Free Web NovelChapter 335: Chapter 333: Even the Hilt Was Thrust In
Once Julian Vaughn finished speaking, another eerie silence fell over the hallway.
Julian Vaughn’s gaze swept over the men. He frowned slightly and began to shoo them away. "Carla and I are here. It’s getting late, so please, all of you, go home."
"There are too many people here, and it’s causing too much of a commotion. If word gets out, it won’t be good for her. I must ask you all to be more considerate from a young woman’s perspective."
"She’s still unconscious, so there’s no point in you all staying here. You’d be better off getting some rest and coming back to visit her tomorrow morning... looking sharp."
"You wouldn’t want her to see you looking so disheveled, would you?"
As soon as he said that, the men seemed to recall something and looked down, examining their own attire.
It was late at night, the perfect time to be sound asleep.
They had all rushed over the moment they got the call. These were men who normally took great care with their appearance, especially in front of the woman they loved. But at a time like this, who had the energy to dress up like a preening peacock?
Those who lived nearby, like Felix and Ian Sinclair, had just thrown a coat on over their thin pajamas.
In Jynsia, the heating was turned up high on winter nights; sometimes it felt sweltering enough indoors to wear a short-sleeved shirt.
Only after Julian’s reminder did the two realize just how little they were wearing.
A window had been cracked open for ventilation in the hallway, and the cold wind gusting in made the legs of their pajama pants rustle.
And yet, neither of them had felt the cold until now.
Then there was Hayes Hughes, who had also hurried over from nearby.
He had the day off and wasn’t at the hospital.
His department had held a dinner that ran late.
Fortunately, none of them were big drinkers. He was also thankful his reflexes weren’t too dulled, because the moment the phone rang, he was wide awake.
He’d answered the call and bolted out the door without even grabbing a jacket. It was only before getting out of his car that he’d hastily grabbed his white lab coat and thrown it on to avoid looking a complete mess.
The most distinguished-looking of the group, of course, was Silas Grant.
Standing with the others, he looked completely out of place.
He wore his trademark three-piece suit, impeccably tailored and perfectly pressed.
But that was to be expected. He’d traveled the farthest and had plenty of time on the plane to sort out his attire.
On closer inspection, however, one could see a bloody scratch on the back of his hand, and the cuff of the white shirt beneath his jacket was stained with a smear of blood.
Perhaps he’d scratched himself in his haste to get dressed.
Silas Grant lowered his gaze, frowning at the dried, dark-red stain on his shirt. He hadn’t even noticed it himself.
He hadn’t felt it sting the entire way here.
Julian Vaughn said, "You don’t need to be so worried. With all the people you normally have stationed around her, she’ll be fine."
"I used to think what you were doing was quite rude. Now, it seems it was absolutely necessary."
Hayes Hughes glanced back at the hospital room, then said, "Alright, let’s listen to Mr. Vaughn. We should head back for now. This isn’t the place to talk tonight, anyway."
He forced a polite smile for Julian Vaughn. "We’ll be relying on you and Mr. Sinclair tonight. The medical staff on duty are right here; you just have to press the call button. This is a hospital of the Hughes Family, so if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. There’s no need to be formal."
"Don’t you two have class tomorrow?" He turned to the two members of the Sinclair family and smiled. "Go home for now. Get your strength back before you come see her again. We’ll also need to trouble you to request a leave of absence for her from the university."
Finally, he turned to Silas Grant. "Brother, let’s go. If you don’t mind, you can stay at my place for the night."
In the past, it was always Silas Grant who took charge.
But Hayes Hughes knew that the moment something happened to Mia Grant, Silas lost all interest in maintaining such false pretenses.
It was just like the last time, when they’d mistakenly believed that what the fishermen brought back were Mia Grant’s actual ashes. Silas Grant, a man who was usually so poised and dignified in every situation, had been just as silent then as he was today.
Silas Grant had never been a man of many words; he had simply learned to be tactful after navigating the business world for so many years.
They were brothers, so he knew what Silas was really like in private.
The two from the Sinclair family were sent away, but Silas Grant didn’t move.
Hayes Hughes took a step forward, reassuring him again. "I checked her myself. There’s nothing seriously wrong. This is a Hughes Corp hospital. Surely you can trust us."
"Let’s go, Brother."
"You need to rest up. We still need you to investigate that drunkard."
Hayes Hughes’s words awakened the slumbering lion.
The man lifted his eyes to look at him, a corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. "You’re right."
He glanced to the side. From behind his glasses, his dark eyes swept over Julian Vaughn devoid of emotion. He tossed out a curt, "Thanks for the trouble," and strode away.
Silas Grant was rarely so rude. It was Hayes Hughes who offered Julian Vaughn an apologetic smile. "He’s not in a good mood. Mr. Vaughn, please don’t take it to heart. We’ll be leaving now."
Julian Vaughn studied him for a long moment before nodding. "I won’t see you out."
After finally getting rid of those "door gods," the tension Julian Vaughn had been holding back finally dissipated.
He slowly exhaled. Instead of rushing inside, he stepped to the side and pulled out his phone.
"What’s the status of the investigation?"
It was unclear what the person on the other end said, but his voice was low. "I don’t care if you have to hack the national database. Find the person who orchestrated this."
"And once we find them? Bring them back to Portia?" the person on the other end asked.
His long, slender fingers tapped gently against the window frame. Julian Vaughn watched the figures below grow distant, his voice so faint it was almost carried away by the wind.
"Kill them."
"And if those other men are involved... send them on their way, too."
——
The blade glinted coldly as it stabbed straight toward her.
The chandelier overhead swayed precariously. Mia Grant’s eyes flew wide with terror as she grabbed the man’s hand.
The light was blinding. The features of the dark figure before her were a blur; even when she forced her eyes open, she couldn’t make out his face.
All she knew was that while she struggled, the hand she was desperately gripping took the chance to tighten its hold on the hilt and drive the blade in deeper.
A constant ringing filled her ears, faintly mingling with the sickening sound of churning flesh.
The light and shadows swayed, and swayed. Her strength was draining away. Even her initial screams had weakened, leaving only a few ragged gasps muffled in her throat.
She could feel herself spitting up mouthfuls of blood. A sticky, scarlet liquid gushed from the corners of her mouth, soaking the floral carpet beneath her.
As her hand fell limply to her side, the man seized the opportunity to shove the hilt in the rest of the way.
’So cold.’
’The skin, split open, is so cold.’
’The exposed flesh and blood, so cold.’
’My organs, and the tears at the corners of my eyes... so cold.’
Her breathing grew shallow. Maybe the air was too thin.
She tried to take a deep breath, but as she opened her mouth, a torrent of fresh blood poured out.
She was like a gutted fish on a cutting board, tail twitching by pure instinct.
The person before her still hadn’t left.
He lay down beside her. She didn’t know what he was doing.
She strained to turn her neck, using every last ounce of her strength to see his face clearly.
Those handsome, delicate, familiar features—
The shock was like stumbling upon a sickening epilogue in a fairy-tale book, a tragic ending where the prince cheats on the princess before having her murdered.
A chill that plunged her into an icy abyss.
