Chapter 538

Chapter 538:

She raised her eyes to the front, her voice stripped down to raw urgency. “Arthur. Forget the apartment. Take us to New York Presbyterian. Now p>

Arthur’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Mr. Lancaster instructed me to take you home to rest. I can’t deviate without his authorization p>

“This is my uncle’s life,” Isolde said. Her voice had gone quiet, which made it more frightening than if she’d shouted. “Drive there now, or I will open this door myself. Do you understand me p>

The panic beneath her words left Arthur no room to hesitate. He moved smoothly into the next lane and pressed down on the accelerator, the car surging forward toward the hospital as fast as traffic would allow.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘯

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped hard at the emergency entrance. Isolde was out the door before Arthur could move, still holding Effie, her footsteps sharp and urgent against the tiled floor of the lobby.

The emergency corridor smelled of antiseptic and rang with distant voices. Ellyn sat on a plastic bench near the wall, her hair disheveled, her makeup streaked down her face, staring blankly at the floor. She looked completely lost. When she looked up and saw Isolde, she broke apart entirely.

Isolde crossed to her quickly, transferred Effie into the arms of the nanny she had called on the way, and gripped her mother’s shoulders, keeping her own voice firm for both their sakes.

“Mom. I’m here. Tell me what the doctors said p>

“He’s in the ICU,” Ellyn whimpered, clutching Isolde’s arm. “They say he needs an immediate transplant evaluation. Only Dr. Hale can manage the risks properly — he’s the top transplant and critical care specialist in New York. Any other doctor and the odds are too low. But his schedule is booked for three full months.” Her voice cracked. “Your uncle can’t wait twenty-four hours, Isolde. Let alone three months p>

Isolde’s chest went cold.

She understood precisely what a three-month wait meant for a patient in critical condition. It was a death sentence. Money could cover every cost of treatment. Money could not purchase a slot on a fully booked schedule.

“We have no connections,” Ellyn sobbed. “No one in private healthcare, no one at this hospital. Without influence, we can’t even get an audience with Dr. Hale. He doesn’t have time to wait, Isolde p>

Isolde stood very still as the full weight of it settled over her. She could afford every expense without hesitation — her savings, her assets, none of that was in question. But high-level medical access was a different currency entirely, one that couldn’t be earned through work or intellect or prize money. It required a different kind of power.

She pressed her fists together until her nails bit into her palms, forcing her voice to stay steady.

“Don’t give up. I’ll find a way to get Dr. Hale to see him p>

But she already knew the truth of what she was saying.