Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 177: Make Aidan Sterling Fall for You!
Aidan’s gaze involuntarily followed.
So similar.
Not just the facial features, even the brow and eye expressions were strikingly reminiscent of Elara Forrest in her youth.
For a moment, Aidan was dazed, as if time had rewound.
And just as his eyes lingered for those few seconds, an accident occurred.
A black sedan trying to cut in scraped its rearview mirror against the handlebar of the girl’s bicycle!
"Ah!" The girl gasped, the bicycle’s front end swerved sharply. She staggered, using her foot to stabilize herself, barely managing not to fall.
The canvas bag in the bicycle’s front basket fell to the ground, books and a small insulated lunchbox spilling out.
The black sedan stopped, the driver, a middle-aged man with a brutish face, lowered the window. Instead of apologizing, he pointed at the girl and cursed loudly, "Can’t you see?! Do you even know how to ride? Can you afford to pay for the damage to my car?!"
The girl’s face turned pale instantly. She squatted down, frantically picking up the scattered items, her lips tightly pressed, eyes quickly reddening, like a startled fawn, helplessly looking around. Through the car window, her eyes coincidentally locked with Aidan’s.
Yet—
Inside the taxi, Aidan indifferently withdrew his gaze.
He did not give her another look, as if the brief moment of attention was merely an inadvertent glance.
The road ahead cleared, the driver stepped on the accelerator again.
In the rearview mirror, the white figure grew smaller and ultimately vanished into the traffic.
"What are you looking at?! No one will help you! Hurry up, pay up!" The driver’s roar pulled her thoughts back.
She took a deep breath, enduring the pain in her ankle to stand up, her gaze gradually becoming steely.
She didn’t complain, nor did she argue, just took out her phone, calmly photographing the scraped area and the scene, and then directly called the police.
"Hello, at the intersection of Holbrook Street and Rivenwell Street, a traffic accident occurred, the sedan driver changed lanes for no reason and scraped my bicycle, now emotionally charged, demanding a private settlement, I need police involvement to determine accountability."
Her voice was clear and methodical, completely unlike the seemingly weak and helpless girl just now.
The driver saw her stance, cursed a few times under his breath, then angrily got back into the car and left.
At this moment, the girl went to the roadside, rubbed her slightly reddened ankle, and took out her phone to make a call.
Soon, the call connected, a lazy yet slightly cold voice came through, "How was it? Did you see him?"
"I saw him," the girl’s voice was low, "As you said, I created an encounter... and a trouble..."
"What was his reaction?"
"... He took one look, and walked away." The girl’s voice carried an imperceptible trace of grievance.
The phone was silent for a few seconds, then came a cold laugh, "It seems just having this face isn’t enough to stir his sympathy. Violet Thorne, listen carefully, I gave you the opportunity, it’s your own fault for not seizing it. If you can’t make Aidan like you, I won’t pay a dime for your mother’s medical expenses."
"Miss Forrest!" Violet hurriedly shouted, her eyes instantly reddening, "My mom can’t wait any longer..."
"Then figure it out!" The voice on the phone suddenly turned cold, "Find a way to get close to him, make him interested in you! Otherwise, prepare to collect your mom’s body!"
"Bang!" The phone was hung up.
Violet clutched her phone, listening to the busy tone inside, tears finally rolling down uncontrollably.
She bit her lower lip fiercely, almost drawing blood.
The winter wind penetrated her thin hoodie, coldly making her shiver all over, but it couldn’t compare to the chill in her heart.
She had hesitated and struggled.
Using her youth and dignity to gamble for the pity of a stranger man, in exchange for her mother’s chance at life, this deal was dirty and vile.
But, did she have any other choice?
If mom weren’t sick, if the surgery hadn’t started yet, she might still grit her teeth and seek another way, even if she had to borrow from loan sharks, sell blood, sell a kidney...
But now, the surgery was already halfway through!
The hospital’s notices demanding payment of subsequent fees were like death warrants.
Stopping treatment meant that all previous efforts would be in vain, it meant mom would be pushed directly off the operating table, it meant...
Death.
Apart from the path given by the woman on the phone, she had nowhere else to go.
Tears surged again beyond control but were forced back fiercely.
She lifted her hand, wiped away the wet marks on her face vigorously, her fingertips cold.
Can’t cry, crying is useless, no one in this world will pity her tears.
She squatted down, silently picking up the scattered books and the somewhat deformed insulated lunchbox — inside was porridge she made for mom, now mostly spilled.
She tightly held onto that lunchbox, the metal’s coldness stung her palm, yet granted her chaotic mind a strange clarity.
Must approach Aidan.
No matter what method.
...
Meanwhile, in the taxi, the fleeting encounter failed to stir Aidan’s emotions in the slightest, he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a rest.
Days of dealing with the mess surrounding Elara Forrest had nearly exhausted him.
Even on the flight, he was catching up on sleep.
Only at this moment did he finally relax, remembering to turn on his phone.
The phone screen lit up, instantly inundated with countless unread messages and missed call notifications.
The news headlines at the top of the screen were shocking— 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
[The Sterling Group enmeshed in a billion-dollar scam, Chairman Theodore Sterling falls from building!]
[The Sterling Empire collapses overnight, suspectedly due to a broken financial chain!]
Aidan’s pupils contracted suddenly, his blood seemingly froze instantly!
He abruptly straightened his body, the blood seemed to reverse flow, making his eyes darken and eardrums buzz.
Impossible!
How could dad fall from the building?!
Wasn’t he just on the phone with him yesterday?!
This can’t be happening!
His fingers trembled as he dialed Isla Sutton’s number.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Mom!" Aidan’s voice was hoarse and dry, "Dad... what does the news mean?!"
"Aidan... Aidan, you’ve finally turned on your phone!"
Isla’s voice carried a heavy sob, "Come quickly to the hospital... Central Hospital... the doctor says he may not wake up... vegetative state..."
Vegetative state?
Aidan felt a surge of cold from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, his limbs all stiffened.
"I’m coming immediately!" He almost shouted, veins bulging at his temple, he barked at the driver in front, "Turn around! Head to Central Hospital! Hurry!"
The driver was startled by his terrifying tone, dared not delay, swiftly turned the steering wheel, and the car screeched, speeding towards the hospital.
Aidan clutched his phone tightly, his knuckles turned an alarming shade of blue and white due to the force.
His chest heaved violently, his father lying in the hospital, fate unknown, what kind of desperation must his mother and sister be feeling...
And he, had been abroad fixated on that woman’s affairs!
A huge wave of guilt and rage almost drowned him.
He clenched his fist tightly, knuckles turning white...
