Chapter 164

"Why did that damned woman have to involve Ms. Clark in this with her uncle? She's Mr. Rodriguez's mother! Doesn't Winnie have any conscience?"

"Stay calm. It might be a misunderstanding. Ms. Clark is weak and dependent on oxygen. I'm coordinating with the police. Keep this information from Mr. Rodriguez!" Benjamin froze.

The car sped along swiftly. Winnie bought some emergency medicine and a Dry Needling package from the pharmacy. As they entered the mountains, the assistant made multiple turns to prevent Winnie from remembering the route.

Planning to locate her phone, Winnie realized its battery was drained, causing her face to pale.

Around midnight, the car stopped in front of an old farmhouse. Ignoring her hunger, Winnie hurriedly exited the car and forced open the door. Inside her uncle and two bodyguards were in disarray. Melissa was slumped in a chair, frothy saliva still foaming from her mouth.

"She's having a seizure! Winnie!" her uncle shouted in alarm. Winnie's feelings were in turmoil as she looked at her uncle.

She noticed he had stood up, probably with a prosthetic leg, limping as he walked. Tears fell from Winnie's eyes as she pitied her uncle, but also felt an immense hatred towards him.

She immediately went over to help Melissa, her voice trembling, "Uncle, why did it have come to this? You've backed us into a corner. Your health is not good, why can't you understand mom?"

"Who is your mom? She's not! Winnie, don't betray the Granger family!" Elliott became agitated. He had gone mad and couldn't listen to reason.

Overwhelmed with despair. Winnie lowered her head and quickly gave Melissa the medicine. Pressing the area around her throat, and inserted the medicine into her mouth, slowly stopping her convulsions.

"You can't let her die. Lawrence has relied on his mother since he was young, and she is my biggest bargaining chip!"

Winnie's heart was pierced by the tip of the knife. She knew very well that Lawrence loved his mother too much, and she couldn't afford to take the risk. This was a road on the edge of a cliff, where one wrong move could lead to a fatal fall and descent into hell.

She couldn't bear it anymore, turning her head and suddenly kneeling in front of her uncle, she pleaded "Please, uncle, put an end to this. Let's return Melissa. She needs hospital care. She can't be without the oxygen machine. If we return her now, you won't be labeled as a kidnapper. Uncle..."

"There's no turning back! Lena is still in Lawrence's hands. No one has ever shown me compassion. Winnie, I care about you, which is why I brought you here. I can't let you fall into the devil's hands."

Tears streamed down Winnie's face as she cried. Her uncle couldn't bear to witness her pain, but his perception was deeply skewed.

Amidst performing dry needling on Melissa. Winnie felt a faint touch on her trembling wrist. She looked down to find Melissa's icy hand on hers.

Winnie looked on in a pleasant surprise, seeing Melissa opening her eyes. She looked at her with a mix of compassion and confusion, but her eyes were still gentle.

With tears in her eyes, Winnie shared a silent understanding with her and continued with the needling.

She turned her head and urgently said to her uncle, "Uncle, we need another medication, and we need it now, or Melissa might not make it."

"What medication?"

"Emergency medicine. I saw a few pharmacies in the village on my way here, but I'm not sure if they have it. All of you should go and buy it, but please hurry."

Elliott frowned, "You three go. I'll stay here."

Softly, Winnie implores, "It's urgent, Uncle. You should go too. Look at Melissa's condition. I definitely can't run away."

Anxious about a potential fatality, Elliott grumbled, "That person who made the call didn't mention anything about her being this sick! If I had known, I wouldn't have kidnapped her."

Who was the caller?

Winnie furrowed her brows deeply.

As her uncle and the others departed in several cars, Winnie breathed a sigh of relief. As she finished the last needle, she looked down and indeed saw Melissa's breathing ease and her eyes brighten.

"Winnie..."

"Mom, I'm so sorry..." Winnie voice quivered. She immediately helped her up, checking her pulse, and giving her the emergency medicine.

Her intention was to keep her uncle and the rest distracted.

"Can you walk? We must leave here immediately. I'll take you home, to the hospital!"

Melissa understood Winnie's intentions. Her uncle wanted to kidnap her, and Winnie was rescuing her. She nodded immediately, coughing.

The cough wasn't as severe anymore. Winnie knew that she was getting better and felt confident in her medical skills. She gave Melissa a portable oxygen tank and carried her on her back before leaving immediately.

The mobile phone had no battery, and there were no lights in the mountain village. Relying on her intuition from when she came, Winnie kept running downhill.

She had to get Melissa home before her uncle came back. That way, everything would be fine, and the kidnapping wouldn't happen. She could ask for Melissa's forgiveness and explain, hoping that Lawrence would forgive her uncle's impulsive actions because his mother was okay.

The moon illuminated sky, and she pushed herself with all her strength, not knowing how long she had been walking.

Melissa saw her covered in cold sweat and worried about the baby in her belly. She insisted on getting down, saying, "Winnie, we have walked so far. Your uncle probably won't be able to catch up. Put me down."

Winnie looked into the lights below the mountain, thinking that if she walked a few more hours, she might reach the roadside and see if there were any cars passing by in the late night.

"Mom, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Melissa held onto her hand firmly, but after taking just two quick steps, she suddenly clutched her stomach in pain and gasped.

"What's wrong, Mom?"

"It hurts. I have pancreatitis, and it might be acting up."

Winnie understood that her condition was complex, involving multiple diseases. She immediately stopped and helped Melissa to sit on the grass. She lifted Melissa's clothes to give her an injection in her belly. Soon, Melissa spat out a blackish blood clot, and her pain eased a bit.

The winter in the mountain village was particularly bone-chilling. Winnie wiped her mouth, her hands trembling.

Despite enduring the pain, Melissa carefully looked at her pale face, gently touching it with a heart filled with tenderness.

As if understanding something in her heart, she solemnly said, "Winnie, I don't know how long I can live like this. If your uncle and Lawrence have conflicts or misunderstandings, you must be the mediator. I believe that even the most difficult things can be resolved.

If I pass away, he will be truly alone because when he was a child, he was violent and suspicious, not trusting anyone.

You must be my replacement, become his source of warmth. Even though he appears strong on the surface, his heart is lonely.

Promise me that you won't leave him in the future, that you'll give birth to his child, love him, and remain by his side for his entire life, okay?"

Her heartfelt plea warmed Winnie's heart, mingling her feelings if anxiety and guilty. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she responded, "Mom, I was forced to do some wrong things, but I won't hurt him again... I want to love him, as long as he wants me."

"He can't hide it from me. He cares for you," Melissa comforted with a smile.

"You two have a really good relationship!" Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness, its origin unknown.

A send of familiarity struck Winnie, and she looked up in alarm and stood up cautiously. Was that Darcy's voice?