Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 210 Special Red String, Junior President Payne’s Misconduct

Chapter 210: 210 Special Red String, Junior President Payne’s Misconduct

"No need for now," Hannah Johnson straightforwardly said, as Junior President Payne was a dignified and appropriate person who only stood outside the door without entering the room.

Hannah observed the Red String, a quite simple design; she could not see anything special about it.

But she still kept it, probably because it held special meaning for her.

Hesitating, she eventually put the Red String into the bag as well.

She hitched a ride with Junior President Payne to the hospital.

Along the way, she received calls from her mother and grandmother, as well as from Isaac Shea.

Coughing, she lowered her voice, "Hello."

"I’ve heard about what happened, are you okay?"

"What could possibly happen to me."

Hannah tried to sound calm, but subconsciously glanced at the person beside her; there was enough space between them to fit another person, "However, Zoe’s surgery will be in the morning, and tonight I..."

"I understand," Isaac said.

Hannah hung up the phone, turned her head, and gave Junior President Payne a smile, "I’m really sorry for making you run around with me so late at night."

"Boyfriend?" Junior President Payne’s voice was calm, not revealing any emotion.

Hannah was stunned for a moment.

He indeed had heard.

Junior President Payne turned to look at her, "If you won’t admit, then he must be a male friend with a special relationship."

"..."

Hannah gritted her teeth.

Just like Brock Hale from the Hale family, this Junior President Payne was also annoying.

"Miss Johnson, rest assured, I am not interested in other people’s private lives, and neither is my assistant," Junior President Payne said, then turned his head to look out the window.

The light cast fleeting shadows, making his face alternately bright and dark.

His expression was blank, yet he exuded a feeling of intense loneliness and isolation.

**

Meanwhile, inside the hospital

The incident of Zoe Bell’s kidnapping had not been widely publicized to avoid alarming the family; William Hale informed his father and two younger uncles but kept it from his grandparents and others, as they could not help but would only worry.

However, Serena Conner’s suicide from jumping off a building had caused a stir in the Circle of Capital City.

Rumors even circulated that it was William Hale who had driven her to it.

The story grew more bizarre as it spread.

William was not concerned about these rumors because his phone was about to explode with calls; his grandfather even scolded him, "A major incident happened to Zoe, and you didn’t tell me! You are very bold."

"William, how is Zoe now?" his grandmother’s voice piped up.

"Bro, how’s my sister-in-law..." Wyatt Hale was also chattering.

As it was almost ten o’clock at night, and the police would come soon to take Zoe’s statement, William quickly ended the video call, citing Zoe needed to rest as a reason to stop family members from visiting.

"Then you rest well, I’ll come over early tomorrow," Lily Lott said just before Wyatt cut in, "Sister-in-law, I’ll also come tomorrow."

Brock Hale said, "Don’t you have class tomorrow morning?"

"I can take a leave of absence."

"I think you just don’t want to attend class." After all, Wyatt going would not really be of any help, at most he would be there to lighten the mood.

"Dad... what’s more important, sister-in-law or classes? You have no heart."

"You little rascal!" Brock exclaimed.

...

Zoe Bell knew the Hale family members were all very caring; suddenly receiving such dense care from the family warmed her heart.

Even Lucas Bell, far away overseas, had heard about the incident.

He made a video call specifically to ensure Zoe was unharmed, which finally put his mind at ease, but she did not mention her upcoming surgery, guessing that if he knew, he would definitely not be able to resist returning to the country.

When Hannah Johnson and Junior President Payne arrived at the hospital, since the police were taking Zoe’s statement, they waited outside for a while.

"I really owe it to Junior President Payne for arriving on time tonight; otherwise, I would have had a hard time handling everything alone," Hannah Johnson was too anxious and felt very flustered inside.

"Thank you," William Hale said politely.

"You’re welcome."

"I’m really tied up tonight, another day I must visit you personally with Zoe to express my gratitude." William Hale was aware that without his intervention, Serena Conner wouldn’t have revealed her flaws so quickly.

The kidnapping was a race against time, and he was very grateful to Junior President Payne.

The man nodded politely and glanced at the ward, "Miss Bell is okay?"

"Her leg injury is severe. Surgery tomorrow morning."

He stared intensely at the ward door, clearly wanting to catch a glimpse of Zoe Bell before leaving, but William Hale said nothing more, as he was soon called into the office by Assistant Peter Lewis to discuss the surgical plans.

Hannah Johnson followed them as well.

Although Peter Lewis would personally perform the surgery, the various risks needed to be communicated to the family in advance.

They needed to sign the risk acknowledgement and various surgical consent forms.

William Hale knew all these were necessary procedures, but hearing from the doctor that the leg might be permanently disabled or there could be life-threatening dangers still made his heart inexplicably panic.

...

Meanwhile, the police had already left the ward. Kyle Lowe saw them out. Through the opened door, Zoe Bell saw Junior President Payne. Their eyes met, and she smiled slightly.

Assistant Law then carried in the luggage that had come with him.

Junior President Payne’s gaze fell on her bruised and swollen ankle, his expression darkening slightly.

"Mr. Hale and Miss Johnson were called to the office by the doctor," he explained.

"I didn’t expect my incident to trouble you." Zoe Bell, with one hand hooked to an IV, receiving anti-inflammatory and pain relief drips, gestured with her one free hand, "Please, have a seat."

"Don’t mention it."

Their meetings were few, and the atmosphere could sometimes be unavoidably awkward.

At that moment, a nurse knocked and entered. Zoe Bell was admitted under emergency procedures, hence the admission processes had not been completed.

It was nearly eleven o’clock, and the nurse specifically came to inquire, "Have your family members brought your ID? We need to process various admissions formalities."

"They have." Zoe Bell, lying on the bed, unable to move, pointed to the belongings Hannah Johnson had arranged for her, "My ID should be in there."

"I’ll get it."

In addition to a suitcase for clothes, there was also a bag.

Junior President Payne said, opening the bag. Inside was a semi-transparent ziplock bag where something resembling a passport card was visible. The IDs should all be there.

"Then the family member, please come with me," the nurse said, glancing at Junior President Payne.

Zoe Bell didn’t want to trouble him, thinking Kyle Lowe would soon return after escorting the police.

Unexpectedly, Junior President Payne picked up the ziplock bag and said, "I’ll go."

"..."

Zoe Bell, tethered by the IV stand and crippled by her leg injury, obviously couldn’t chase after him. Assistant Law laughed, "Miss Bell, you just rest. It’s just paperwork; it’s not a bother. If my Junior President Payne wants to go, don’t stop him."

He had heard in the car about his boss speaking of a deceased person.

Thinking it over, he believed Junior President Payne was projecting his longing for the deceased onto Miss Bell.

Perhaps doing something for her would give him some peace of mind.

So, while the boss went to handle the procedures, the assistant stayed in the ward.

Junior President Payne followed the nurse to the nurse station, "Give me the ID first."

As he opened the ziplock bag and searched for the ID, his gaze landed on a red string inside...

In an instant,

his breathing suddenly deepened, his grip on the ziplock bag tightening unconsciously.

His eyes locked on the red string, his breathing quickened, even his heartbeat uncontrollably sped up.

His whole body tensed, his chest vibrated.

He felt a profound shock; his mind went blank.

"Sir... the ID card?" the nurse, noticing his distraction, called out, unaware that the typically calm man’s fingers trembled, accidentally dropping the ziplock bag onto the floor.

All the contents spilled out.

In view also, that red string.

Quietly lying on the white tiles, under the hospital’s incandescent light, the braiding pattern of the red string was even more clearly visible.

In that moment, even the air became thick and sparse.