Chapter 723

Chapter 723:

Ernest let out a sharp breath, incredulous. “Drop you off?”

His frustration was evident now. “So that man can find you again? Hurt you again?”

Elissa’s breath caught.

He had pieced it together without her saying a word?

“Elissa.” His voice was gentler this time, the edge gone. “I don’t do things halfway. If I’m helping you, I’m seeing it through. We’re going to the hospital.”

“But—” She faltered. The idea of him accompanying her, of being involved at all, felt… too much. She didn’t deserve such kindness, truly.

Almost as if sensing her unease, he added, “You don’t trust me? How about this? When we get there, I’ll call Hadley, and she will stay with you. You trust Hadley, don’t you?”

That left her with no room to argue.

A long silence stretched between them before she finally sighed, sagging against the door in reluctant surrender. She couldn’t refuse him now. Not after everything.

“Elissa!”

When they arrived at the hospital, Hadley was already waiting in the emergency center, having received the call in advance.

“Hadley…” Elissa forced a weak, pained smile, but it did little to mask her exhaustion.

Hadley’s breath hitched at the sight of her friend—bruised, battered, barely holding herself together. Questions burned on the tip of her tongue, but now wasn’t the time.

Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting Elissa the medical attention she needed.

ℍ𝑒𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝓢 𝒅𝒆𝓯𝓮𝑛𝒅𝓮𝒓 ga l no v els .co m

“Come on,” Hadley said softly. “Let’s get you checked out.” Elissa nodded, allowing herself to be led inside.

Most of her injuries were surface-level contusions, but the swelling around her eye was severe.

The doctor examined her closely, his expression darkening. “You need to be careful with this injury. The impact was dangerously close to your eyeball…” He exhaled sharply before adding, “You could’ve lost your sight for good.”

Elissa swallowed hard.

The doctor, clearly accustomed to treating emergency cases, hesitated before asking, “Was it your partner who did this to you?”

The color drained from Elissa’s face.

That reaction was all the confirmation he needed. His jaw clenched.

“Listen to me,” he said, his voice sharp with disapproval. “You need to cut that toxic partner out of your life. There are plenty of good men in the world. And even if you never meet one, you don’t need a man to survive.” As he spoke, he scribbled out a prescription with swift efficiency. “You’ll need an IV and a few hours of observation.”

“Alright. Thank you, doctor,” Elissa murmured.

Hadley slipped an arm around her friend, guiding her out of the exam room. Ernest and Quentin were still there.

Quentin immediately stepped forward, taking the prescription from Hadley’s hands. “I’ll handle this.”

Hadley blinked, momentarily surprised by the gesture. “Alright.”

Her gaze shifted to Ernest, who stood quietly, his expression unreadable. “Thank you, Ernest. I can take it from here. You should probably let Eric know what happened before he starts looking for me.”

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