Chapter 1457
Chapter 1459:
Within the operating room, the overhead lamp cast a harsh, pale glow over everything.
At last, the final stitch went in. With a quick motion, the thread was cut. Only then did Maia let out a long breath, allowing the tension that had gripped her for hours to loosen.
The operation had gone well. The wounded soldier had been pulled back from the edge of death.
Still, Maia’s expression dimmed as she studied the deep, brutal wound along his neck. Even with his life saved, returning to regular training or active duty did not seem possible anytime soon. Permanent damage was a real possibility. Because she had once stood at the thin line between life and death herself, she understood exactly how ruthless and deliberate that strike had been — calculated with deadly intent, aimed straight for the artery. Only years of relentless combat training, and a neck built stronger than most, had kept him alive.
Chaos had swallowed the city whole over the past hours. Flames had consumed the entire banquet center, explosions had torn through the air, assassinations had spread fear, and unrest had surged through the streets. Inside the hospital, violence had followed — and the acts unfolding there were just as horrifying. It was obvious that someone was exploiting the disorder, using the city’s collapse as cover to carry out calculated killings.
But who, exactly, were they trying to eliminate?
Maia suddenly pictured Chris with his face wrapped in bandages, and panic struck her chest without warning.
Could the target be —
“I’ll leave the rest in your hands.” Maia stripped off her blood-soaked gloves and dropped them into the medical waste bin. “Watch him carefully, and contact Dr. Walsh at once if anything changes p>
“Understood, Dr. Watson,” the nurses answered.
Maia turned without hesitation and walked out of the operating room, which still reeked of blood. Unease settled deep in her chest as she moved down the hall. The truth pressed in with full force — remaining in this hospital had become a risk she could no longer afford. She had to get Chris out immediately, before anyone from the Cooper family found him first.
T𝗵𝖾 𝘣𝖾𝗌𝘵 𝘳𝖾𝗏𝘪𝗲𝘸𝗌 о𝗻
She went straight to the changing room, stripped off the white coat, and pulled on her original black clothes. As she zipped everything closed, the softness in her eyes disappeared, replaced by sharp-edged caution.
She pushed the door open and ran.
Noise flooded the corridors. She pressed forward against the flow of people, moving straight for the intensive care unit where Chris was kept. Each step brought her closer. Each second felt heavier than the last.
At last she arrived outside the familiar room — breathless, chest tight — and stopped dead.
Something was wrong. The heavy doors that should have been firmly shut stood wide open. A cold stillness drifted out from inside.
Panic climbed straight to her throat.
“Chris, are you here?” She called out as she hurried in.
The room was empty. The bed stood rumpled and abandoned. The monitor continued its soft, rhythmic beeping, but the screen had gone dark.
Maia pressed her hand flat against the sheets. The cold fabric confirmed what she feared. There was not even a trace of warmth left. He had been gone far longer than a few minutes.
Oh no.
Fear crashed into her without mercy. Had someone taken him? Or had something gone terribly wrong?
Without another thought, she spun around and bolted out of the room.
The moment she burst into the corridor, movement flashed at the far end — someone charging straight toward her at frightening speed. They nearly collided at the corner. Maia twisted aside, but pain still shot through her shoulder as it was clipped.
She was about to apologize out of habit, but the other person beat her to it.
“Sorry — I have something urgent. Please excuse me!” The voice was low, rushed, carrying clear impatience. Without sparing her a glance, he kept running and vanished down the corridor within seconds.
Maia pressed a hand to her sore shoulder. Still wearing her mask, she had no time to dwell on it. Finding Chris came before everything else.
After steadying her breathing, she made her way to the nurses’ counter. Chaos ruled the area. Phones rang in an unbroken stream. Buried under stacks of medical charts, the nurse on duty struggled to keep pace.
“Where is the patient who was in the observation room?” Maia braced herself against the counter and tried to steady her breathing.
Without lifting her head, the nurse kept writing rapidly. “Which observation room? We have too many patients tonight — I can’t keep track of all of them p>
“The room beside the intensive care unit. Head injury, completely bandaged.” Maia kept her voice even, reining in her frustration.
The description made the nurse stop writing. She raised her head, pushed her glasses up, and studied the masked woman with sharp eyes. Recognition dawned slowly. “Dr. Watson p>
Even in different clothes, Maia’s eyes gave her away. The nurse set her papers aside and straightened immediately, her manner turning respectful. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Watson — tonight has been absolutely overwhelming. Which room were you asking about p>
“Room 302. Chris Cooper p>
“Oh — that patient.” Recognition crossed the nurse’s face. She turned to the cluttered stack of files, searched through them, and pulled out a single form. “He was transferred to another hospital earlier p>
“Transferred?” The word struck Maia like a blow.
“Yes — it’s all recorded here.” The nurse tapped the page and gestured toward the official stamps and signatures. “Patients who have just undergone cranial surgery are normally not permitted to be transferred due to the risk involved, but exceptions exist in certain circumstances.” A faint, helpless shrug followed. “Influential individuals usually arrange moves to facilities with better resources p>
As those words sank in, Maia’s hand stilled — her fingers stopping just short of taking the document.
Message from Noa: Good afternoon dear readers. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧