Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 14

Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 14: What Are You Doing

Julian Rhodes rushed to the entrance of the emergency room and immediately saw Sylvia Chevalier sitting by the door. 1

He strode over and grabbed her arm. “What happened? Why is Yara in the emergency room?”

Sylvia Chevalier’s voice choked with sobs. “It’s all my fault… Yara said she

was bored at home and insisted I take her to a bar. She had a little to

drink, and when she came out of the restroom, she slipped… and fell down

the stairs.”

“It’s all my fault. I never should have taken her to a place like that, and I definitely shouldn’t have let her drink just because she was having a good

time…”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing how heartbroken she looked, Julian Rhodes swallowed the accusation on the tip of his tongue.

‘What’s done is done. Blaming anyone now is pointless.‘

He let go of her, his voice weary. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you. Let’s just wait for the doctor.”

He sat on the bench outside the emergency room, his hands clenching into fists without him realizing it.

His mind flashed back to his day: he had run all over town to the coffee shops and design studios Thera Sutherland used to frequent, even visiting the park where they once had a date, but he hadn’t found a single trace of her.

His assistant had just messaged him, reporting that Thera Sutherland had taken a flight back to her hometown yesterday.

‘She was really gone. She’d made a clean break.‘

Julian Rhodes closed his eyes, a wave of regret washing over him.

‘If There were still here, she would never have let Yara go to a place like a bar. She would have watched over Yara no matter where they were, and she would never have let her get hurt…‘

‘In the past, no matter how much of a scene Yara made, Thera always handled everything perfectly and never let her get into any danger.‘

Just as he was lost in thought, the light above the emergency room door suddenly went out.

A doctor walked out, pulling off his surgical mask.

“The patient sustained a blow to the head, but she’s out of mortal danger. As for when she’ll wake up, it’s hard to say at this point. It will depend on her recovery.”

Julian’s heart had only just begun to settle when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the barest hint of a smile on Sylvia Chevalier’s lips.

But when he looked properly, her face was once again a mask of

tear–streaked sorrow.

She even edged closer to him, her voice thick with tears. “Julian, I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault I didn’t watch Yara closely enough. If I’d just kept a better eye on her, this never would have happened.”

Julian Rhodes frowned, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

“That fleeting smile… did I imagine it?‘

‘Sylvia has always been so gentle and kind. She’s taken good care of Yara

all these years. Why would she make an expression like that?‘

He pushed the suspicion down and comforted her softly, “You didn’t do it on purpose.”

After Yara Rhodes was moved to a private room, Sylvia Chevalier

immediately grabbed Julian Rhodes’s arm. Her tone was earnest. “You spent all day running around looking for Thera, and then you had to rush over to the hospital. You must be exhausted. I can watch over her; my conscience wouldn’t be clear otherwise. Go home and get some rest. You can grab a change of clothes for Yara while you’re there.”

Julian Rhodes did feel mentally and physically drained, so he didn’t think too much about Sylvia’s solicitousness. He just nodded. “Alright then. Thank you for this. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Julian Rhodes had just reached the elevators when he suddenly

remembered he hadn’t asked if Sylvia needed anything. He turned and headed back.

As he reached the door to the room, a sinister laugh echoed from within.

He froze, his heart sinking like a stone. He peered through the small glass window on the door.

Sylvia Chevalier was standing by the hospital bed, her eyes filled with disgust and malice. She was leaning over the unconscious Yara, cursing through gritted teeth.

“How are you so damned lucky? To fall that hard and still not die! You used to act all high and mighty with me just because Julian doted on you. Look at you now. You’re completely at my mercy, aren’t you?”

Julian Rhodes went rigid, thinking he must be seeing things.

‘How could this be the empathetic, considerate Sylvia he knew?‘

‘The viciousness in her eyes was more terrifying than that of any opponent he had ever faced.‘

‘So all these years, I’ve been completely fooled by her act!‘

Before he could process what he was seeing, he heard Sylvia Chevalier speak again in that same sinister tone.

“Two years ago, I was the one who arranged for those rivals to kidnap you! I just wanted to teach you a lesson, but I never expected it would also ruin Julian’s relationship. So, thanks for that.”

She paused, her hand reaching for the valve on the oxygen tube, her eyes brimming with murderous intent.

“Yara, why don’t you help me out one more time? This time…”

“What are you doing?!”

No longer able to contain his fury, Julian Rhodes threw the door open and

stormed into the room.