At the hospital, Evan's mother sat in the waiting room, her face clouded with worry. Her hands were clasped tightly, her gaze fixed blankly on the floor.
As soon as the doctor stepped out of the ICU, she immediately stood up. "How is Evan, Doctor?" Her voice trembled.
The doctor gave a small, reassuring smile. "Mr. Evan has passed the critical stage. There are no life-threatening injuries, but he did suffer some internal wounds and will need time to recover."
She let out a deep sigh of relief, though her eyes were still glassy. "May I see him?"
The doctor nodded. "You may, but just for a short while. He still needs rest."
Entering the room, she saw Evan lying on the bed, his face pale, bandages covering parts of his body.
"Evan…" her voice cracked.
Slowly, Evan's eyes fluttered open. "Ma…" His voice was hoarse.
She rushed to his side and gripped his hand tightly. "You almost scared me to death!"
Evan blinked, looking at his mother's worried face. "I'm okay, Ma…"
"No! You are not okay! You nearly lost your life!" Her voice rose before she quickly wiped away her tears. "If anything happened to you… I wouldn't know what to do…"
Evan gave a faint smile. "I'm still here, Ma."
She nodded, gently rubbing his hand. "You rest. I'll stay right here."
Behind the door, Sienna stood still. She had heard everything, and her chest felt tight. This was all her fault… If she hadn't gotten close to Evan, he wouldn't be in danger.
But… why did it hurt so much seeing him lying there?
Laras arrived at the police station with a worried face. As soon as she spotted Sienna sitting on a bench in the waiting area, she rushed over.
"Sienna!" Laras's voice was filled with concern.
Sienna turned to her, her eyes slightly swollen. "Aunt Laras…"
Laras immediately pulled her into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Sienna shook her head gently. "No, Aunt. I'm okay."
Laras let her go and looked at her closely. "Come on, let's go home."
Sienna stood and followed her out of the police station. In the car, Laras glanced at her. "I don't know what happened, but… if you need to talk, I'm here."
Sienna bit her lip. "Thank you, Aunt…"
Laras gave a faint smile and started the engine. "Let's go home first."
Sienna stepped into the hospital room slowly, holding a small bag of fruit she had picked up on the way.
Evan, leaning back on the bed, turned his head when he saw her. His expression remained calm, but his eyes revealed a sense of relief.
Sienna stopped beside his bed, clutching the plastic bag tightly. "Why did you save me, Uncle Evan?" Her voice trembled, eyes shimmering with restrained emotion.
Evan stayed silent, staring at her.
"If I had died…" Sienna lowered her head, biting her lip. "I could have met Papa. And maybe… your suffering would've ended."
Evan was quiet for a moment, then sighed deeply. "You've suffered because of me," he said softly, filled with guilt. "So it's only right that I protect you."
Sienna looked up, eyes searching his.
Evan continued, voice quiet but firm. "Even if you died, there's no guarantee I'd be free from this curse."
Sienna's eyes brimmed with tears. Life had never been easy. She lost her father, had to fight alone, and now… someone had risked their life for her.
Without thinking, she threw herself into Evan's arms, hugging him tightly. She didn't know if it was gratitude, comfort, or something deeper.
Evan was momentarily stunned but didn't resist. He could feel her body trembling, trying hard not to cry.
"There's nothing more valuable than your life, Sienna," Evan whispered, gently rubbing her back. "So don't ever think you're not worth saving."
Sienna bit her lip harder—and finally let the tears fall.
Laras entered briskly, eyes immediately catching sight of Sienna leaning on Evan's chest. She cleared her throat softly.
Sienna quickly pulled away and wiped her tears.
"Thank you for saving Sienna," Laras said sincerely. But her voice carried a firm undertone. "But I have to say this, Evan."
Evan met her eyes, already guessing what she was about to say.
"From now on, stay away from Sienna," Laras said bluntly.
Sienna turned with a shocked expression. "Aunt Laras?"
Laras ignored her and kept her eyes on Evan. "I know this kidnapping wasn't to hurt Sienna. She's not a rich kid they could ransom. They were after you, Evan."
Evan nodded slowly. "I suspected that too."
Laras crossed her arms. "Then if you truly care about her, don't drag her any further into your mess."
Sienna bit her lip, eyes pleading as she looked at Evan.
He didn't reply right away. After a moment of silence, he said, "I understand."
Laras exhaled, then took Sienna's hand. "Let's go."
Sienna hesitated but stood. As she followed Laras out the door, she turned back one last time.
Evan simply watched her silently.
And as the door closed, Evan leaned back, letting out a long breath.
Laras was right.
But could he really stay away from Sienna?
The police began investigating Sienna's kidnapping. Officers visited the hospital to take statements from both Evan and Sienna, while another team combed the crime scene and reviewed nearby CCTV footage.
A senior officer, Commissioner Rendra, sat by Evan's hospital bed, jotting down notes.
"So, you believe the real target of the kidnapping was you, not Sienna?" he asked, watching Evan closely.
Evan nodded. "If they wanted money, they'd have demanded a ransom from her family. But they didn't. Besides, they kept saying my name while talking to each other."
Rendra scribbled something in his notebook. "Do you suspect anyone?"
Evan paused. He had many enemies—from business and from his personal life. But he had no solid evidence.
"I'm not sure yet, but it's most likely related to my father's business affairs."
Rendra gave a slight nod. "We'll investigate that angle. We'll also assign additional security to you and Sienna."
Sienna, sitting near the window, bit her lip. "So… I was just bait?"
Rendra turned to her, his voice calm. "It seems so. But don't worry, we'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
Sienna didn't reply, lowering her head.
Evan watched her, then told Rendra, "I need to know who's behind this. As soon as possible."
Rendra nodded. "We'll do our best, Mr. Evan."
After the police left, Evan leaned back. One thing was clear—this wasn't over. Someone was after him, and Sienna was already caught in the crossfire.
Sienna finally decided to go home after spending quite a while at the hospital. Laras came to pick her up, still looking anxious.
"Thank you for watching over Sienna," Laras said briefly to Evan before taking Sienna's hand.
At the doorway, Sienna paused and looked back. Her expression was unreadable—a mix of gratitude, confusion, and something deeper.
"Uncle Evan…" she whispered.
Evan looked at her patiently. "Yes?"
She opened her mouth as if to say something, then shook her head. "It's nothing. Get well soon."
Evan nodded, and with that, Sienna left with Laras.
As they disappeared from view, Evan stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. This wasn't over. He had to find out who was behind it—before someone else got hurt.
Fara arrived at the hospital wearing sunglasses and a mask, hoping to avoid attention. Once on Evan's floor, she walked confidently toward his room.
But before she could enter, a nurse stopped her.
"Sorry, Miss, the patient needs rest. Only family members are allowed in right now," the nurse said politely.
Fara lowered her sunglasses slightly, her eyes showing slight irritation. "I'm his friend. Can't I just go in for a minute?"
"Sorry, Miss. It's a direct order."
Fara sighed, glancing toward Evan's room. "Alright then. Can you at least give him this?" She handed the nurse a small bag filled with fruit and vitamins.
The nurse hesitated, then took it. "Alright, I'll deliver it."
Fara looked at Evan's door one last time before turning to leave.
There were still so many things she didn't understand about Nathaniel Evan.
But one thing was certain—her curiosity was only growing.