After hanging up the phone, she finally looked at Jaime through the rearview mirror and firmly reassured him, “Jaime, it’s not your fault. This was an accident. Your dad will be fine.”
Jaime held back his tears, his eyes red and brimming with unshed tears. He whimpered, “Dad will be fine.”
Otherwise, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Evie steered the car out of the garage with one hand while calling Sylvia to inform her about Jasper’s car accident and mentioned the suitcase and tablet.
“So, I have a bad feeling. Those killers must have tracked down Jaime and us. It seemed like one of them escaped back then.”
Sylvia paused her breakfast upon receiving Evie’s call, her heart tightening. “I’ll head over right away.”
Seeing Sylvia stand up, Queena asked worriedly, “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Howlett had an accident. I need to go.” She grabbed a carton of milk and headed out. “I might be back late tonight.”
“Oh dear, how could such a good person like Mr. Howlett have an accident?” Queena frowned in concern. “I hope he’s okay.”
“Mom, don’t worry too much. Sylvia and Franklin will be there. Once things are settled, we can visit him too,” Mollie tried to comfort Queena.
Queena still felt uneasy. “How could this happen so suddenly?”
Sylvia grabbed her coat and car keys at the entrance and drove frantically toward Gotry Road.
She took a less-traveled route with few traffic lights and arrived just as Evie was still on the way.
The accident scene was horrific. Jasper’s car had been violently rammed into the greenery by a large truck.
The police had cordoned off the area. Gotry Road wasn’t a busy street but was prone to accidents due to an unmarked intersection and the truck’s blind spot.
Sylvia parked by the roadside and ran towards the scene, smelling burnt rubber from afar. A black SUV was mangled beyond recognition, tightly wedged with the truck’s cab.
Jasper was trapped in the driver’s seat as several policemen sawed at the door to free him.
He was covered in blood, his face unrecognizable.
At that moment, Evie arrived with Jaime. Seeing Jasper’s mangled legs being carried out, she instinctively covered Jaime’s eyes. “Don’t look…”
Tears streamed down her face. “Honey…”
Sylvia assessed Jasper’s barely breathing form and realized he had passed out. Paramedics jumped out of the ambulance and loaded Jasper onto a stretcher.
Franklin arrived with some men to handle the accident scene with the police.
Sylvia and Evie took Jaime onto the ambulance.
As it sped away, Franklin coldly eyed the truck driver-a frail middle-aged man who had suffered minor injuries. Despite police questioning, he insisted, “I was tired, really tired. I didn’t see his car.”
“I didn’t want this accident; it was an accident. I drove all night from out of town.”
“Checking your license plate will reveal your entire route, including your phone’s GPS data. Do you think today’s technology is fake?” The police officer said coldly. “Be honest.”
The driver shook his head vehemently. “I’m telling the truth! What else can I say?”
Yawning, he added, “I was so tired; I didn’t want to hit anyone.”
Franklin sneered as two men in black stepped forward-one holding a knife. “Cutting out your tongue means you won’t need to speak again.”
Another man grabbed the driver’s head, forcing his mouth open. The driver stared in terror. “This is illegal! I’m just a regular driver! My brakes failed, and I was tired! How could I know I’d hit him?”
A nearby officer intervened awkwardly. “Mr. Maskelyne, we’ll handle this properly. Rest assured, we’ll investigate thoroughly and ensure justice for Mr. Howlett.”
Franklin glanced at the officer but said nothing more.
The driver was drenched in cold sweat.
Just then, Franklin’s phone rang-it was Sylvia.
“There’s a box on Jasper’s passenger seat containing a tablet and a blueprint. Retrieve it.”
“Got it.”
The accident scene was already cordoned off by police, preventing others from approaching.
Franklin approached Jasper’s wrecked car, scanning its interior filled with burnt smells and blood.
Blood soaked the driver’s seat while the passenger side was crushed together with the box barely recognizable.
Franklin removed shattered glass from the box and retrieved it.
Inside were a blueprint and a shattered tablet screen.
He closed the box and headed to the hospital.
He didn’t notice the driver’s peculiar gaze fixed on him from the start.
In the hospital emergency room, Jasper was rushed in while Sylvia followed closely behind. “I’m Dr. Sylvia from Hematology; Jasper is my friend’s husband. I must assist in this surgery.”
“Dr. Sylvia, this is our emergency department’s domain. Please leave,” a male doctor refused awkwardly.
Sylvia glared at him and requested permission from the hospital director over the phone.
After receiving instructions, the male doctor returned her phone. “Since the director approved, you may join us but don’t interfere with our emergency treatment.”
“The patient’s legs might suffer permanent disability or paralysis; there’s no time to lose. I must lead this surgery,” Sylvia said as she donned surgical attire and entered the emergency room.
This concerned Jasper’s future-she couldn’t afford any mistakes for Evie, Jaime, or Franklin.
Franklin considered Jasper a brother…
Sylvia’s eyes reddened as she gripped the scalpel.
Franklin and Geoff arrived at the hospital almost simultaneously.
Mrs. Howlett rushed to Evie and Jaime in tears, gripping Evie’s arms painfully tight. “How did this happen? Where is he? Where’s Jasper?”
“Mom, Sylvia went in. Jasper will be fine; he had breakfast and went to work…”
Seeing Mrs. Howlett cry made Evie’s tears flow uncontrollably.
Mrs. Howlett collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly.
Jaime wiped her tears with his small hands. “Grandma, don’t cry. Dad will be fine.”
Despite his words, tears streamed down his face too-Jasper had been like a father to him.
He felt deeply saddened. “Is it because I’m a bad person? Did I cause my birth parents’ deaths? Did I cause Dad’s accident too?”
Evie hugged him tightly. “Jaime, that’s impossible! You’re our treasure.”
Mrs. Howlett’s heart ached seeing such an understanding child. “Jaime, you’re a good boy. Grandma won’t cry…”
But despite her words, her tears kept falling.
Geoff sighed heavily in frustration and lit a cigarette by the window to calm his nerves.
Franklin joined him; Geoff offered him a cigarette which he accepted and lit from Geoff’s smoke.
Blowing smoke rings into the rainy window view, Franklin said softly, “The road was slippery; it was a truck’s blind spot without traffic lights at that intersection…”
Geoff’s chest tightened painfully. “I just hope he’s safe… As his uncle, I’m worried sick… He always resented me for marrying his mother after his father’s death.”
“But no matter how much he hates or dislikes me… I don’t care… As long as he’s safe.”
“Jasper has come to terms with it over the years,” Franklin replied gently. “Now that he has his own child, he understands your feelings better.”
Finally, he added, “Jasper will be fine.”
Geoff nodded firmly. “With Mrs. Maskelyne inside, I’m sure she’ll bring Jasper back from death’s door.”
Their exchange lacked women’s hysteria or tears but carried deep pain beneath their calm exterior.
Suddenly, the emergency room door burst open as a nurse rushed out towards the nurse station.