Chapter 425

Camille Hartwell stared at the message Damien Harrington had sent, her fingers tightening slightly around her phone before typing a brief reply: "Nothing to add."

Damien's response came almost instantly. "Understood."

The conversation ended there, the digital silence stretching between them like an unbridgeable gap.

Since Helena Harrington had been brought in to treat Audrey Hartwell, she'd moved from the nursing home to a private VIP suite at Lakeview General Hospital for easier monitoring.

The following morning, Camille arrived with her grandmother Marianne Hartwell to visit Audrey.

Though weeks of treatment had passed, Audrey still looked fragile - her cheeks hollow, her movements slow. But at least the deathly pallor from two weeks ago had faded somewhat.

Yet the sight of familiar faces still triggered her. Even the sound of certain voices could send her spiraling.

As they stepped out of Audrey's room after their visit, Helena Harrington joined them in the hallway. They'd barely begun discussing Audrey's progress when footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Camille turned - and froze.

Sabrina Lancaster walked toward them, flanked by Helena Lancaster and Malcolm Lancaster.

Camille's breath caught. What were they doing here?

Beside her, Marianne's grip on her arm tightened painfully. If Audrey saw these people now, after everything...

Sabrina's eyes widened when she spotted Helena Harrington. "Is that Dr. Harrington?" she whispered. "How did the Hartwells get her to treat them? I thought she'd retired from practice."

Their gazes flickered toward Audrey's room. Then realization dawned - but Audrey's condition was psychological, and Helena wasn't a psychiatrist. Unless...

Unless there were physical complications now too.

Helena Harrington rarely appeared in public these days. The opportunity to speak with such a renowned physician didn't come often.

Yet without proper introduction, approaching her would be awkward at best.

Helena had noticed Camille and Marianne's reaction to the newcomers. She gave the Lancaster group a cursory glance before turning back to the Hartwells, her voice deliberately carrying. "Her vitals are stabilizing. The progress is slow but steady."

Marianne clasped Helena's hands, emotion thickening her voice. "Thank you, Dr. Harrington. We can never repay your kindness."

Helena patted Camille's shoulder warmly. "Just doing my job."

As they spoke, the Lancaster party passed by, stopping several doors down to enter another patient's room.

With other appointments waiting, Helena soon took her leave, her medical team trailing behind her.

Camille watched her go before turning her attention to the occupied room down the hall. Someone from either the Lancaster or Dunmore families must be ill. That would explain their presence in the VIP wing.

But if they started frequenting this area regularly... The risk of Audrey encountering them became dangerously high.

Sharing the same concern, Camille approached a passing nurse. "Excuse me, could you tell me about the patient in Room 1003?"