CLICK—

The doors to the emergency room opened.

A doctor in a white coat looked down to see someone sprawled at his feet. The sight startled him so much he froze, unsure where to step.

Gabriel reacted with surprising speed this time, scrambling to his feet and asking excitedly, "Doctor, how’s my sister?"

The doctor gave him a quick once-over. "The patient’s family can rest assured. She’s not in any immediate danger at the moment."

Joel Quincy and Nathan Trenton exchanged a glance, ignoring Gabriel, who was fervently pressing his palms together in prayer.

"Doctor, let’s find a place to sit and talk."

Finally, it dawned on Gabriel that something wasn’t right. He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Nathan didn’t hide it from Gabriel. "Chloe’s sudden, severe nosebleed indicates she was exposed to radioactive material," he explained. "The fact that she seems fine right now is the biggest problem."

Even for an ordinary person, losing that much blood from a nosebleed would be highly unusual.

Let alone a researcher who works with controlled nuclear fusion.

In this case, having no apparent issues is more terrifying than having them.

Gabriel didn’t understand what Nathan meant by "radioactive material," and for a moment, he regretted not studying harder.

He swallowed hard and said with great reluctance, "If... and I’m just saying if..."

Leaning on his assistant for support, Gabriel’s lips parted slightly, his voice trembling as he spoke. "What’s the worst-case scenario?"

Nathan froze, remaining silent for a long moment.

The hospital corridor was eerily quiet, the only sound the heartbroken cries of a family from the ICU downstairs.

Gabriel shuddered, goosebumps breaking out across his arms.

Nathan looked up, his gaze chilling. He opened his mouth and slowly said one word: "Death."

It was like a clap of thunder, ringing violently in Gabriel’s ears.

Gabriel collapsed into a chair. He stared blankly for a dozen seconds, then the rims of his eyes suddenly grew red. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

A few sobs escaped him. "My sister’s still so young," he choked out. "She’s been through so much, only to just now find her way home..."

The doctor watched them talk past each other, completely unable to get a word in edgewise.

Finally, at his limit, he let out two harsh coughs, nearly hacking up a thousand-year-old ball of phlegm from his chest.

"Gentlemen, please have faith in modern medical technology. We’ve checked her three times, and Miss Sinclair is really fine. There are many potential causes for such a sudden, severe nosebleed. However, the hospital would still prefer for her to stay for a few days of observation, to prevent any unforeseen issues."

As the doctor finished, a nurse and another physician emerged, pushing a gurney.

Gabriel shot to his feet, his face a mess of tear streaks.

Chloe Sinclair glanced at him, then turned her head away.

’So ugly I can’t bear to look.’

Gabriel, however, was oblivious. Seeing that Chloe was all right, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He sniffled, unable to stop himself from asking, "Sis, are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Chloe looked at her older brother, hesitated for a moment, then said, "My eyes hurt a little."

"Huh?"

Before Gabriel could react, Nathan shot the doctor a look.

Soon, the medical staff wheeled Chloe into a private room.

Leaving a completely baffled Gabriel behind.

"Wh-what does that mean?"

Nathan offered him a handkerchief. "It’s nothing. Her eyes just hurt."

With that, he turned and left for the hospital room.

Gabriel: "..."

"Hey! Why do her eyes hurt? Don’t we need a doctor to look at them?"

His assistant, who had been standing by his side, could finally take it no longer. He pulled a small mirror from his pocket and handed it to Gabriel.