“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I’ll explain…” Eric’s face was pale, and his injured hand had been temporarily treated to stop the bleeding.
“Then speak clearly!”
“Gifford is back…”
“What?” Ferris was stunned into silence upon hearing the entire account. “You actually severed your own finger for a kid? Are you out of your mind?”
Eric laughed bitterly. “That kid is my daughter, Ferris, not anyone else.” A bitter laugh escaped him. “Why am I even wasting my breath? Someone as cold-hearted as you could never understand.”
“You…” Ferris opened his mouth but came up empty, chuckling dryly instead. Eric was clearly holding a grudge against him!
“Ouch!” Eric gasped.
Another sharp surge of pain tore through him, forcing his eyes shut and making his entire body tremble.
Ferris exhaled in frustration, rubbing a hand down his face. “Do you even realize the chaos you’re stepping into by letting Gifford stay in town?”
“Right now, saving his hand takes priority!”
“Then stop stalling!” Ferris gritted his teeth. “Get me to Gifford—now! We need to retrieve Eric’s finger before it’s too late!”
“On it, sir!”
At the hospital, the doctors had already completed a thorough evaluation of Joy. Thankfully, no injuries were found. She had simply taken a strong sleeping pill.
Though the dose was much too high for a child, it wasn’t something that would cause lasting harm, since it wasn’t a repeated exposure. Still, the medical staff insisted on keeping her under observation, just to be safe.
While Phillips filled out the hospital paperwork, Hadley remained close to Joy, refusing to leave her side.
Not long after, Phillips’ phone buzzed. It was Cordell calling.
“Yeah, Cordell—got it. Thanks for the update.”
Your hub for updates: g?lnσνs?c?m
The second he hung up, he looked at Hadley. She was also looking at him.
“Was that about Eric?”
“Yes.” Phillips nodded and said, “He’s at the hospital now. Surgery’s about to begin. Are you going to head over there?”
Even though he left the choice up to her, Phillips couldn’t help but feel that skipping the visit would come off as cold.
“Okay.” After a short pause, Hadley gave a soft nod.
She glanced down at Joy, still asleep, her small chest rising and falling in quiet rhythm.
“About Joy…”
“Rest assured, it’s taken care of,” Phillips responded right away. “I’ve already asked a nurse to keep an eye on her. I’ll arrange for a caregiver too. And I’ll have Melba brought over.”
Hearing that Melba would be there eased something tight in Hadley’s chest.
If Joy woke up before she was back, at least she’d have someone familiar to hold onto.
Hadley rose from her seat. “Please call me the moment Joy wakes up.” The child had just come out of a terrifying ordeal—kidnapped, helpless, and too young to understand any of it.
“I got it,” said Phillips with conviction. “Cordell mentioned Mr. Scott’s already in the VIP surgery wing.”
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