Chapter 280: Save Him

“Asher? Asher!”

The words made Ruth Hughes’s legs give out, and she collapsed. Theodore Keating reached out to steady her, only to find he had no strength himself. Mabel Grant was the first to sprint toward the shore.

Brandon Jacobs grabbed Theodore Keating to steady him. “Theodore! Hold on! Call a doctor! Asher will be okay!”

With that, he also ran toward the shore. Theodore Keating managed to help Ruth Hughes up. “Asher will be fine. I… I’ll go check. You wait here for me!”

“No, I’m going with you!”

Tears streamed down Ruth Hughes’s face, but she forced herself to her feet and followed Theodore Keating toward the shore as doctors and nurses rushed past with a stretcher.

Asher Keating had already passed out. Leah Sinclair ran back, following the stretcher. Seeing her daughter’s disheveled state, Mabel Grant’s tears finally fell. She rushed forward and hugged her tightly. “Leah, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Mom! I’m fine!”

Leah Sinclair pushed Mabel Grant away and ran after the doctors. She couldn’t see anyone else; she only wanted to follow Asher Keating.

Mabel Grant tried to stop her, but Brandon Jacobs held her back. “Let Leah go with them. We’ll go too. I’ll have someone get Leah a change of clothes. Don’t worry, we’ll sort things out at the hospital!”

“Okay.” Mabel Grant composed herself and got into the car with Brandon Jacobs.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Asher Keating was rushed into the operating room. Leah Sinclair was soaked to the bone. The hospital air conditioning was blasting, and she was so cold her face was pale and she couldn’t stop shivering.

Ruth Hughes took her hand, her voice choked with emotion. “Leah, you should go change your clothes first. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’m fine… I’m fine. I have to wait… for Third Master Keating.”

Leah Sinclair’s teeth were chattering, making it hard to speak clearly. Her eyes were glued to the operating room doors.

Mabel Grant rushed over with clothes and wrapped them around her. “Leah, listen to your mother. Go change first. Third Master Keating is still in surgery. You can’t get sick now. We’ll just go change and come right back, okay?”

“Yes, Leah, be good. Asher… Asher will be fine.”

Ruth Hughes finally broke down in tears. Theodore Keating put an arm around her, his own eyes red-rimmed.

Leah Sinclair bit her lip. “Okay, Uncle, Auntie. I’ll go change and be right back.”

As she stood up, her vision suddenly went dark. Mabel Grant quickly caught her. Leah Sinclair’s lips were pale as she said, “I’m fine.”

‘That’s right, I can’t collapse. Asher Keating is still fighting for his life. I can’t collapse.’ Gritting her teeth, she went to the restroom, quickly changed, wrapped herself in the coat Mabel Grant had brought, and returned to the spot outside the operating room.

Mabel Grant sighed and gently dried Leah’s hair with a towel. She knew she couldn’t persuade her daughter otherwise.

The red “In Surgery” sign remained lit. Leah Sinclair stared at the words, her heart trembling uncontrollably. It was quiet outside the operating room, with only the sound of Ruth Hughes’s soft sobs breaking the silence.

Just as dawn was about to break, the operating room doors finally opened. Chester Hale and another doctor walked out. Leah Sinclair shot to her feet and rushed over. She wanted to ask about Asher’s condition, but she found she couldn’t make a sound, her heart hammering in her chest.

The doctor removed his mask, his voice weary. “The surgery was a success. The blade didn’t pierce the heart directly; it was off by a bit. However, the patient must have taken a blow to the chest during the fight before this, which broke two ribs. One piece punctured his lung. Combined with the seawater he inhaled… he’s not out of danger yet.”

“Doctor, what… what do you mean?”

Leah Sinclair’s voice was hoarse. She felt like she could understand every word the doctor said, but strung together, they made no sense.

Chester Hale explained to them, “Third Master Keating has been moved to the ICU. His vitals aren’t stable yet. Our biggest concern right now is a pulmonary infection. If the infection doesn’t spread, he should be fine. But if it does… it will be very dangerous.”

Very dangerous. The two words made Leah Sinclair’s vision go black. The faint color that had just returned to her lips vanished instantly. Shawn Grant, who was beside her, quickly caught her.

“Chester, Chester, you… you have to save Asher! Save him!” Ruth Hughes cried, grabbing Chester Hale’s hand, her mind in a state of utter chaos.

“Aunt Ruth, please rest assured, we will do everything we can. You don’t need to worry too much. Third Master Keating has always been in good health. I have faith in him. He’ll pull through,” Chester Hale said, comforting her softly as he supported her.

“Second Master Hale, you… Third Master Keating, he…” Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling stood to the side, their eyes red, at a loss for words.

“I’ll keep you updated on any changes.” Chester Hale patted their arms. He couldn’t dare to promise anything more.

With red eyes, Leah Sinclair asked him in a raspy voice, “Dr. Hale, can I… can I go in and see Third Master Keating?”

“Not today. Tomorrow will depend on his condition. If it’s possible, a nurse will let you know.”

Chester Hale turned to her, frowning slightly. “Leah Sinclair, didn’t you also inhale a lot of seawater?”

All eyes turned to her. Mabel Grant finally realized why Leah Sinclair’s voice was so hoarse. She had assumed it was from crying, especially since Leah hadn’t said much. Hearing the doctor’s words, she immediately grew tense.

“Second Master Hale, is inhaling seawater serious? Could she get an infection? What kind of tests should we do?” Mabel Grant asked anxiously.

“An infection isn’t guaranteed, but it’s best to get her checked out and have an X-ray, just to be safe.”

Chester Hale replied. Seeing that Leah Sinclair was reluctant to leave, he continued, “Leah, even if you stay here, you can’t see Third Master Keating. He’s the one who saved you. You wouldn’t want him to wake up and find you’ve collapsed, would you? A lung infection can be a minor issue, or it can be very serious.”

Hearing this, Mabel Grant and Brandon Jacobs grew even more frantic. Without a second thought, they said a quick word to Theodore Keating and Ruth Hughes, asked Shawn Grant to stay with them, and immediately pulled Leah Sinclair away for an examination.

They wouldn’t have known if they hadn’t checked. Once they did, Mabel Grant nearly exploded with rage. Leah Sinclair had a mild lung infection. On top of that, she had a cut on her hand from broken glass and ligature marks on her wrists and ankles from being tied up—none of which she had mentioned at all.

Mabel Grant forced her into a hospital bed. Soon after, Leah Sinclair started running a fever. The symptoms came on fast; her temperature shot up to 39.3°C, leaving her completely dazed. Mabel Grant watched her daughter drift into a heavy, medicine-induced sleep, her own eyes filled with a cold fury.

Brandon Jacobs placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice frigid. “Don’t worry. I’ve already made the arrangements. Morgan Sterling won’t live.”

“Good. And also, tell the Peyton Family that if they’re not willing to punish that woman of theirs, they can hand her over to me. I’ll be more than happy to teach her a lesson on how to be a decent human being.”

「Kingsford.」

“Uncle Jacobs, please rest assured. I… I will give you, Leah, and the Keating Family a proper account of this.”

After saying this, Liam Peyton hesitated before asking, “Uncle Jacobs… is Leah… all right?”

On the other end of the line, Brandon Jacobs let out a cold laugh. “If something had happened to Leah, Liam, do you really think I’d be calling you right now?”

Liam Peyton fell silent for a moment. “I understand, Uncle Jacobs.”

Brandon Jacobs said nothing more and hung up. Liam Peyton lowered his phone, turned to look out at the heavy darkness of the night, and lit a cigarette.