Chapter 166

Elliott secured the door with an iron chain and looked pained as he said, "Winnie, I can't put you in harm's way any longer. I will escape on my own. If the police catch me, it's fine, but you must stay hidden here. Once I'm at the police station, you can come out. That way, you can clear your name!"

"Uncle, please let me out!" Winnie helplessly shouted, pounding on the door.

She walked to the window and saw her uncle's staggering figure, causing a sharp pain in her heart, as if being stabbed by needles.

Her stubborn uncle thought he could save her this way, but she was afraid that when she escaped from the villa last night, she had already become an "accomplice"...

"Uncle! I need to get out quickly!" Winnie's mind was racing, and she desperately pounded on the door frame.

Yet, in the secluded cabin in the village, no one could hear her cries.

It wasn't until two days later when a villager happened to pass by and release her. Winnie walked to the roadside, barely able to stand, and flagged down a car.

Three days later, even before the detention period had elapsed, Lawrence was released from the police station.

Because something big had happened.

However, as he sat in the car, his legs feeling numb from the cold, he couldn't understand what Benjamin was saying, nor what Ray told him.

His mind was blank, as if he was experiencing auditory hallucinations.

At this moment, the tall, formidable man appeared exceptionally fragile. He followed Benjamin into the intensive care unit.

In the quiet depths of his gaze, he sank into a terrifying frozen abyss.

Inside the room...

Two beds occupied the space.

One belonged to his mother.

The other was Darcy's.

He stood there, watching the doctor's lips moving, yet the words eluded him, His handsome face remained expressionless, yet frustration lingered in his eyes, "What are you saying?"

"Mr. Rodriguez..." Darcy weakly opened her eyes, her voice carrying a feeble and desolate cry, "It's all my fault, I couldn't save Ms. Clark from Winnie's grasp in time, and she ended up in a persistent vegetative state, sob..."

"Darcy, what are you saying? You donated a kidney to Ms. Clark!" Ray's voice filled with love and affection.

Finally, the doctor's words seemed to penetrate Lawrence's mind, "Mr. Rodriguez, your mother was kidnapped and arrived at the hospital barely breathing. Her kidneys were failing rapidly. This young lady urgently donated a kidney, saving Ms. Clark's life, but she slipped into a deep coma with one-third of her brain dead, currently in a persistent vegetative state."

Lawrence looked at his mother, her frail and quiet appearance.

Just a few days ago, she was smiling at him and scolding him as a naughty boy. She was his closest and most beloved person, the one he had protected since childhood.

Suddenly, blood sprayed from her throat.

"Mr. Rodriguez!" Benjamin rushed over.

Lawrence stopped him, clenched his teeth, and remained unusually calm, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

His voice icy, "Darcy, who did you say kidnapped my mom?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Benjamin trembled all over, he glanced at Jeremy, who held a cigarette and was also trembling. Both were speechless.

Darcy shed tears, deeply anguished, "I also can't believe it was Winnie. It was her and her uncle who took Aunty away. She clearly knew how weak Ms. Clark's body was..."

Lawrence's gaze shifted towards Jeremy.

Jeremy avoided his gaze, speaking softly, "That day, when Taylor called the police, I realized something was wrong. I immediately took the police to pursue them, initially thinking there might be a misunderstanding. I just wanted to quickly recover Ms. Clark and prevent you from blaming Winnie..."

"It's true that Mrs. Rodriguez's uncle planned this. On that day, Ms. Clark received a call from her uncle, who claimed she was about to miscarry and was arguing with you, refusing treatment. Ms. Clark was so anxious that she left the villa without any precautions and was kidnapped en route. I was thrown out of the car..." Taylor's voice quivered as he looked at the elderly lady, his eyes brimming with tears.

With Taylor's words, Lawrence's eyes dimmed, feeling as if he had sunk into an endless icy abyss.

He asked, "What about Winnie?"

The calmer he was, the more Jeremy's fingers trembled.

Struggling, Jeremy's brows furrowed, "I went to the entry of the mountain the next day to apprehend them... When I arrived at Elliott's location, he accused you of sanctioning Triton to kidnap his daughter. He intends to go all out against you. Winnie wasn't with him at the time, and Elliott refused to reveal her whereabouts" Jeremy didn't utter the words 'possibly evading capture'.

Lawrence's icy pupils had closed, and he bowed his head, gently holding his mother's hand. The gentler he appeared, the more his profile seemed to be shrouded by an aura of darkness.

"Cough cough!" At that moment, Darcy coughed heavily and suddenly spit out a trace of blood.

"Darcy!" Ray urgently exclaimed, "You've just donated a kidney and had surgery. You're not supposed to speak."

Lawrence looked up and glanced at her, his body suddenly straightening up.

"L" Darcy weakly called out, the monitoring device sounding an alarm. Ray immediately rushed out to call the doctor.

Darcy's voice trembled in fear as she pitifully said, "Lawrence, my health isn't great, and I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on. There are some things I've always wanted to tell you"

Benjamin and Jeremy Taylor left one after the other.

Lawrence walked over, bowing his head to hold her hand, feeling guilty and grateful in his heart. "Don't be silly, nothing will happen to you. What do you want to say?"

"Lawrence, I love youI'm afraid if I don't say it now, I won't have another chance. And also, this" Darcy softly sobbed, slowly pulling something out from around her neck.

When Lawrence saw the jade half ring tied with a red string, he trembled intensely. His dark eyes dulled briefly, only to be quickly overtaken by turbulent emotions.

His hand shook slightly, he took out the other half ring from his suit pocket, the ring he had always kept with him.

Looking sharply at Darcy, his voice deep and tense, filled with astonishment, "How did this half ring end up with you?"

Darcy forced a bitter smile, blushing coyly. "It's always been with me. Four years ago, that night when you gave it to me as a token, I secretly held on to it. I remember back then, when you went to the neighboring city for a bidding project and faced danger, coinciding with your neurological disorder flare-up. Unbeknownst to you, I secretly followed you and managed to save you."

"It was you?" Lawrence's disbelief was palpable, a mixture of astonishment and surprise.

That girl who had occupied a special place in his heart all these years, she was kind and brave, saving him with compassion, treating him with needles all night, soothing him with gentle care, and humming songs. On that night when he almost died, she gave him a second chance at life.

It was Darcy?

He doubted, but when he saw the two half rings come together, forming a complete jade ring, he couldn't find the words to say.

Of course, Darcy knew what he was thinking.

With tears in her eyes, she held his hand. "Lawrence, I had initially wanted it to remain a forever secret! Do you recall our time at the Hot Spring Resort? I asked you about finding the person from that year"

"Is the girl, okay? You said no, but my heart aches."