The waiting room outside the ER of the City Hospital smelled of antiseptic and lingering dread.Ethan sat on the hard plastic chairs, his chest wrapped in tight bandages, his blood-stained shirt hanging in tatters.Soot covered his face, and his hands were raw and scabbed.The doctor stepped out of the ER, pulling off his surgical mask with a heavy sigh.Ethan stood up instantly and rushed towards the doctor."How is she?" He asked anxiously."She survived the crash, but the head trauma caused severe cerebral swelling," the doctor said flatly. "We need to operate within twelve hours to relieve the pressure and insert a shunt. If we don't, the damage will be permanent—or fatal." The doctor explained grimly.“Th…. then what are you waiting for? Do the surgery.” Ethan yelled, holding the doctor’s hand tightly."Mr. Vance, the procedure, the ICU recovery, and the specialized implants cost approximately $150,000," the doctor replied calmly, holding a clipboard."Because your family's prima

Ethan’s frown deepened.He didn’t remember installing any game app that had this kind of setting.The notification had appeared over a black icon bearing a strange silver emblem.He instantly opened his phone and looked for that emblem.That silver emblem was sitting among his other apps as though it had always been there.As a software developer, his first instinct was to uninstall the app and run a virus checker.However, in his haste, he accidentally clicked on the icon.He grimaced and tried to close the app, but his damaged phone wasn’t responding properly.The screen flickered, and the usual navigation buttons had stopped working.He had more important things to worry about than a suspicious application.His mother needed surgery, and he still had to figure out how to arrange the money.Therefore, he decided to wait for the application to open completely so that he could close it properly and uninstall it.The screen remained blank for several seconds.Then a faint metallic soun

Ethan’s P.O.V.Every inch of my body started screaming in pain when I tried to move a little.I felt as if I was beaten to death.“Mr Vance. How are you feeling now?” I stopped groaning when I heard someone calling my name.I wanted to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy.“Don’t force yourself, Mr. Vance. You fainted last night due to your injuries, blood loss, and severe exhaustion. Your vitals are stable for now, but you are still weak.” The person continued explaining things, but my mind caught only two words.Injuries..Blood loss….Then came the memories…The memories of crash..My whole body jolted awake, and I snapped open my eyes.Despite the jolts of pain shooting everywhere in my body, I moved my head towards the person standing beside me.It was a nurse, adjusting the IV drip.“Mo..m…. My mom… she is in ICU.” My voice was hoarse, and my throat was so parched that every word coming out scratched my throat.“Hey! Don’t move. You have broken ribs.” She pressed her hand on

Ethan’s P.O.V. (Continued)A young woman stood near the entrance, holding a bouquet in one hand and a small gift bag in the other.She was dressed in a light blue formal suit, with her long brown hair falling neatly over her shoulders.There was an air of confidence about her, although the slight hesitation in her eyes suggested that she wasn't entirely sure whether she had entered the right room.I just stared at her blankly, watching her approach my bed hesitantly.“Uhhhh…… I am sorry, Miss. I didn’t recognise you.” I said to her apologetically, trying to adjust my position, but it only made me wince.“I am Ava Bennett, Mr. Vance.” She introduced herself quietly.“And yes, we don’t know each other.” She added with an apologetic smile.I was relieved that there was no identity mistake. But her last name sounded familiar.I just didn’t remember where I heard it.“My father is Richard Bennett, the old man you saved yesterday,” she explained, and I remembered her.She was with her fath