Turned out, even after almost a year, Alexis hadn't forgotten the pain of her time in Geveland and Merblune.

She hadn't moved on, let alone forgiven him.

Leonel felt a pang of sadness. He backed off, releasing her gently.

“You take care of the baby. I'll go."

Alexis stayed silent, waiting for him to leave.

With a final glance at the baby, Leonel retreated.

The VIP ward corridor was hushed. Each step in his leather shoes grated on him.

Eventually, he couldn't bear it.

Reaching a deserted part of the corridor, he lit a cigarette with trembling hands.

He'd quit smoking but sometimes, in distress, he'd indulge.

Thin wisps of gray smoke curled up, blurring his vision with tears.

Instead of returning to the ward, he buried himself in his phone.

Breaking news flashed across screens. At nine in the morning, chaos struck Duefron with a massive pileup. Among the wreckage was an emergency center blood transfusion truck.

Reports flooded in, mentioning casualties, including Waylen, the ex-

CEO of Fowler Group.

Leonel's face paled as he scrolled through updates.

“The ex-CEO's in critical condition after the accident," he muttered.

“Waylen's got rare rh-negative blood. The bank's running dry. He's hanging on by a thread," echoed more headlines.

The cigarette butt dropped from Leonel's fingers. Dialing swiftly, he placed a call. "Dr. Nguyen, it's Leonel. I'm at Pinnacle Hospital... Yes, get my blood drawn ASAP and sent over quietly."

He ended the call, glancing toward the ward.