Chapter 297 Was He Injured?
Mr. Jevin was still alive. He was just unconscious and needed immediate treatment at the hospital. Unfortunately, both his legs might be crippled after this.
“How…” Jean could not control her tears anymore. Edgar pulled her from the back and held both her arms. “Enough.”
“He just went in. He was going to come out to see me. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have pestered him.” Jean’s body shook non-stop. “If I hadn’t pestered him, he wouldn’t have gone in, and this wouldn’t have happened.”
Mr. Jevin had helped her so many times. Yet she made him suffer like this. Jean could not help but cry. The man’s shirt was soaked in her tears.
He frowned hard and pulled her into his arms. He held the back of her neck with his fingers. His voice was low as he spoke, “It’s a natural disaster. It’s not under your control.”
Jean sobbed hard.
The village was covered with debris from the earthquake that night.
At the break of dawn, everyone came out to help. Some helped others take care of the children, while the rest helped move things.
Jean stood in front of Mr. Jevin’s house. Her eyes reddened as she looked at the ruins.
“Miss Eyer, please go there for breakfast.”
The whole village was separated from the outside world because of the earthquake. Even the rescue teams and their vehicles were stuck at the foot of the mountain.
The village hospital was overcrowded with patients. Those with minor injuries could not receive treatment and could only squat by the streets. The whole scene was heartbreaking.
Jean turned around and answered Miles, “No, thanks. I don’t have any appetite.”
“Miss Eyer, I think you should go.” Miles lowered his voice and spoke into Jean’s ear.
Jean frowned and started moving. She walked towards Edgar slowly with determination.
Miles took a deep sigh of relief.
Jean walked faster and faster until she reached Edgar. “Why did you help these people here over the years?”
Edgar put a bowl of porridge into her hands. “Have some food first.”
“Tell me first!”
She spotted the bearded man as she spoke. He was bringing two children over. One of them was the boy who gave Edgar a windmill yesterday.
The bearded man still had a hat over his head to hide the scars on his face.
He avoided Jean’s gaze.
The child, however, smiled at Jean. The innocence in his eyes was captivating.
Edgar’s face was cold. “After this incident, the only thing everyone wishes is for everything to get better as soon as possible. If you have anything else to ask, you can ask when we get back.”
Jean held her bowl of porridge and kept quiet.
She clearly knew that the hatred must be all-consuming for him to commit murder.
Jean could no longer bring herself to ask anything more in this situation.
“Bad news! The bridge has collapsed!”
Jean followed the people’s gaze. The trucks with food and medical supplies were all stuck.
This meant that everyone was trapped here. They will run out of food and medical supplies soon!
“There was a problem with the signal tower since last night. What should we do now that the only route into our village is cut off?”
Everyone panicked.
They were losing hope as they looked at their ruined and barren village.
Those that were helping others stopped too.
The human nature is most real at such dire times.
“Mr. Royden, our phones have no signal at all.” Miles thought aloud. “But according to the strength of the earthquake last night, the damage shouldn’t be so severe.”
Moreover, the rescue team should have arrived long ago after the earthquake.
A scent of a bad premonition was lurking in the stuffy air.
“This is plotted.”
Edgar frowned hard. “There is no way we can make it back soon.”
The situation got worse and worse. There was no place for the people to sleep at night.
As the skies darkened, the villagers found their own places to sleep.
But most of them dared not return to any buildings in fear of another earthquake.
Jean had nowhere to go. She rested in a temporary tent set up near the hotel.
She could see Edgar heading toward her from a distance. The moonlight stretched his figure. He looked tall and long.
“Take this.”
He handed a can of coffee over to her.
Jean froze for a moment. She did not stretch her hand out to take it. “I don’t want it.”
“You haven’t had any water since morning.”
Jean continued to shake her head. “I’m not thirsty.”
Edgar opened the can of coffee. “Drink it up, or I will pour it away.”
“You…”
Jean had no choice but to take the can of coffee from Edgar. She took a sip and fell silent.
“You don’t have to worry about Mr. Jevin. The doctor said he’s just unconscious. His life is not in danger.” Edgar spoke as he watched a group of children in a distance gloomily.
He sounded melancholic and not his usual self.
Jean turned to him and frowned. “You seem to care about Mr. Jevin a lot.”
Edgar nodded. “He is Susan’s brother.”
Only then, Jean remembered that it was of no wonder Mr. Jevin looked so familiar to her when she first saw him. It turned out that it was because Susan and he were related.
“So the both of you have known each other for a very long time.” Jean pursed her lips. She felt even guiltier now. She had acted too rashly last night to have spoken to Mr. Jevin in that way.
If he didn’t gain consciousness ever again, she would have to bear with the guilt for the rest of her life.
“Ask whatever you wish to know.”
His voice was deep yet clear. Every word he articulated hit Jean’s ears and tugged her heartstrings.
“I have no more questions.” Jean bowed her head. The photo was burnt. Edgar was not someone from this village either. What information can she get by asking him?
There was no more noise around them.
It was getting late at night. Edgar suddenly got up and pulled Jean up too.
“Where are we going?”
“I have no objections if you want to sleep in the open.”
Jean slowly moved and followed him when she heard his words.
A figure, who was hiding in the shadows behind the hotel, watched them.
Edgar brought Jean to the square behind Hope Elementary School. There were already some villagers gathered there. Some had brought useable quilts along with them.
Edgar’s car was parked at the corner.
He opened the car door. The bedding was already prepared in the car. “You sleep in the car. I will stay outside and watch.”
He would protect her if the aftershocks persisted.
Jean frowned. “I don’t…”
Before she could finish speaking, Edgar had pulled her over. The distance between them got closer. His voice was low and seductive. “Or would you prefer to sleep with me inside?”
Jean pushed him immediately. “Stop talking nonsense.”
She was mistaken for Gigi because of him. Something was not right, but she could only ask Mr. Jevin about it after he wakes up.
It was just a slight push. But Edgar did not move for quite some time. There was a painful expression on his face.
“Mr. Royden!”
Miles ran over from the side. He spoke worriedly, “Your back is injured.”
Was he injured?
Only then Jean remembered seeing him moving awkwardly when he saved her from the hotel incident.
“I’m alright.” He raised his head and looked at Jean. He managed to force a smile.
But the next second later, he collapsed.
