Chapter 136

"And also..."

Leonard's voice was rough, like he was struggling to keep it together.

"Frank's officially reported Ronald, handed over all the evidence. Laura was framed. The cops, the prosecutor's office, the court-they're all after Ronald, but they can't find him. You need to come back as soon as possible. Shadow City isn't safe. Benjamin's awake, so don't worry about him."

Leonard had other things to deal with and hung up quickly.

"We need to head back to Silverlight City."

I stood up and relayed Leonard's message.

"Mr. Thompson, come back with us to Silverlight City. It's all coming to an end," I said gently.

After hiding in Shadow City for over twenty years under a new identity, going back to Silverlight City was risky. If his cover was blown, it could spell disaster for the whole family. Ronald, always paranoid, had even used Laura to send Anna to test Tony's family, constantly pressuring Tony to see if he was still alive.

Now, the showdown between Frank and Ronald had hit a boiling point.

Frank had officially reported Ronald, gathering all the evidence from these years. With such solid proof, Ronald had almost no chance of turning things around. Currently, Ronald was missing, and in his desperation, he might retaliate. Staying in Shadow City was the least safe option.

Right now, Silverlight City was the safest place.

George's eyes filled with tears. He slowly closed his eyes and nodded firmly.

"Yes, even if I die, I want to die in Silverlight City."

"I think Nancy and Zoey should go back first. Shirley and I can stay with you for a few days until you're well enough to travel," Bob suggested.

Bob's suggestion made sense. After all, as children, we should consider our parents' well-being.

Unexpectedly, George glared at Bob and snorted, "That was just a figure of speech. I have to go back. And when did you become so narrow-minded? This whole thing started with me, so I have to be there to witness Ronald's end. Am I supposed to lie in the hospital and have them livestream it for me? Should I send them a gift or something?"

Zoey chuckled at George's exaggerated expression.

I hadn't expected George to have a humorous side in his daily life, especially when dealing with Bob. Perhaps Bob's optimistic and hopeful nature, which had persisted through college, was partly influenced by George.

Thinking of this, I remembered Benjamin and Ruben. Last night, I had messaged Ruben to check on Benjamin. Ruben sent a short video, patting his chest and saying, "Mrs. Smith, don't worry! With me around, my teacher will be fine!"

Maybe it was not that careless people didn't notice the love and details in life, but rather that they were braver in embracing imperfections and protecting the hard-won happiness and beauty.

Benjamin and Ruben were like that, and so were George and Bob.

Zoey contacted the hospital in Silverlight City and quickly arranged for the transfer. The hospital's special vehicle would take us directly to Harmony Hospital in Silverlight City.

While Zoey went downstairs to handle the transfer paperwork, I quickly called Howard. He had been involved in this matter over twenty years ago, and with Ronald's current state, I was worried about Howard's safety.

What worried me even more was that Howard hadn't responded to my messages since last night.

Sure enough, after several calls, no one answered. Had something happened to Howard? Last night, I overheard Zoey calling Erica to ensure her safety, so Zoey's mom seemed safe for now. But Howard was still missing. I called some colleagues, but they hadn't seen Howard at the office recently either.

The only people I knew who were close to Howard were Frank and Tom. Could I still trust them?

As I pondered, a sense of foreboding settled in my heart.

Seeing Zoey walk in, I quickly asked, "Zoey, did you finish the transfer paperwork?"

"Yeah, I just talked to my mom. She knows the directors of both Harmony Hospital and the hospital here, so the transfer was processed quickly. There's a hospital vehicle available at 1 PM to take us directly to Harmony Hospital in Silverlight City."

"But," Zoey hesitated, "Mr. Thompson just woke up, and the medical staff and attending physician need to accompany him. We might not have room in the hospital vehicle."

"No problem, we can rent a car. There's still time."

I felt relieved. It seemed Erica was safe for now. I decided not to ask Erica about Howard's whereabouts. If she knew he was missing, she would take action. If she didn't know, telling her might jeopardize her safety.

I checked the time on my phone. It was 10:30 AM. I opened the car rental app and booked a car to be delivered to the hospital by 12:30 PM. I also ordered some food for everyone, including some light meals for George.

Bob called Shirley to tell her about returning to Silverlight City. He asked her to stay in Shadow City for a few days, but I overheard Shirley's anxious voice insisting on coming along. They almost argued, but George coughed, and Bob looked at him, smiled, and said into the phone, "We'll get married when I get back."

The other end of the line went silent. George nodded approvingly and said with a smile, "Now that's a man."

The tense atmosphere eased a bit thanks to Bob's call. I took the opportunity to tease.

"Our playboy, the self-proclaimed lifelong bachelor artist, is finally settling down and walking into the grave of love?"

Zoey giggled, watching the scene with interest.

Bob looked embarrassed, scratching his head and struggling to find words. After a while, he said, "I don't know what the other me is like, but if this matter is resolved, I think my illness will get better. I owe Shirley an explanation. She's always wanted to get married, so let's do it. It's not her luck; it's mine."

At 1 PM, Bob and the medical staff loaded George into the hospital vehicle and left the hospital.

I drove the rented car, with Zoey in the passenger seat, following closely behind.

Shadow City, though old and rundown, had the advantage of less traffic, so we didn't encounter any jams. We smoothly got onto the highway and sped towards Silverlight City. Leaving at 1 PM, we should reach Harmony Hospital by 8 or 9 PM.

Zoey asked why I didn't hire a driver. I joked that I could drive faster myself. In truth, I had a nagging feeling that things wouldn't go smoothly in Silverlight City. I wanted to keep our return as discreet as possible, even from strangers.

Around 3 PM, feeling drowsy from lack of sleep the night before, I yawned.

"Mrs. Smith, how about I drive for a while so you can rest?" Zoey suggested.

"No, it's fine. We'll switch around 5 PM. If you're hungry, there are snacks in the back seat."

"Mrs. Smith," Zoey hesitated, looking at me, "you're driving slower and slower. We're below the minimum speed limit for the highway."

I was startled and realized we had lost sight of the hospital vehicle ahead.

I checked the fuel gauge. The tank was below 10%. Damn! This car had issues!

Just then, I looked up and saw a car speeding towards us from the left!