The wait felt endless.

Each second stretched into an eternity under the harsh emergency room lights.

Quick, sharp footsteps echoed down the sterile hallway.

Lucas Grant arrived, breathless.

He froze at the sight before him.

Ethan Blackwood held Isabella Scott tightly in his arms.

The image pierced Lucas’s heart.

All the words he had prepared died in his throat.

Isabella noticed Lucas and tried to pull away from Ethan’s embrace.

Ethan’s expression turned to ice.

He held her tighter, a silent, possessive claim.

His gaze was frigid as it landed on Lucas. “What are you doing at the hospital so late, Mr. Grant?”

A dark shadow crossed Lucas’s face.

Emotions warred within him as he stared at Isabella. “Isabella, how is your grandmother?”

Isabella opened her mouth to answer.

Ethan cut her off, his voice sharp. “This is none of your concern, Mr. Grant.”

Lucas’s hands clenched into fists. “You’re very attentive, Mr. Blackwood. But I wonder, does Sophia know you’re here? Your presence might only add to Eleanor’s distress.”

Ethan’s face darkened.

Before he could retort, the emergency room doors swung open.

A doctor in a white coat emerged, removing his mask.

“The patient’s condition is critical. We need to move her to the ICU immediately. I need a family member to sign these papers now.”

The news shattered Isabella.

Her strength vanished.

She staggered toward the doctor, her hands trembling violently.

Tears blurred her vision as she took the pen.

Her grip was so weak she nearly dropped it.

“Isabella…” Lucas moved to support her.

But Ethan was faster.

He steadied her shoulders firmly. “I’m here. Don’t worry.”

“Take your hands off her, Ethan!” Lucas’s patience snapped.

Ethan’s voice was thick with fury. “She is my wife!”

The tension between them crackled in the air.

Isabella squeezed her eyes shut, seeking composure.

She suddenly jerked away from Ethan.

Her voice was raw with emotion. “Stop it! Both of you, just leave. I’m staying here with my grandmother.”

Ethan’s hands hung frozen in the air.

A complex mix of emotions played across his face.

Pain flashed in Lucas’s eyes, but he remained silent.

A heavy, suffocating silence descended.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Ethan broke the silence first.

His eyes locked on Isabella, leaving no room for argument.

Lucas stood his ground. “If he stays, then so do I.”

Isabella opened her eyes slowly.

She released a frail, exhausted sigh.

The argument around her felt meaningless.

While her grandmother fought for life, she had no energy for them.

She leaned her back against the cold wall for support and closed her eyes again.

Neither Ethan nor Lucas spoke another word.

They stood in silence, a quiet, tense vigil by her side.

Elsewhere, Sophia Reed’s frustration boiled over.

She slammed a stack of design drafts onto her desk.

Her perfect makeup did little to mask her rage.

Nearby delicate crystal ornaments rattled from the impact.

Before, no matter how busy, Ethan would never ignore her for this long.

But everything changed after Isabella returned and moved into Hawthorne Residence.