Chapter 538

The window beside Winnie's hospital bed was half-open.

"My source informed me, I'm not sure how he found out, but he sensed his mother was in the hospital, and he bolted all the way from the operating room. Luckily, we're on the first floor, so climbing through the window wasn't too risky. Leo, we can't let Ishara discover that he's still moving around. You need to get him back quickly..."

"This little rascal." Fuming, Leo picked up the child from the floor, hid him under his lab coat, and stealthily exited through the side door.

In the adjacent building, Leo plopped the child back on the hospital bed.

Unexpectedly, the jolt roused the little one from unconsciousness.

Lifting his head, the usually gentle eyes flashed a chill, weakly gripping Leo's coat. "What have you done to my Mommy?"

Leo paused, a flicker of alarm in his heart.

"Shut up," he scolded the Oscar.

The wise and observant eyes stared back at him.

Leo doted on him but whispered, "Quit stirring up trouble. You're now the idiot with the surgery, keep quiet.

"If it weren't for your remarkably high IQ, I would have found it difficult to be so harsh. It would've been a shame to destroy a genius.

"But, you have to act like an idiot.

"I'm warning you, stay close to me and stop eavesdropping on conversations with my trusted companions. There's nothing a kid like you can do to stop Ms. Ishara's plans.

"Don't forget you're now a little prisoner, and I won't be able to protect you for much longer."

With one swift hit, Leo knocked the child unconscious.

Yet his eyes remained defiantly open a fraction of an inch.

Letting out a sigh, Leo instructed his right-hand man, "Keep an eye on him. We can't let Ms. Ishara find out he's met with Winnie or he's a goner.

Keep pretending to medicate him. We can't raise any suspicions that I haven't actually operated on his brain."

The henchman replied, fear evident in his tone, "Leo, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep this kid much longer. Ms. Ishara was telling the guard it's time to move him."

Leo was taken aback, recalling Lawrence's threats. He was in turmoil. He was torn between betraying Ishara before she relocated Oscar.

Winnie slowly came to her senses, her mind in a haze. She felt like she had been asleep abnormally long.

She had a dream where Oscar came to see her; her precious child had visited.

The kid had wept by her bedside, whispering something to her.

She struggled to remember, her head throbbed painfully, eluding her.

It sounded like he had said, "Sorry, Mommy, I'm late."

Winnie's heart raced with an indescribable panic welling up from within.

As soon as her fingers regained sensation, she touched the corner of her eyes.

Her cheeks bore the trail of real tears.

She wondered if it was a dream or reality.

Winnie pushed herself up to sit.

Just then, a nurse entered, offering assistance. "Ms. Winnia, you've just undergone an endoscopy. Don't get agitated. Does your throat feel uncomfortable? Have some water first."

"The anesthesiologist made a mistake. I'm holding you accountable." Winnie's voice was hoarse as she vehemently pushed the nurse away. "How long was I out?"

"I apologize. The anesthesiologist misread the chart, confusing your standard endoscopy with the commonly done general anesthesia procedure.

After you were put under, the doctor performed the endoscopy, and you failed to wake up until now, adding an extra forty minutes to your unconsciousness."

"Get me the anesthesiologist," Winnie demanded groggily.

Soon after, she asked the nurse again, "While I was under, did a child enter my examination room?"

The nurse hesitated, her words evasive. "No. How could we possibly let a child enter the exam room?

Our consultation rooms adhere to strict standards. Children coming for a checkup are always accompanied by a parent."

But the image of Oscar lingered in Winnie's mind, relentless and unyielding.

She longed for her son desperately.

Ignoring the nurse, Winnie wandered out of the hallway.

Her mother's instinct told her Oscar was somewhere within these walls.

Though she doubted he would be in a conventional hospital if he had been kidnapped by Ishara and kept out of contact, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had heard her son's tender voice.

Frantic, she flung open door after door, tirelessly searching every room in the hospital.

Supported by Claire, Ishara stealthily exited the hospital.

A sleek black limousine with tinted windows waited in the back alley.

Carefully cradling her abdomen, Ishara slipped into the car and removed her mask, scarf, and sunglasses.

Eleanor barely dared to breathe, her gaze fixed on her daughter's flat and slender stomach. "Is the procedure done?"

"It's complete, Mother. There's now an embryo inside me. Lawrence would never guess. He would never know this child is truly his." Ishara chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with excitement for the future.

"Fantastic! Ishara, your plan is seamless, absolutely foolproof!" Eleanor exclaimed with joy.

"Just need the embryo to implant successfully," Ishara mused.

"No worries there." Claire turned, carefully reading the instructions on the medications prescribed by Leo, and smiled. "The superficial frailty is just for show.

"In reality, a young woman's body is perfect for carrying a child. With progesterone and no strenuous exercise, implantation should happen within ten days."

Eleanor let out a sigh of relief. "We'll get you home and ensure you have the best care."

Ishara turned, her eyes narrowing with smug satisfaction. "What about Winnie?"

"She's still at the hospital," Claire affirmed confidently. "Rest assured, she doesn't suspect a thing."

Winnie combed through the entire hospital, but the miracle she hoped for never materialized. Oscar was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it had been nothing more than a dream induced by the general anesthesia. She wondered if vividness merely a reflection of her deep longing for her son.

Coming to her senses, she felt discomfort in her abdomen, wondering if it was the anesthesia wearing off or the result of her frantic searching.

Her phone incessantly rang, the hospital's information desk urging her to return to the consultation room. They assured her they would address any concerns and take full responsibility for any issues.

Wearily, Winnie retraced her steps back to the emergency room, where both the doctor and the nurse awaited her. However, the anesthesiologist who had administered her IV was conspicuously absent.

"I need to speak with that anesthesiologist," Winnie insisted, recalling how she had removed his mask just before going under.

He was a stranger, and he'd rushed the anesthesia process too much.

At that moment, the hospital's Deputy Director entered, offering sincere apologies. "Ms. Winnie, we have dismissed the anesthesiologist for his negligence during your procedure. He was a temporary staff member whose skills did not meet our standards. I deeply apologize for the error with your anesthesia during the endoscopy. If you wish to discuss compensation, we are prepared to offer you a settlement. Would that be acceptable to you?"