Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 225: On the Brink of Death

Chapter 225: On the Brink of Death

"Why should I go? Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me." James replied coldly.

After all, that man wasn’t his biological son.

He had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

Henry frowned, giving James a displeased look as he sat down to eat breakfast. "Dad, why bother? I don’t even care about his room. Besides, you’re still father and son. You’re acting like enemies."

"He’s not my son! He’s not my biological son!" James slammed his utensils down coldly. Grace’s eyes widened in shock.

"Honey, what are you saying? Eric... he’s not your biological son?" Grace asked, astonished.

James sighed softly, briefly recounting the car accident Eric had when he was ten years old. It had always been his secret. But at this point, James figured there was no need to hide it anymore. Especially since the newspapers were already describing Eric’s injuries as so severe that he likely wouldn’t survive.

Henry fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.

"Dad, even if he isn’t your biological son, do you really want the whole world to know that Eric isn’t your son?"

James snorted. "Of course not."

"Then you need to go see him. After all, your son was in a serious accident, and as his father, how can you be so indifferent?"

Grace also chimed in, urging him. Aside from a few close relatives and friends, most people didn’t know about the strained relationship between James and Eric.

Even if things were bad between them, it wouldn’t look right for James to stay home or head to work while his son was lying in the hospital, on the verge of death.

James was silent. He certainly didn’t want the public to find out about this family scandal.

So, after breakfast, James headed straight to the hospital.

Richard and the others were still there. They had stayed by Eric’s side all night. After a grueling seven or eight-hour surgery, Eric had just been brought out of the operating room, but he was still in critical condition.

When James arrived, Richard and the others frowned. They all knew about the assassination attempt on Eric abroad, and they all suspected James or Grace had something to do with it.

However, James had never admitted to anything, and there was no evidence to implicate Grace. Whoever did it covered their tracks too well.

"How is Eric?" James asked softly.

Richard sneered. "You’re quite the father, aren’t you? Your son was nearly killed, and you’re the last to know. Unbelievable."

James scoffed. "How could I know if none of you told me?"

"He’s still in the ICU and hasn’t passed the critical stage yet. The doctor said... if his condition doesn’t worsen within the next twelve hours, he might wake up," Adam replied coolly.

James stood silently, staring into the ICU. Through the glass, he could see Eric’s entire body wrapped in white bandages, an oxygen mask over his face, and his eyes tightly shut.

Just one look, and James could tell there wasn’t much life left in him.

He stood there for a long time, unable to move. He thought of Eric as a child, so handsome and adorable. But as Eric grew older, their relationship had completely fallen apart.

Every time they saw each other, Eric was like a raging lion, ready to tear him to pieces.

James’s expression darkened, lost in thought. He finally turned away and sat down silently nearby.

The hallway outside the ICU was packed with reporters on both ends. It took a great deal of effort for John and the bodyguards to clear them out.

James and the others had been waiting for who knows how long when suddenly, a sharp alarm sounded from inside the ICU. Richard and the rest jumped up and rushed over, only to see the doctors and nurses frantically trying to save Eric, who was in critical condition.

Richard clenched his fists tightly, his eyes reddening as he looked at Eric, who appeared lifeless.

James stood there in a daze.

He couldn’t see what was happening inside because Richard and the others were blocking his view.

His mind wandered back to the day Eric was born. He had been both overjoyed and incredibly anxious, watching his wife struggle in pain. He recalled his own infidelity, feeling a deep sense of guilt.

James remembered the first time he saw Eric. Eric had been a healthy eight-pound baby, which made Victoria’s labor difficult, lasting for hours. The doctors feared that the baby might be deprived of oxygen, so they asked James to sign for an emergency C-section.

Unlike most newborns, who were wrinkled and fragile, Eric had been plump and alert. While other babies slept, Eric had opened his bright, curious eyes, observing the world around him.

James had instantly fallen in love with his newborn son and felt even more tenderness toward Victoria.

But now...

Why wasn’t Eric his biological son?

Why?

James felt a deep, suffocating pain in his chest as the sharp beeping of the alarm filled his ears. Instead of the satisfaction he might have expected, he felt a rare heaviness.

Even though he had resented Eric for so long, why was it that now, with Eric on the brink of death, he couldn’t feel any joy?

...

Morning light streamed through the window, falling across Ella’s tightly furrowed face, making her pale skin appear even more translucent. Even in her sleep, her brows were tightly knitted.

She was struggling through a nightmare.

She dreamt of Eric walking away, hand-in-hand with a faceless woman, both of them laughing as they left her behind.

Tears streamed down Ella’s face. She wanted to chase after them, but her legs felt as if they were weighed down with lead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t move.

She stood there, rooted in place, crying out Eric’s name, her tears turning ice-cold as they fell.

"Ella... Are you okay? Ella, don’t cry. Wake up!"

Someone was shaking her, and Ella’s eyes snapped open.

Chloe was looking down at her, her eyes red from crying. Amelia stood quietly nearby, and when she saw Ella had woken up, she immediately grasped her hand in relief. "Ella, you’re awake! How do you feel? The doctor said you fainted from the shock..."

Ella panted, her forehead damp with cold sweat, causing her bangs to stick to her skin. Chloe quickly grabbed a towel and gently wiped away the sweat and the traces of tears on her face.

Ella’s throat felt raw, likely from inhaling smoke, and she didn’t feel well at all.

"Chloe... How is he? Has he woken up?"

The thought of Eric’s injuries, especially the deep wound on his chest, made her temples throb painfully, and her head ached even more.

Chloe bit her lip, her eyes red with sorrow. "I don’t know... When I got here, they said Eric was still being resuscitated..."