C122 A Long Night

The entire Wood family remained outside the operating theatre. The red light above the door was still on. No one dared to sit. No one had the courage to leave. Every passing second felt like an eternity. Kelvin had to survive. He simply had to. After nearly an hour of waiting, Tracy looked at her children. Their exhausted faces broke her heart. "My children," she said gently, "go home and get some rest."

Ben, Sarah, and Samantha exchanged uncertain glances. "Mom..." Sarah whispered. Tracy forced a smile. "I'll stay here with your father. Besides, all of you have work tomorrow." She looked at Sarah before adding softly, "And think about little Monica. It's freezing outside. She shouldn't be here this late." Samantha looked down at her sleeping daughter in her arms and nodded. "You're right, Mom." Ben sighed. "If anything changes, call us immediately." "I will."

One by one, they left the hospital. Soon, Tracy was the only family member remaining in the quiet hallway. Silence filled the corridor. The only sounds were distant footsteps, machines beeping, and nurses moving from one ward to another. Several minutes later, the doors of the operating theatre finally opened. Valeria Chambers stepped out first. Sweat covered her forehead, and her surgical gown was damp from hours of standing. Another doctor quietly walked past Tracy toward his office without saying a word.

Valeria took a deep breath before walking over. "Mrs. Wood..." Tracy slowly stood up. Her voice had become hoarse from crying. "Valeria... is that really you?" Valeria smiled wearily. "Yes." "You... you saved my husband?" Valeria nodded. "The surgery was successful." Tracy's trembling hands immediately covered her mouth. "But," Valeria continued gently, "Mr. Wood is still in a coma. The next twenty four hours are very important."

Relief and fear mixed together inside Tracy's heart. "Thank you..." Before she could say anything else, hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway. Chris appeared carrying two cups of hot coffee. He had originally planned to give one to Sarah to comfort her, but instead he found Tracy and his mother standing together. He walked over awkwardly. "Mrs. Wood... Mom..." He smiled nervously. "I brought coffee."

Tracy accepted one of the cups with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Chris." As she looked at him, a strange thought crossed her mind. Isn't this the same young man who was behind Sarah in the graduation photo? She narrowed her eyes slightly. Was she imagining things? No... Now wasn't the time to think about such matters. Her husband needed her. "Excuse me."

She quietly entered Kelvin's ward, leaving Chris alone with his mother. Chris scratched the back of his head. "Mom..." Valeria looked at him suspiciously. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" Chris swallowed. "Please don't be angry." Valeria folded her arms. "I'm listening." Chris took a deep breath. "Mike said you'd understand."

At the mention of Mike's name, Valeria remembered hearing the news. "I heard he was arrested," she said. "What happened?" "He was framed," Chris answered firmly. "But... that's not why I'm here." Valeria raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?" Chris hesitated. His palms were sweating. Finally, he gathered enough courage. "Mom..." "I think..." "My girlfriend might be pregnant."

For several seconds... Valeria simply stared at him. "What?" Chris smiled nervously. "I said..." "I heard what you said!" she interrupted. Her eyes widened. "You have a girlfriend?" Chris nodded cautiously. "And she's pregnant?" He nodded again. Valeria blinked repeatedly. "My son... of all people..." Chris noticed the shock written across her face. He immediately took a step backward. "Mom, I already told you what I wanted to say." "Wait..." "Bye!"

Before she could stop him, Chris turned and sprinted toward the hospital exit. Valeria watched him disappear. She remained frozen for nearly a minute. Then she slowly whispered to herself, "Am... am I really going to become a grandmother?" A smile unconsciously appeared on her face. A few seconds later, she quickly shook her head. "No." "I'll question that boy properly after my shift." Still smiling to herself, she walked back toward the nurses' station.

Meanwhile... Inside Kelvin's private ward... Tracy quietly pulled a chair closer to the bed. She gently held Kelvin's cold hand. Seeing the once powerful man lying unconscious with tubes attached to his body shattered her heart. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. "You promised we'd grow old together," she whispered. "So don't leave me..."

The room remained silent. Only the steady beeping of the heart monitor answered her. As she sat there, the events of the day replayed in her mind. One detail refused to leave her thoughts. Ben. Her son had acted strangely. The moment Kelvin collapsed... Ben had immediately taken charge. He gave orders. He questioned everyone. Then, without waiting for an investigation, he fired Quinton and Mary. That wasn't like him. Or... had she simply failed to notice that side of him before?

She frowned. Quinton and Mary had faithfully served the Wood family for years. Why would they suddenly poison Kelvin? It made no sense. Unless... Her breathing slowed. Could Ben somehow be involved? The thought horrified her. "No..." She immediately shook her head. "He's Kelvin's son." "Why would he poison his own father?" Her thoughts shifted again.

Then what about Samantha? She was only married into the family. Could she have had a motive? Again... Nothing made sense. Kelvin had always treated Samantha kindly. He loved Monica dearly. She even gave Sarah four percent of her shares. There was no reason for Samantha to destroy the family.

Tracy closed her eyes. Then she remembered something the doctor had said earlier. "The poison was mixed with the food." She slowly pieced everything together. When dinner had been prepared... Ben wasn't home. Kelvin wasn't home. Neither was Samantha. Only the servants had been in the kitchen. Did that mean Quinton and Mary really were responsible? She sighed deeply. "No..." Something still didn't fit.

If Quinton and Mary truly wanted revenge... why was Mike suddenly arrested for rape on the very same day? It couldn't be a coincidence. No... It felt as though someone was systematically targeting the entire Smith family. First Mike. Now Quinton and Mary. Who would be next?

That same night... I sat alone inside the police holding cell. The cold concrete floor slowly drained every bit of warmth from my body. There wasn't even a blanket. Only a thin mat lay in one corner of the room. The tiny barred window allowed freezing air to enter throughout the night. I hugged my knees tightly. Sleep refused to come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother's tears. Then I saw my father trying to comfort her despite carrying his own pain. They had lost their jobs because of me. No... Because of whoever was behind all this. I clenched my fists.

My stomach growled loudly. The stale bread they had given me hours earlier wasn't enough to satisfy my hunger. But somehow... Hunger was the least of my worries. The silence inside the cell was terrifying. Occasionally, distant screams echoed through the detention block. Some prisoners argued. Others cried. Metal doors slammed shut every few minutes. Each sound reminded me that I wasn't dreaming. This had become my reality.

I slowly leaned my head against the cold wall. "Mom... Dad..." "I'm sorry." The words escaped my lips before I realized it. I wasn't apologizing because I had done something wrong. I was apologizing because they were suffering because of me. Hours passed. I never slept. Instead, I kept replaying every event in my mind. Laura's sudden accusation. Ben's strange behavior. Kelvin's poisoning. My parents being fired. None of it felt random anymore.

Every incident was connected by an invisible thread. Someone wasn't just trying to destroy me. Someone wanted to wipe out the entire Smith family. I slowly looked toward the tiny window where the first rays of dawn were beginning to appear. Whoever that person was... they had only won the first battle. The war...bwas just beginning.