Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 213 Surgery successful, verified by multiple sources (2 updates)

Chapter 213: 213 Surgery successful, verified by multiple sources (2 updates)

Zoe Bell had undergone general anesthesia, and it took her more than an hour to gradually wake up after being wheeled back to the ward.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw William Hale standing by her bed. She tried to speak, but her throat felt blocked, making it difficult to produce a sound, yet her hand was gently being held...

"Awake?" Old Lady Hale said, shoving her grandson to the side.

William Hale: "..."

This, this seems like my wife!

"Sister-in-law, do you still recognize me?" Wyatt Hale immediately leaned in closer.

He had heard that it was easy for the brain to malfunction after general anesthesia.

This was the stalwart of the family and now his partial financier—there was no way he could afford to be forgotten.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could I forget you?" Lily Lott pulled her son behind her and bent over the bed to check on her, "How do you feel? If there’s any discomfort, you must tell us right away."

Zoe Bell shook her head.

The effects of the anesthesia had not completely worn off, and she couldn’t feel her right leg.

"Are you hungry? You’ll still need to wait a few hours before you can eat." Old Lady Hale reached out to touch her face, but paused mid-air, only managing to tenderly touch her hair instead.

"Don’t worry, the surgery went smoothly. Old Sir Lewis said that as long as you recover well, you can continue dancing in the future." Mindy Xander, standing beside her, said with a smile.

The women of the Hale Family crowded around the bed...

They even managed to squeeze William Hale out of the bed space.

As a husband, he could only stand on the perimeter.

Naturally, the rest of the Hale Family did not crowd forward either.

Zoe Bell had not expected her surgery to cause such a stir. She pursed her lips and, once able to speak, hesitantly said, "Everyone can go about their business. It’s just a minor surgery; there really was no need..."

Old Sir Hale frowned, "In my view, any surgery that involves cutting is not minor!"

"What kind of thing is that to say in front of family?"

"If family doesn’t show up at times like these, can they even be called family?" Old Sir Hale frowned. "You’re being too formal with us; do you still see us as outsiders in your heart?"

"Grandpa, that’s not what I mean." Zoe Bell tried to explain, but her mind was really slow to respond at the moment.

"Why don’t you say less and not scare her," Old Lady Hugh frowned.

"I didn’t mean to scare her."

"But your voice is very loud!"

"..."

Zoe Bell remained silent, feeling a warm sensation both physically and emotionally.

However, it made no sense for so many people to stay. Apart from William Hale, Hannah Johnson, and Lily Lott, the others gradually left, and Old Lady Hugh and Yumi Johnson came in.

Afterward,

People filed in one after another bringing heaps of flowers and fruit baskets.

William Hale rubbed his temples. "These are from my friends."

Zoe Bell just smiled; she had never met William Hale’s friends, "How did they know I had surgery?"

"The incident yesterday made quite the uproar."

After all, Serena Conner had jumped off a building.

The entire Circle of Capital City was shaken.

At that moment, everyone knew that William Hale’s feelings for Zoe Bell were extraordinary.

"By the way, how is she?" Zoe Bell was completely preoccupied with her own surgery, hence had not had the chance to concern herself with how Serena Conner had fared.

But not hearing news of her death meant she was still alive.

"She injured her spine, sustaining a high-level paraplegia. It looks like she’ll be like that for the rest of her life."

Zoe Bell staggered mentally for a moment.

William Hale originally didn’t care about Serena Conner. During Zoe Bell’s surgery, the Conner Family had come to the hospital, apologizing profusely, and they wanted to see Old Sir Lewis, who was an authority in orthopedics; perhaps he could still save her.

Old Sir Lewis, carrying the benevolence of a healer, went immediately with the Conner Family to another hospital after the surgery ended.

He could treat the spinal injury.

But nerve damage was irreversible, so the surgery wasn’t very meaningful.

It was said that when Serena Connor awoke and heard that she was paraplegic, she completely broke down, having almost no sensation below her neck; she wanted to commit suicide or to smash things in frustration, but she couldn’t manage either.

She would be unable to take care of herself for the rest of her life. Being under thirty, she couldn’t accept the reality.

She only regretted that the fall hadn’t killed her outright.

It would have been better than such a miserable survival.

Zoe Bell listened to William Hale’s narrative and couldn’t help but sigh—the reason she jumped from the building was to avoid being imprisoned, yet her current life...

seemed even worse than being in a jail.

Hannah Johnson took a deep breath. "This is probably fate. When I visited the Conner Family, she had many chances to turn back from her missteps, yet she never treasured them."

"However, last night was really thanks to Junior President Payne." Hannah clicked her tongue. "Oh right, he even came by this morning."

"When?" Zoe asked.

"Right when you entered the operating room, he showed up and stayed for just over ten minutes before leaving."

"We really owe it to him for this incident."

Zoe nodded, thinking that after she was discharged, she would have to properly thank him.

**

Elsewhere

Assistant Law drove the car, glancing at the man in the back seat. "Junior President Payne, why didn’t you meet with Miss Bell?"

In fact, they had arrived at the hospital before the surgery but hadn’t gone up.

He had thought that his junior president would wait until Miss Bell was out of the OR before leaving, yet he had stayed for only a little over ten minutes.

The man turned his head to look out the window. "I was afraid... I couldn’t control my emotions."

Moreover, waiting outside the operating room would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the sharp-minded people of the Hale Family. Without scientific proof, he could not confirm if Zoe was indeed his long-lost sister.

Going to Greenland was a long journey, and he was anxious and restless.

Completely unable to calm down.

He had a folder on his lap filled with a stack of papers; he had someone investigate Zoe Bell.

Almost everything about her was recorded.

Before she met William Hale...

She had hardly had any good days.

The car went directly to the detention center. Since Director Hall’s case was complex and the court hadn’t convened yet or pronounced a verdict, she was being held in the detention center. Assistant Law had arranged things in advance, directly setting up a meeting.

Director Hall, already advanced in years, looked even older after the ordeal in the detention center.

She looked at the man before her,

weather-beaten yet unable to hide his elegance and nobility.

Upon closer inspection, she didn’t recognize him.

Since her incarceration, besides family members and case officers, hardly anyone had visited her. She stared at the man before her. "We... don’t know each other, do we?"

"No, we don’t."

"Then why are you looking for me?"

Junior President Payne stared intently at her. "What do you know about Zoe Bell?"

Director Hall hadn’t heard that name in a long time. She took a few seconds to respond, her gaze very guarded.

"Tell me everything you know."

"Why should I?"

"Ever since you were arrested, your family can’t move a step in Greenland. If you cooperate, I can help them emigrate. In the domestic sphere, they definitely can’t stay. Your grandson is still young, and with your crime, if anyone looks three generations back in his future attempts to join better institutions, his path will be cut off."

Grandson!

This struck a sensitive chord with Director Hall. She looked at the man before her. "Why should I trust you?"

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t." With that, he got up to leave.

Director Hall, having long since run out of options, immediately called out, "Sir, please don’t go. Whatever you want to know, I will tell you."

"Then tell me everything you know about her."

The man listened quietly.

"... that Red String, I’ve already handed it to Zoe through my daughter-in-law. If you want to see it, you can find her," Director Hall guessed that the man before her might be searching for kin.

"That Red String... there should be a Small Gold Pendant on it, right?"

The mention of this made Director Hall’s pupils dilate instantly.

It had been a long time, and she had dealt with too many children to remember every detail clearly. It was only after his reminder that she suddenly remembered.

Indeed, there was a Small Gold Pendant.

"How... how do you know?" Director Hall’s breathing became quick and eager.