Chapter 209: Shocked
"What did you say?" Melanie asked with a blank face as she stared at the lawyer.
Elias in return, looked at her face, searching for a flicker of understanding, then carefully repeated himself-more slowly this time, as if gentler words could soften the blow."Adam was declared dead yesterday...he flatlined a couple of days ago as well, but was stabilised later. however, his condition kept deteriorating, and now his body is missing. Spencer Collins was summoned here since he is his legal brother and authorised to claim him for burial. Melanie..." His voice faltered. "I’m so sorry for your loss, Melanie."
He had expected a storm of emotions—shock, disbelief, maybe grief and even a lot of crying. Perhaps even denial, shouted questions, or trembling hands as they pointed towards him for not fulfilling his promise. But what he didn’t expect... was this.
That quiet look. Still and unmoving. There was no flicket or pain or even a blink of an eye. It was disconcerting... to say the least.
He almost reached out and was about to shake her a bit to make sure she was not in shock, when without a word, she opened the car door and stepped out as if on automation. She didn’t look at him and simply started to walk away from the parking.
"I need to get back inside," she said quietly. "The first thing we need to do is stop Spencer... before he finds Adam."
Elias stared after her, stunned, and then scrambled out of the car and followed, catching up to her just as she reached the entrance of the hospital., "Wait—what?"
When Melanie simply gave him a look, he tentatively placed a hand on her arm and asked," Melanie, just wait—hold on. Are you... are you okay? I mean, did you actually hear what I said back there?" He lowered his voice and looked around cautiously, as he suggested, "You might be in shock. Maybe you should sit down, talk to someone. A doctor, maybe."
Melanie gave him a look and then turned her head away to look forward again, before speaking, "I heard you," she said. Her voice was calm. Flat. Too calm. "And I dont need to see a doctor."