Chapter 193: Sudden Collision

After Avery was moved to a recovery room for post-surgery care with baby Abigail right beside her and Caleb keeping watch, Eric and the six girls left the hospital. The only ones staying behind were Jade and Mike, while Ruby had already headed home earlier with Martin. Once everyone climbed into the car,

"Are we heading back to the hotel?" Monica asked.

"Actually, if it’s okay... I want to stop by the penthouse for a bit. There’s something I need to grab," Laura said.

"Hmm... me too, actually. What do you think, babe?" Priya asked Eric.

"Alright, we’ll make a quick stop at the apartment. No need to park in the basement—we’ll just park up front, and anyone who doesn’t need to go up can wait in the lobby," Eric answered.

"Okay... sounds good. I want to pop upstairs for a second too to grab some extra clothes," Heidi added.

"Same here... looks like we’ll be staying at the hotel for a while," Emma added.

"Alright, Eric, Monica, and I will hang out in the lobby," Chloe said.

"Works for me... I don’t need to grab anything," Monica added.

"Okay... let’s hit the road. The drive from the hospital to our apartment isn’t far," Eric replied.

He immediately started the engine and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Along the drive, they chatted cheerfully and casually. Eric mentioned that The Empress and Nobelia would start prepping for their debut concert right after the office opened, as it had been planned from the start. Naturally, they were all eager and thrilled, since the path toward fame was officially wide open.

When they entered the apartment complex, Eric slowed the car down. For some reason, he felt an uneasy knot twisting in his gut. Noticing the car crawling along, the six girls stopped talking and turned to look at Eric. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Emma reached over and touched Eric’s shoulder.

"What’s wrong, babe?" Emma asked.

"I don’t know... I just have a bad feeling," Eric answered seriously.

"Eric... watch out!"

Suddenly, Chloe and Laura screamed. Eric snapped his head around just in time to see a car intentionally pulling out of a parking spot, rounding the side street, and barreling straight toward them from the side. "Crash!" The collision was unavoidable. The car Eric was driving was shoved sideways, the entire driver’s side where Eric sat getting completely crushed by an SUV outfitted with a bull bar bumper.

Bleeding from his injuries, Eric turned his head to look at Emma, who was knocked out cold. Then he looked back at Monica sitting behind him, who looked severely injured but was being shielded by a soft glow radiating from her necklace. Heidi, sitting next to Monica, and Chloe, sitting next to Heidi, were both enveloped in a glowing light from their necklaces as well. Priya and Laura appeared physically fine, but they were unconscious. With blood trickling down his forehead, Eric turned toward the shattered window. His eyes widened in horror as the SUV driver forced his way past the deployed airbag and stepped out of the vehicle.

Jason stumbled out of the SUV, gasping for air. He was bruised up too, with blood dripping down his forehead, but he was clearly intact. His eyes locked onto Eric in front of him, his face twisted with pure madness. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with venomous malice, framed by heavy dark bags—Jason didn’t even look human anymore.

"Da... damn it," Eric thought in his head.

He realized that unlike Monica, Heidi, and Chloe, he had no protection whatsoever. He twisted around with great effort behind his airbag and, "thud... thud," smashed his feet against the crumpled door. "Crash!" The door burst open and the window glass shattered completely. Eric dragged himself out with every ounce of strength he had. He managed to crawl out of the car, and when he looked up, he saw a few security guards rushing toward him. But,

"Damn it! Why are you still breathing?! Once you’re dead, your share of the inheritance goes straight to me!" Jason roared in a fury, outraged that Eric was still alive.

Eric turned and looked up to find Jason standing right in front of him, breathing heavily and enraged at the sight of a bloodied Eric still on his feet. Eric forced himself up slowly, his system actively healing his wounds, though the agonizing pain was still almost unbearable. Once standing, Eric glanced back at the condition of the girls inside the ruined car. His bloodshot eyes locked back onto Jason. "Thwack!" Without a second thought or a single word, Eric hurled a punch straight into Jason’s cheek, sending him flying sideways onto the ground.

Before he could step over to Jason and land a second strike, even with his fist already cocked back, three security guards rushed over. Two of them pinned Jason to the ground while the third stepped in to support Eric.

"I’m fine, sir... call an ambulance and help them first...help me...please," Eric said, turning around and limping back toward his car.

Eric struggled to yank the rear door open while the guard dialed emergency services. Through pure panic, Eric was somehow hit with a surge of superhuman strength, ripping the door open. He pulled out Monica, Heidi, and Chloe, whose injuries were no longer as severe thanks to the protection and healing from their necklaces. Next, he pulled out Emma, Priya, and Laura.

After rescuing all six girls and laying them gently on the ground, Eric’s body finally gave out. His vision began to blur, and he collapsed face-first onto the pavement. He slowly lifted his head, watching Jason scream obscenities at him while pinned to the ground, though the words were completely muffled to his fading senses. Then, his eyes fluttered shut, and he drifted into unconsciousness as his adrenaline finally ran dry.

***

"Plip... plip... plip."

The sound of a hospital heart monitor hummed quietly through the room. Eric squirmed, "ugh," slowly opening his eyes to see the bright white lights glowing right above him. He immediately felt a sharp ache radiating through his ribs, arms, head, and crushed thigh.

"Ow... ow."

Eric groaned in pain as he attempted to push himself up and sit, when three shadows suddenly appeared in his field of view.

"Don’t try to sit up just yet, babe," Emma said, wearing a bandage across her forehead.

"Yeah... take it easy, you just woke up, babe," Priya added, a bandage resting on her cheek as well.

"You’re alright, we’re all right here with you," Laura added, her arm bound up in a sling.

Eric turned to look at the three of them, his eyes searching around the room for the other three who weren’t with them.

"Monica... Heidi... Chloe?" Eric asked weakly.

"They’re fine. Monica needed intensive care and only woke up today, just like you. Chloe and Heidi are doing alright, they woke up yesterday," Emma said.

"Since... yesterday?" Eric asked, confused.

"You’ve been passed out for three days because of a severe concussion from hitting your head," Priya answered.

"Monica took a hit to her ribs, arm, and neck. If the crash had been any harder... it would’ve been fatal," Laura added.

"I see," Eric muttered, staring back up at the ceiling.

"Your brother... was arrested and probably won’t ever see the light of day outside a prison again. One of the security guards recorded all of his screaming," Laura said.

"Yeah... he had been waiting around there for us for days, explicitly planning to kill you. He was completely drunk, and the whole crash happened because he was trying to end your life. He’s definitely going away for a long time," Priya added.

"The second he saw our car pull in, he lined us up and hit the gas. Luckily the drive from the parking area to the exit wasn’t long. If it had been longer and he hit us with more speed... it definitely would’ve been fatal... that’s what the police said," Emma added.

"I see... did the police fill you in?" Eric asked.

"Mr. Norman came by earlier to explain everything to the three of us... and to check in on you while you were still unconscious," Emma answered.

"Is that so... well, thank goodness you guys are alright," Eric said, offering a weak smile as he lifted both of his hands, one of them wrapped in bandages and throbbing with pain.

Emma, Laura, and Priya caught Eric’s hands, gently placing them back down on the mattress and holding onto them with soft smiles.

"Oh yeah... your dad came by earlier too. He mentioned he’s going to handle Jason’s mess personally and turn everything over to Mr. Norman... looks like he’s finally done protecting Jason," Priya said.

"He should’ve done that a long time ago... turns out he was still covering up a lot of Jason’s antics all this time... even after cutting Jason out of his will," Laura added.

"We heard him confess everything earlier. Ruby heard it too since your dad came by with her... and Caleb was right there with them since we’re currently staying in the same hospital where Avery is... Aunt Vicky and Heidi’s hospital," Emma added with a smile.

"Hmm... good to hear then," Eric replied with a faint smile, though deep down he knew his father’s actions were far too little, far too late, and meant absolutely nothing to him anymore.

Eric fell quiet once more, looking at the faces of Emma, Priya, and Laura before offering a faint smile. Then he glanced over.

"Hey... can you guys help me sit up... I mean, adjust the bed so I’m sitting upright?" Eric asked.

"Sure thing," Priya replied.

The three of them immediately hit the buttons on the side of the bed, slowly elevating the headrest. Once Eric was sitting up, he could see that his arm appeared to be broken, alongside his left leg, which was encased in a thick thigh cast. "Sigh," despite the throbbing pain, he let out a heavy breath with a wince.

"If it hurts too much, just lay back down," Emma said anxiously.

"No way... I can’t even see my own injuries if I’m lying down, plus," Eric said.

"Plus what?" Emma, Priya, and Laura asked.

"If I’m lying down, I can’t hold you guys," Eric said with a playful smile.

Hearing that, the anxious looks on Emma, Priya, and Laura’s faces instantly softened into tears. They stepped forward right away and let Eric pull all three of them into a warm embrace, taking extra care not to put any pressure on his injured body.