Chapter 911:

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The sight hit Carlee with more force than she expected. Her composure cracked in an instant. She turned abruptly and strode toward the elevator with quick, silent steps.

As the elevator doors parted, Kole stepped out and halted in surprise. “Miss Larson, is something the matter?”

Carlee met his question with a gaze stripped of warmth. “Sanford already has someone looking after him. My presence is unnecessary.”

She offered nothing more. She stepped inside without hesitation, and the doors soon closed between them.

Kole remained rooted to the spot, watching the numbers sink downward. A faint shadow of guilt flickered in his expression.

His phone vibrated at that moment. All traces of reluctance vanished. He straightened instinctively, his voice dropping into obedient formality. “Mrs. Chapman, Miss Larson has left the hospital.”

𝖯𝗼pul𝘢𝗋 ѕ𝘵𝘰𝘳𝗂𝘦𝘀 𝘰𝘯 galո𝗈𝘃e𝗅𝗌.с𝗈𝗆

Half an hour later, Sanford’s eyelids twitched before slowly lifting. His surroundings sharpened into view.

“You’re awake?” Claudia rose at once, leaning forward with the intention of steadying him as he attempted to sit upright.

But before she made contact, Sanford shifted away from her, creating a measured distance. “Why are you here?”

The coldness in his tone caused a brief tremor in Claudia’s eyes, though she attempted to conceal it with a strained smile. “I was nearby for a business matter. Mrs. Chapman reached out and informed me that you were admitted because of alcohol poisoning. She asked me to check on you.”

Sanford’s attention swung sharply toward Kole. His gaze hardened. “I believe I was explicit. No information of this was to be shared with anyone.”

Kole stood stiffly beside the wall, caught between loyalty and guilt, unable to meet Sanford’s eyes. Paulina was the true authority he answered to, and disobeying her had never been an option. Even knowing how the situation might appear to Carlee, he had followed the instructions given to him.

Seeing Kole remain silent, Sanford reached for his phone, only to find the device lifeless. Anxiety flashed across his features. “Bring me the charger. Now.”

When the screen finally brightened, a flood of missed calls from Carlee appeared, accompanied by her message.

Sanford’s heart jolted with urgency. He was about to call Carlee when a new message appeared from Amelia. “Sanford, did Carlee arrive in Novaterra?”

He paused, startled by the question.

Before he could respond, Amelia sent an additional image. He opened it and found flight details for a Novaterra-bound trip, bearing Carlee’s full name as the passenger.

Shock gave way to immediate action. Sanford called Amelia, and she answered without delay.

“Amelia, did Carlee come to Novaterra?” he asked.

“Yes. Kole told her that you were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, and she bought the earliest flight. She should have landed by now, but she hasn’t contacted me at all.”

Once the call ended, Sanford’s expression darkened as he fixed his stare on Kole. “I will give you only one chance. Tell me what you did.”

Under the weight of Sanford’s voice, Kole surrendered the entire sequence of events, recounting every detail from the call he made to Carlee to the moment she walked out of the hospital.

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