Chapter 312
Chapter 312:
Too scared to even whimper, Hester shrank into herself.
Lucas gazed at Hester with a smile that glowed with fake warmth and held out the vase once again. “Ms. Sampson,” he said in a syrupy tone. “Would you kindly complete your act p>
That charming smile was sharper than a knife coated in sugar. Beneath his refined surface, Lucas was as dangerous as they came. At that chilling moment, everyone present understood something with terrifying clarity: anyone in Merlin’s orbit was not to be crossed.
No one dared rise in Hester’s defense. Even she knew resisting would only make things worse. Shaking with fear, she reached for the vase, holding it against her forehead. The sting in her skull hadn’t yet landed when the ache in her chest had already begun. After a brief hesitation and two shaky breaths, she clenched her eyes shut and slammed the vase against her head.
Bang! Fragments exploded everywhere. Hester collapsed instantly, knocked unconscious. A deep cut on her head began bleeding across the gleaming floor.
Nobody rushed to her aid. The banquet hall stayed eerily quiet, as if the very air had frozen. Everyone’s eyes darted cautiously toward Merlin. Whispers about his cold heart and quick temper had always floated around, but this moment made those whispers feel terrifyingly real. One shared thought swept through the crowd—it was safer to provoke a monster than to challenge Merlin.
At that exact moment, the banquet hall doors flew open once more, revealing several uniformed police officers. After conducting a quick investigation, they detained Boris, Dunn, and Hester, along with the medical personnel who had helped falsify documents.
In a panic, Murray raised his voice at the officers, shouting, “I didn’t know anything! Our hospital hasn’t done anything wrong p>
None of the officers acknowledged his defense. One handed him an official notice. “Because of major criminal violations by employees at Skyflower Hospital, all operations must cease immediately until further review p>
Once the authorities left, Murray slumped into a chair, his face drained of color.
𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝗮𝘁 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧺𝖼𝗈𝗺
Bonnie lost consciousness and had to be carried out.
Norwood and Joslyn remained locked in place, too shocked to make a sound or move.
Just minutes ago, Trinity had been basking in the glow of attention from every corner of the room. Now, she stood alone, deserted by the very people who had been hanging on her every word. No one wanted to be caught in the fallout. The swift turn of events made her clench her jaw with rage. She cast a poisonous stare at Elliana, who didn’t even bother to look in her direction.
Merlin stepped up to Hailee and asked in a gentle voice, “Are you heading out? I can drive you p>
Even though he had stood up for her, Hailee couldn’t shake the discomfort stirred by his violent streak. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up, backing away two steps while keeping a cautious eye on him.
A frown tugged at Merlin’s brows. Why was she shrinking away from him again? Her bravery was unpredictable, bouncing between fierce defiance and sudden fragility—as if even a harmless sigh from him might send her collapsing. It fascinated him.
Under his unrelenting stare, Hailee felt a wave of unease and stammered, “I-I appreciate it, but… I’ll go with Elliana.” Merlin shifted his attention toward Elliana.