Chapter 89

Tristan's brows drew together in suspicion. Rocco was usually composed-unlike Doran, he rarely looked rattled-so this unsettled edge immediately put him on guard.

"What happened?" Tristan pressed, his voice sharp.

Rocco's gaze flicked toward Eliana, who was already staring at him intently, waiting. "Word just came in-Mr.Davin Gordon suffered a heart attack."

Eliana's eyes flew wide, her body leaning forward as she demanded, "When did it happen? How is he now?Which hospital are they taking him to?"

"Only a few minutes ago," Rocco immediately answered. "He hasn't even reached the hospital yet. His family's rushing him to the hospial. If we leave right away, we might catch up."

Eliana shifted toward Carl, her words edged with urgency."Did you drive here?"

Carl gave a brisk nod.

"Hand me the keys," Eliana insisted firmly.

"Huh? Oh-sure..." He hadn't even finished processing her urgency when she snatched the keys straight from his hand and bolted.

Carl blinked at the empty space where she'd been. How could anyone move that fast? He then spun around,only to find Tristan had vanished as well.

What the hell? Did the two of them just slip away like smoke? When Carl shifted his gaze once more, Rocco was nowhere to be found.

Left standing there, Carl blinked in disbelief. Was he really the only normal person?

Thankfully, Jordy appeared just then, striding over with concern etched across his face. "Why are you out here by yourself? Where's Eliana?" "Jordy, can you give me a ride?" Carl asked.

"Of course."

"Good. Take me straight to the nearest hospital-right away."

"Got it!" Jordy answered, already moving.

After a short while, Carl found himself standing before an electric moped. "This is your means of transportation?" he asked, incredulous.

Jordy rubbed the back of his neck as he defended himself. "It's the weekend. Traffic's a nightmare, and I didn't want to crawl here in a car, so l figured this would be faster."

"Never mind. Just hand over the keys!" Carl snapped.

Snatching them from Jordy's hand, he mounted the moped and shot off without another word, leaving Jordy staring after him in stunned confusion. WVhy the rush?

Moments ago, Eliana slid into Carl's car, buckling her seatbelt. Before she could even settle in, the passenger door swung open.

Her brows knitted together as Tristan dropped himself into the seat beside her, leaning back with easy confidence, making it obvious he intended to tag along.

As her glare slid toward him, Tristan drawled with a crooked grin,"What? Am I not allowed to hitch a ride?"

Eliana's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.

A sedan trailed them, Rocco behind the wheel. It was Tristan's car. Why had Tristan insisted on climbing into her car instead of his own?

Kicking him out would cost precious seconds, and time was the one thing she couldn't afford to waste. With a sharp press of her foot, she gunned the accelerator and shot onto the main road, weaving into traffic.

Her hands gripped the wheel with practiced ease, but the clogged streets quickly swallowed her momentum. A chorus of blaring horns boxed her in. She slammed her palm against her own horn, its shrill blast cutting through the din. But the jam refused to budge. A driver in the next lane rolled down his window, sneering as he lifted a middle finger, mocking her impatience.

"Damn it!" A shadow crossed Eliana's face, turning her features severe.

Had time not been slipping away, she wouldn't be blaring the horn in desperation.

Beside her, Tristan stayed composed, his voice steady as he tried to cut through her panic. "Take a breath.

The hospital is one of the best when it comes to cardiology. Davin will be in good hands."

Eliana's fingers tightened around,the steering wheel, knuckles paling as her pulse raced.

Tristan leaned slightly toward her, his tone firm yet patient. "Driving like this only makes things more dangerous.The faster you push, the messier it gets. You need to keep your head clear. When we get there,they might needyou-and if you burn yourself out on the road, you won't be able to help him at all."

Some of the tension in her expression loosened, her rigid shoulders sinking an inch.

"That's more like it," Tristan said quietly, a faint nod of approval softening his features.

Eliana kept her eyes locked on the gridlocked road, her teeth tugging anxiously at her lower lip.

Her voice came out low, almost as if she were talking to both Tristan and herself. "This happened because of me."

Tristan glanced at her,brow creasing in confusion.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she admitted, "When he walked out earlier, I could tell he wasn't well. I should've gone with him-should've pushed him to see a doctor. But I didn't. I convinced myself he was just tired."

A faint scowl pulled at Tristan's face as he answered, "You've already done your part. Nobody can predict everything. If people could see every accident coming, the world would be nothing but panic."

Her lips parted as though she wanted to argue, but no words came.

Despite his usual mischief, she couldn't deny that his blunt reassurance had steadied her heart more than

she expected. Like a steady hand calming the turmoil inside her, the thought cracked her open.

"At first, I never wanted to take him as my apprentice. Taking on an apprentice means a responsibility and would complicate things."

Just like today. If she hadn't known Davin, if there were no ties between them, she wouldn't be carrying this weight now.

"But you still accepted him," Tristan remarked, his gaze fixed steadily on her.

She halted briefly, a strained laugh escaping before she went on,"YOUmight think Davin is easygoing, but once he sets his mind on something, there's no shaking him off."

"How so?" Tristan asked, his voice steady.

He had a way of listening that made her feel as if every word mattered. His gaze stayed fixed on her face,calm and attentive, and that quiet respect loosened something in her chest.

Turning her eyes away, she added, "The moment I helped him that first time, he started showing up again and again, pestering me toa take him as my apprentice. Back then, he didn't know I was Riley. Each visit he dragged along gifts, piling them higher and higher. I grew so weary of it that I packed up and moved elsewhere. But months later, when I finally returned to my old place, I discovered he'd been waiting there day after day, never leaving. That winter the snow fell thick and merciless, yet he stood in it as if the cold couldn't touch him. I began to fear he really might freeze to death. In the end, I had no choice. To keep it from turning into a matter of life and death, I finally took him in as an apprentice. The instant I agreed, he dropped to his knees in the snow and bowed deeply-then collapsed right there in the frost. Tell me,wasn't that utterly foolish of him?"

Though her tone was chastising, her reddened eyes betrayed her feelings.

Tristan silently extended a tissue, but Eliana ignored it, stubbornly swallowing her tears.

When he pulled the tissue back, a notion flickered across his mind-if she had once taken Davin as an apprentice out of pity, maybe, with persistence, he too might...

Before the thought could form fully, Eliana's gloom suddenly lifted. She leaned forward, hastily cranking down the car window. "Carl!" she called out.

Tristan followed her line of sight and spotted Carl zooming past on an electric moped.

"Lia? You're still stuck here?" Carl queried, his voice carrying over the hum of the motor.

Without wasting breath, Eliana lunged forward and seized the moped's handlebars. "Get down, Carl! We're switching!"

"Huh? Oh, alright," Carl stammered, nodding quickly. He slid off the seat, and Eliana swung herself onto it in one swift motion.

"Careful. This thing packs more power than it looks," Carl warned, hovering uneasily beside her.

She gave a curt nod, tossed the car keys into his hand, and prepared to speed away-when the seat behind her sank under sudden weight.

Eliana darted a glance over her shoulder. Somehow, Tristan had slipped out of the car without her noticing and made himself comfortable on the back.