Chapter 326
Carla decided to visit her mother, feeling uplifted and in good spirits. With a rare day off, she finally had time to rest after the hectic month of campaigning. Now that her mall tour schedules had wrapped up, she could focus on supporting her mother’s candidacy and spending quality time with her.
She knew her involvement in the campaign had bolstered her mother’s public image, and she was eager to contribute further. Carla arrived at the family’s ancestral mansion just before lunchtime.
“You should’ve told me you were coming!” her mother exclaimed as she greeted Carla with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s a surprise,” Carla replied with a grin. “What are you up to p>
“Oh, just drafting a speech for the university event I’ll be attending as a guest of honor this Friday,” her mother said with a hum of satisfaction. “Come, let’s have some tea while we wait for lunch p>
Carla nodded, and they made their way to the balcony. The weather was crisp, with a cold breeze hinting at the approaching winter. Carla smiled, taking in the serene atmosphere, but just as they were about to sit, her mother suddenly collapsed to the floor.
Carla’s heart froze. Her eyes widened in alarm as she rushed to her mother’s side.
“Mom! What’s wrong?!” she cried, her voice trembling as she knelt beside her.
Her mother’s skin felt unnaturally cold. Panic surged through Carla as she shouted, “Someone, call an ambulance p>
Carla’s hands trembled as the paramedics lifted her mother onto the stretcher. She followed closely, clutching her phone in one hand, struggling to steady her breathing as she climbed into the ambulance.
“Mom, stay with me,” Carla whispered, her voice quivering. Her mother’s face was pale, her breaths shallow. The paramedic worked quickly, attaching monitors and checking vitals, but the seriousness on his face only heightened Carla’s anxiety.
As the ambulance sped through the streets, sirens wailing, she pulled out her phone and dialed her father. The call connected after a few rings.
“Carla?” her father’s voice came through, calm and steady as always.
“Dad, it’s Mom… she collapsed,” Carla blurted out, her voice breaking. “We’re on the way to the hospital now. I… I don’t know what’s wrong. She just… she just fell p>
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then her father responded, his tone sharper now. “Which hospital p>
“Meta Doctors Hospital. Please, come quickly,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m on my way. Stay calm, Carla. Your mom needs you right now,” he reassured her, though she could hear the strain in his voice.
The call ended, leaving her alone with her thoughts as the ambulance weaved through traffic. She glanced at her mother again, her chest tightening at the sight. Her mother, always so strong and poised, looked so fragile now.
Her hands trembled as she clutched her purse, feeling the small bottle of medicine hidden inside. It was the same drug she had discreetly given her mother in small doses, just four drops in total, one drop each time they met. She had stopped administering it entirely after Alexander fell into a coma, unwilling to risk continuing.
’This can’t be happening… right?’ she thought nervously, her mind racing.
The man who provided the drug had assured her it wouldn’t cause any lasting harm to her mother’s body, only to make her temporarily unwell. He had even promised that if anything went wrong, he would have an antidote ready immediately.
But now, as her mother lay unconscious and vulnerable, Carla’s confidence in his assurances began to crumble.
’What did I do?’ The scene in the emergency room and the weight of her own actions haunted her, filling her with dread. The weight of her decision pressed down on her, and she felt sick to her stomach. What if her actions had caused this?
She gripped her mother’s hand gently. “You’ll be okay, Mom. You’re strong,” she murmured, more to reassure herself than anyone else.
The ambulance came to a halt at the hospital’s emergency entrance. Carla jumped out as the paramedics wheeled her mother inside. The fluorescent lights of the ER flickered overhead as doctors and nurses swarmed around, taking her mother out of Carla’s reach.
“Wait here, miss,” one of the staff instructed as they rushed her mother into a treatment room.
Carla stood frozen for a moment, staring at the doors that had just closed behind them. Then she collapsed onto a nearby bench, her hands trembling as she dialed her father again.
“She’s in the ER now,” she said as soon as he picked up.
“I’m ten minutes away,” he replied quickly. “Stay there. I’ll be with you soon.” Carla nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
After a few moments, her father arrived, his face etched with worry as he joined Carla in the waiting area. Together, they sat in tense silence, waiting for the doctors to finish attending to her mother.
Arlan paced the room nervously until a familiar figure approached, the hospital’s chairman and owner, Eric’s father, James.
“James, how is Summer? Please tell me she’s fine,” Arlan asked urgently, his voice cracking slightly.
James offered a small, reassuring smile. “She’s stable for now, Arlan, but we’ll need to wait for the results of her lab tests before we can fully understand what happened p>
Arlan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “She’s always been healthy, James. Why would she suddenly collapse like that? Please, do everything you can to find out what caused this p>
“I promise we’ll run every necessary test and take good care of her. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of it,” James replied firmly.
Carla sat quietly nearby, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions in check. Guilt and anxiety churned inside her. She desperately wanted to leave and confront the man who had given her the drug, but doing so now would draw too much attention to herself.
For now, she had to stay and play her part. “Please Uncle James, make sure my Mom is fine,” she said softly, keeping her tone steady as she glanced at her father.
But in her mind, one thought dominated: I need answers… and fast.