"Rena?"
My last shred of consciousness told me that the man was Neil, but wasn't he supposed to be at the courthouse today?
How come he's here...
I'm too exhausted to think anymore, all the questions in my heart remained unspoken.
---
After nearly a week in the ICU, I started to recover. During that time, my parents visited me daily, donning protective gear as they took turns keeping vigil by my hospital bed.
However, Neil, after that one glimpse I caught of him, hadn't shown up at the hospital again.
I was deeply worried about the lawsuit against Karina. My mom told me that the police had arrested her before the trial could even start. Her impulsive actions were criminal, and there was no way she'd get off scot-free.
"Mom, how are Serena and the kids?" I asked after being moved to a regular room.
"They're fine, at home," my mom sighed with concern. "Your dad's worried that the Whitmores might try something with you in the hospital, so we've had to leave someone at home at all times. We've barely managed the business, but thankfully, the cosmetics project is stable now; the critical phase is completed."
"I trust Neil's parents, Ryan and Faith, wouldn’t do such a thing. They've been nothing but kind to me, almost as much as you and dad," I said, though I found it odd that Neil and his family hadn't visited me on the day I was transferred to the regular room. It wasn’t like them, especially since I could feel their genuine concern for me.
Mom didn’t pick up on my unease and didn’t want to discuss the Whitmores further, knowing her and dad's strong aversion to them. She preferred to talk about Serena and Brandon, her tone full of affection.
"Rena!"
Suddenly, Stella's voice rang from outside the room, and she hurried in, followed by Mitch, both laden with bags as if they'd just returned from a trip.
Though I was feeling better, I was still weak and could only greet her verbally, "Stella, where have you been?"
"Back from Eldoria. I had returned but had to go back for some stuff. I hadn't expected you to end up in the ICU during that time. Scared the daylight out of me!" Stella blurted out without even greeting my mom, her concern evident as she examined me, "What happened? I heard that crazy Karina injected you with something?"
I managed a wry smile, "Yeah, the needle was poisoned. She used her medical skills to attempt murder. If my clothing hadn’t wiped off some of the toxin from the needle, I might've been done for."
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