Chapter 232 Awake

Chapter 232: Chapter 232 Awake

The thought came so unexpectedly that Laurel almost frowned. She did not want to judge him unfairly. Alexander had helped protect the fortress, worked tirelessly on its defenses and shown genuine concern for Tina. Those were things she could see with her own eyes. Yet she had also learned that a person’s kindness in one moment did not erase everything they had done before... even if that was a past life.

"Thank you," Laurel answered at last, offering him a polite smile. "I’m glad Tina has someone who cares about her as much as you do."

Alexander’s smile faded slightly when he noticed how carefully she had chosen her words. He had hoped she might respond to his compliment with something more personal, but she had gently turned the conversation back to Tina.

He could not blame her entirely. Their marriage had been filled with misunderstandings and distance, and he knew that Laurel never trusted him, although he could not tell the exact reason. It was true that at the beginning, he didn’t like her because he thought she used him and drugged him. But he had already begged for her forgiveness... could it be she truly hated him or... could it be that she had fallen in love with Chris? The thought left a foul taste in his heart.

Still, seeing her standing so close, exhausted yet determined to keep helping everyone around her, made him reluctant to let the conversation end.

"You look tired," Alexander observed, his gaze settling on the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Have you eaten anything since you returned?"

Laurel shook her head. "Not yet. I’ve been busy."

"Then you should eat something before you collapse," Alexander replied, trying to keep his tone light. "I can ask someone to bring food to your room."

Laurel gave a small laugh at his concern. "I’m not going to collapse, Mr. Wayne. But I’ll eat when I have the chance."

Alexander was not convinced. He reached out as though he intended to touch her arm, but stopped when he noticed her glance towards his hand. The brief movement reminded him that the easy closeness he wanted between them did not yet exist.

He lowered his hand and cleared his throat. "Where are you going now?" Alexander asked, hoping there was still something he could do for her.

Laurel’s smile gradually disappeared as she remembered the other patient she had been worrying about.

"I need to check on Grandpa Wayne," she answered. "I heard he was poisoned, but I haven’t examined him myself. I don’t even know what treatment he’s received."

Alexander’s expression became serious. "I’ll come with you."

Laurel looked at him in surprise. She did not want to leave Tina without someone familiar nearby, especially while the child was still recovering from the frightening experience underground.

"You should stay with Tina," Laurel replied. "She might wake up again, and I think she’ll feel safer if you’re there."

Alexander hesitated. He wanted to accompany Laurel, because he was concerned about Grandpa Wayne, he had not had the chance to see how he was faring, although he had already ordered Raphael to investigate what had happened.

"All right," he agreed reluctantly. "But promise me you’ll get some rest after checking on him... and I want to know the state of his condition when you are done." His gaze narrowed slightly, as the wave of anger rolled against the wall of his chest. The fact that someone had the authority to poison the patriarch of the Wayne family made him boil, and he couldn’t wait to skin the culprit alive.

Laurel smiled, although it did not reach her eyes. "Sure."

Alexander watched her walk away, his eyes following her until she disappeared around the corner.

For a moment, he remained standing in the corridor, thinking about the distance between them. Laurel had thanked him, smiled at him and spoken kindly, yet he could still feel the invisible wall she had placed around herself. He wondered how long it would take before she allowed him to cross it.

Meanwhile, Laurel continued towards the ward where Grandpa Wayne was being kept. Alexander’s words lingered in her thoughts, and she found herself wondering once again whether the man she had married had truly changed.

She wanted to believe people could become better, but experience had taught her not to trust appearances too easily. She pushed the thought away. For now, she had more important matters to attend to.

Grandpa Wayne had been poisoned while she was away, Ida had nearly died because her treatment was delayed, and Margaret had somehow managed to turn the fortress against the very people who had been protecting it.

Laurel’s expression hardened as she approached Grandpa Wayne’s room. She needed to find out exactly what had happened.

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~~Serverance Cult Base~~

The first thing Ronan noticed was the unfamiliar smell. It was sharp and clean, reminding him of the hospitals he had visited before the apocalypse. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming, because the last place he remembered being was anything but clean.

His eyelids felt unusually heavy, and when he finally managed to open them, a white ceiling slowly came into focus.

He stared at it in confusion. Where was he?

Ronan tried to move his head, but a dull pain spread from the back of his neck towards his shoulders, making him wince. He immediately stopped moving and took a shallow breath, only to notice the bandages wrapped around his chest.

The sight made his heart beat faster.

He remembered running. He remembered the screams, the sound of monsters tearing through the group members, and the heavy gate closing in front of him.

His breathing quickened as the memories returned. His helpless cries, and his frantic banging against the gate.

Ronan’s fingers curled against the bedsheet as he remembered turning around and seeing the monsters approaching. Their bloodstained mouths had been open, and their claws scraped against the ground as they rushed towards him.

He remembered thinking that he was going to die. But if that was true, why was he lying in a hospital bed?

He tried to push himself upright, only for a sharp pain to shoot through his side. A groan escaped his lips, and he immediately fell back against the pillow.

"Don’t move too much. Your injuries haven’t healed yet."

The unfamiliar voice made Ronan turn his head.

A young woman wearing a white medical uniform stood beside the door, holding a tray of medicine. She looked surprised to see him awake, and after setting the tray down, she quickly approached his bed.

"You’re finally conscious," the woman said, checking the monitor beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Ronan stared at her, struggling to understand what was happening. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and weak, as if patched by sandpaper.

The nurse adjusted the blanket covering him before answering. "You’re in a medical facility. You’ve been unconscious for quite some time."

Ronan frowned. That was hardly an answer. "What medical facility?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady. "Who brought me here?"

The nurse hesitated, and the brief change in her expression immediately caught Ronan’s attention. She glanced towards the door before returning her gaze to him.

"You should rest for now," she replied carefully. "I’ll inform the doctor that you’re awake."

Ronan watched her closely. Something about her reaction made him uneasy. If this was an ordinary hospital, why couldn’t she simply tell him where he was?

"Wait," Ronan called as she turned towards the door. "What happened to the people who were with me?"

The nurse stopped, but she did not turn around immediately.