Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 129

Seeing Lawrence getting beaten to a pulp, I fought off the urge to pass out, biting my tongue to stay conscious for just a moment longer.

"Christopher, stop! If you keep going, you'll kill him. He's not worth it. Let the cops handle him. Did you call them?" I was worried Lawrence might die from the beating, but I was also afraid that if we didn't deal with him, he might escape.

Christopher finally stopped when he heard me. He stood below, looking up at me, his gaze piercing through time and space.

Just then, the sound of police sirens echoed from downstairs.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and then darkness took over as I fainted again.

Before I lost consciousness, I thought I saw a flash of panic and urgency in Christopher's eyes as he rushed towards me.

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a white ceiling.

I knew this place well—it was the hospital, with that familiar smell of disinfectant. But my heart was still uneasy. Until my gaze shifted and landed on the person by my bed.

My eyes lit up. "Mr. Collins, you're still here? I'm sorry to trouble you again."

I finally understood why I felt uneasy. Maybe it was because he had saved me multiple times, or maybe because he had beaten Lawrence so hard that I was worried the police might accuse him of excessive force. Seeing him calmly by my side gave me a sense of security.

"Melinda, you scared me to death! And the first person you see isn't me. I'm hurt!" Another voice chimed in from the side, and I realized Paula was there too.

Despite her accusatory words, her eyes were full of concern for me.

I felt a pang of guilt. "Paula, I'm sorry. I just woke up and was a bit disoriented. I didn't see you."

Paula put on a stern face. "You should be sorry. You worried me sick. How could you be so bold, going to see Lawrence alone?"

It seemed Paula had misunderstood.

I was badly injured, and Clara was probably even worse off, likely still unconscious.

Even if she woke up, I doubted Clara would tell the truth about luring me there.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Paula, seeing my bandaged face, looked both pained and worried. She reached out to touch my face. "How bad is your face? Is it disfigured?"

Before she could touch me, Christopher pulled her hand away, his tone serious. "If you touch the wound, it might really get disfigured."

I was about to thank Christopher.

But then his cold voice cut in. "Someone just thinks they're invincible, living too long and looking for trouble."

I felt a bit embarrassed. I struggled to sit up a bit and apologized to Christopher sincerely, especially when I saw his injured hand. "You're hurt. Why haven't you treated it? I'll call the doctor right away."

I had forgotten that my arms and body were covered in cuts. Moving pulled at my wounds, making my face contort in pain.

"Don't move! You should worry about yourself. This is just a small injury for me. Now you know pain." Christopher held me down, his voice stern.

My eyes welled up from the pain as I looked at him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Collins. I won't do it again. I didn't expect Clara to set me up, even after everything Lawrence put her through."

Christopher's gaze softened as he handed me a handkerchief. "If you keep this up, I'll have to buy handkerchiefs in bulk for you."

I took the handkerchief and wiped my tears. Seeing him joke with me made me feel a bit better.

"No, no need. There won't be a next time!" I promised, feeling a bit guilty.

Christopher, seeing me in pain, took out a painkiller he had prepared. "Does it hurt? Take this and get some rest. You need to recover quickly."

I remembered I had just started my job and was still getting the hang of things after Paxton left. Now, with my injuries, I was worried Christopher thought I was delaying work.

I quickly said, "Mr. Collins, don't worry. I'll get better soon. I'll send the schedule and meeting materials to Vincent and Glenn so tomorrow's meeting and work won't be delayed."

Christopher's gaze turned dark as he looked at me.

He raised his hand as if to knock on my head but then lightly tapped it instead. "Did Lawrence hit you so hard you lost your mind?"

Seeing my expression, he softened. "I also have some responsibility. I told you not to worry about Lawrence."

It wasn't his fault. No one could have predicted Lawrence would stoop so low, using any means necessary.

And Christopher got hurt because of me.

"Mr. Collins, it's all Lawrence's fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be hurt. I'm grateful you saved me."

Christopher looked down, his mood unreadable. He was about to say something when his phone rang.

Paula had work to do at the company. She wanted to stay with me and ask about the details.

But the police arrived first to get my statement. They needed to know everything about Lawrence, especially since it involved Stella's death.

"Paula, it's okay. You can go. I'll cooperate with the police." I reassured her.

Paula finally left. I then recounted everything to the police, every detail I could remember.

The crime scene was easy to investigate since Lawrence hadn't planned to leave. He hadn't even tried to clean up after killing Stella.

After the police finished questioning me and told me to rest, they left.

The painkillers and blood loss made me weak, and I soon fell asleep again.

But my sleep was restless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Lawrence with a bloody knife, his face twisted and eyes cold, coming closer. Even in my dreams, I tried to escape but couldn't.

I trembled in fear, mumbling, "Stay away, stay away..."

In my daze, I felt a warm, strong hand hold mine, pulling me from the abyss into the light. I felt safe and finally fell into a deep sleep.