Chapter 1004
Pamela lay weakly in bed, her condition visibly fragile. At the sight of Clayton, a spark of excitement flickered in her eyes, reminiscent of a lost child finally finding a parent.
Yet, when she spoke, it wasn’t to complain or to seek comfort; it was to call out for her daughter, “Irene, Irene p>
It was evident Pamela was lost in her own world, her mind fixated on finding her daughter, oblivious to her own plight.
She was easy to pacify, like a toddler, believing anything she was told unless it was slander about her daughter or Clayton. That was the only time she showed anger, ready to defend and contradict.
With hands wrapped in bandages, she gently shook Clayton’s hand, whispering, “Clayton, find Irene, find Irene p>
Clayton’s heart ached at her words. He too had once had a warm home, a loving wife, and a delightful daughter. But ever since their daughter went missing, their home had shattered.
His daughter’s whereabouts remained unknown, his wife had retreated into her own world in Oceanopolis, and he was left to search tirelessly for their daughter. A once happy family was now torn apart.
Choking back his emotions, Clayton assured her, “I know, I’m looking for Irene, I’ve always been p>
Pamela’s face twisted in distress, “Irene’s alive, Irene’s alive p>
Helen, overhearing this, could barely hide her skepticism. Alive after more than twenty years? How absurd!
If Irene were alive, she’d consider herself gone.
Pamela, energized by hope, exclaimed, “Irene’s alive? Irene’s alive p>
Clayton nodded affirmatively, “Yes, Irene’s alive p>
Breathing a sigh of relief, Pamela’s tense nerves relaxed as she lay there, smiling foolishly at the ceiling and then at everyone in the room, repeating, “My Irene’s alive, alive p>
The others present exchanged looks, silently agreeing on the tragedy of her condition.
Clayton, with tears blurring his vision, remembered Pamela in better times – radiant, intelligent, and fiercely independent. Now, she was but a shadow of her former self.
Wiping away his tears, Clayton turned to the doctor, “How severe are Pamela’s injuries? What happened to her p>
Clayton couldn’t see the wounds beneath the bandages, nor the marks from needle stitches.
The senior doctor, after a hesitant glance at Helen, explained, “They’re not life-threatening, though she has many. The main injuries are to her knees and hands, caused by shattered ceramic pieces p>
Clayton frowned, “Another self-harm incident p>
A younger doctor quickly added, “Ms. Patel is overwhelmed with grief for her daughter. She finds some relief in physical pain, which momentarily eases her emotional suffering p>
The perpetrators, standing nearby, showed no fear of being discovered.
After all, Pamela’s mind was consumed with thoughts of her daughter, leaving no room for doubt or dispute.
Besides, any evidence that could have been used against them had been destroyed when Pamela supposedly damaged the surveillance equipment in a fit of madness.
Moreover, these two doctors had been personally chosen by Clayton to care for Pamela, one being a long-standing friend and the other a protégé he had supported through medical school.
Thus, Clayton placed his full trust in them, never suspecting betrayal.
A maid seized the moment to suggest, “Dr. White, could you please check on Helen later? Pamela bit her during an episode, and it looks pretty bad.” Helen downplayed the injury with a ‘it’s nothing,’ yet made sure Clayton saw the severity of the bite, displaying the bruised and broken skin as proof.