Leland Burns fell seriously ill with severe stomach bleeding and was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room. Fortunately, he was treated in time and faced no major risks.
Henry complained, “Standing in the rain for over two hours just to find this worthless ring, is he out of his mind? Couldn’t he have sent someone else or waited until the weather cleared? This ring doesn’t even look valuable. Why risk his life for it?”
When Leland Burns woke up, his first words were, “Where’s the ring?”
He seemed obsessed, with nothing else on his mind but that ring.
Ms. Protich also fell ill and was in another room receiving fever-reducing IV fluids.
Wesley and Henry were in the ward with Leland Burns. Despite Henry’s earlier complaints about Leland’s foolishness, he now acted obediently in front of him.
“Here it is.” Henry placed the ring on the bedside table.
When Leland Burns had passed out, Ms. Protich had called Henry and rushed him to the hospital. In the car, she briefly explained what had happened and handed the ring to Henry, instructing him to keep it safe because Leland would surely ask for it when he woke up.
The ring was very ordinary, even missing its diamond. Even if it had a diamond, it wouldn’t be large enough to be valuable to someone as wealthy as Leland Burns.
Henry couldn’t believe that Leland could be so sentimental, risking his life for such an ordinary ring.
Leland took the ring and tried to put it on his finger. It was too small for his ring finger and too loose for his pinky.
He didn’t understand why a previously fitting ring no longer fit. But he found a way to keep it close. He bought a thin black string, threaded the ring through it, and wore it around his neck.
Acute stomach bleeding required a hospital stay. The attending doctor personally came to the ward and instructed him to rest well, watch his diet, and quit smoking and drinking.
Leland replied, “I will quit.”
Many serious illnesses start as minor ones that worsen due to poor treatment and rest. Leland’s heavy smoking and drinking had taken a toll on him. Although Ms. Protich managed his diet well, he still didn’t rest properly or sleep well.
He discussed his symptoms with the doctor, who suggested he see a psychologist for further evaluation. Leland noted this but did not act on it.
Seeing that Leland was stable, Henry prepared to leave after informing him. He had many tasks at hand, including overseeing recent projects and tracking down Winifred Dawson.
Henry had lost hope of finding Winifred Dawson; the more they searched, the more he believed she was gone for good.
Seeing Leland hospitalized over a ring made Henry even more disappointed in him. If he couldn’t let go of a ring, how could he let go of Winifred Dawson?
With three months almost up and no sign of her, Henry doubted Leland could accept that Winifred Dawson might be dead.
“Mr. Burns, I’ve arranged for an assistant to look after you. We need to continue our search and work elsewhere. Call us if you need anything urgent.” As Henry was about to leave, Leland suddenly called out.
“Wait…”
Henry felt a sinking feeling; he feared more work coming his way. Though Leland paid well, Henry was overwhelmed with tasks and couldn’t handle more.
Steady!
Henry turned stiffly with a forced smile. “Is there something else?”
“Stop searching.”
“Oh… What?” Henry was ready to show a resigned face but didn’t immediately grasp what Leland meant.
“What?”
“I said stop searching for Winifred Dawson.”
This felt like an unexpected turn of events-nothing could make him happier than stopping this futile search for Winifred Dawson. It had been exhausting for everyone involved.
Henry initially thought he might be hallucinating from overwork. He cleaned his ear with his pinky finger and asked again uncertainly, “Are you sure we should stop looking for Winifred Dawson?”
“Yes, stop searching. Make sure everyone gets paid what they’re owed. Take some time off; you and Wesley have worked hard.”
This time Henry listened intently and confirmed with Wesley through eye contact that they were indeed hearing correctly.
Henry took a few steps forward with a sheepish smile. “There’s still half a month left before the three-month deadline. Why stop now?”
He worried that Leland might change his mind later and resume the search in another burst of determination. He needed absolute confirmation that Leland wasn’t just speaking offhandedly.
“I don’t want to search anymore; I know I won’t find her.” Winifred Dawson was not like a lost ring; she had legs and could go anywhere in this vast world. Was he supposed to turn the whole world upside down just to find her?
“So you’re certain she’s dead?”
Leland remained silent; he wasn’t certain she was dead but feared she might be. He dreaded that continued searching might actually lead them to her corpse-how would he face that?