter.
But in reality, his mind was filled with calculations.
The atmosphere in the hospital corridor was already heavy when hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the other end.
Several bodyguards dressed in black quickly appeared.
The pressure in the air instantly changed.
Even the nurses nearby unconsciously lowered their voices.
Kevin Goodman walked through the corridor with cold eyes.
The moment the Gladstone family saw him arrive, their expressions changed slightly.
Mr. Gladstone immediately stood straighter. Mrs. Gladstone also quickly pretended to wipe away her tears.
Just then, the emergency room doors suddenly opened.
Everyone immediately turned toward the doctors.
A hospital bed was pushed out slowly.
Loretta lay motionless on the bed. An oxygen mask covered her face. Her skin looked frighteningly pale, and her hair was slightly messy from the fire.
She looked fragile, like someone who would disappear at any moment.
Mrs. Gladstone quickly stood up.
"Doctor, how is my daughter?" she asked anxiously.
The doctor removed his mask tiredly.
"Her condition is stable for now," he said.
The tense atmosphere eased slightly.
But before anyone could fully relax, the doctor continued seriously.
"The patient suffered severe smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning."
Mr. Gladstone's face stiffened slightly.
"She also experienced oxygen deprivation for a period of time before rescue," the doctor added.
Mrs. Gladstone's expression immediately changed again.
"What does that mean?" Benjamin asked nervously. He honestly did not expect the situation to be so serious.
The doctor sighed softly.
"Fortunately, there are no external burns on her body, but the smoke caused serious internal damage."
"The lack of oxygen caused her to lose consciousness. At the moment, we cannot fully determine whether her brain suffered any lasting effects."
The corridor instantly became silent.
Mrs. Gladstone's face turned pale.
"Brain damage?" she whispered. Sure, she could not stand this daughter, but she could not remain calm after hearing those words.
The doctor nodded carefully.
"We will need to observe her condition closely after she wakes up."
"If she wakes up..." Isabella unconsciously muttered under her breath.
The doctor looked toward her. It was the first time he had heard a family member say something like that.
"She is out of immediate danger, but the next twenty-four hours are still very important."
"If her oxygen levels remain stable and there are no complications with her lungs or brain function, then her condition should improve."
Benjamin finally released the breath he did not realize he had been holding.
Meanwhile, Kevin had remained silent the entire time. His eyes stayed fixed on Loretta lying unconscious on the hospital bed.
The oxygen mask.
The pale face.
The weak breathing.
Nobody could tell what he was thinking.
One of the nurses quietly swallowed nervously under his cold gaze.
The doctor hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"Smoke inhalation cases can sometimes worsen suddenly even after rescue. Her lungs are still very irritated from the smoke and heat."
"So we have to transfer her immediately to a room for close observation."
Kevin finally spoke.
"Which room?"
His voice was calm, but it carried invisible pressure.
"The intensive care unit," the doctor answered immediately.
Kevin gave a slight nod.
"Use your best resources," he added.
Then his cold eyes slowly shifted toward the Gladstone family. The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.
Mr. Gladstone forced himself to remain calm.
Mrs. Gladstone lowered her head slightly.
Even Isabella unconsciously became nervous under that gaze.
No one dared speak.
Seeing them like that, Kevin said nothing more and left.
Mr. Gladstone regretted wanting to say something to him, but it was already too late.
"Can we go back now?" Isabella asked. Since Loretta was out of danger, she did not see the need to continue staying there.
"I will stay back," Mrs. Gladstone suddenly said, surprising everyone.
"Alright," Mr. Gladstone recovered from his shock. At the end of the day, Loretta was still her daughter, so he understood her decision.
....
The next morning, the atmosphere in the hospital remained tense. Loretta was still inside the intensive care unit.
Throughout the night, her condition had turned critical twice.
The first time, her oxygen levels suddenly dropped dangerously.
The second time, she developed breathing difficulties because of the smoke damage in her lungs.
Both times, the doctors had rushed in for emergency treatment.
Fortunately, by morning, her condition had finally stabilized.
The doctor who came out looked visibly tired.
"The patient is stable for now," he said.
Everyone secretly released a breath of relief.
Mrs. Gladstone had stayed in the hospital the entire night. Her makeup was already messy, and her eyes looked exhausted.
Mr. Gladstone had returned early that morning after changing clothes. Benjamin and Isabella followed, not wanting to look bad.
When Isabella heard Loretta had survived another dangerous night, disappointment flashed across her eyes before she quickly hid it.
The doctor continued speaking.
"Fortunately, the emergency treatment worked in time. We believe she should wake up very soon."
Mrs. Gladstone immediately asked, "Will there be any lasting problems?"
The doctor hesitated slightly.
"We cannot fully confirm that yet. We still need to observe her after she wakes up. Some patients experience memory problems, confusion, or delayed complications after oxygen deprivation."
Mrs. Gladstone's expression became complicated.
"You mentioned something about brain damage yesterday..." Mrs. Gladstone asked carefully.
"Nothing is certain yet until she wakes up," the doctor said.
At the side, Isabella secretly clenched her fists.
Why was Loretta so lucky?
Why did she not just die?
Meanwhile, the investigation regarding the fire had also progressed overnight.
Not long after, Andy arrived with the report.
"The preliminary investigation is complete," he reported to Kevin, who was standing by the ICU window looking at Loretta.
Hearing those words, Kevin did not react, but Andy knew he wanted him to continue.
"The fire was caused by a power surge in the lower electrical room."
Mr. Gladstone frowned slightly from the side.
"A power surge?"
"The fire spread faster because several luxury fabric materials downstairs were highly flammable," Andy continued calmly.
"What about the other victims?" Mr. Gladstone asked out of curiosity. He had noticed other victims in the hospital lobby yesterday.
"Most of the victims suffered only minor smoke inhalation or light injuries during evacuation. Due to the fire alarm, many people managed to escape before the fire spread," Andy answered.
As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously shifted toward the ICU room.
"Among everyone rescued, Miss Gladstone is the only one whose condition became critical."
The corridor became quiet again.
Even the doctors found it strange.
Loretta had not suffered burns.
Yet somehow, her condition had worsened more than everyone else's.
Mrs. Gladstone suddenly felt a chill run down her spine as she turned to look at her husband.
The same thought appeared in both their minds at once.
The curse.
Kevin finally looked at his assistant.
"Investigate."