Chapter 182

The light from outside filtered through the car window, casting a dreamlike halo around her silhouette.

“Hey, what are you staring at? Mortimer!"

The teenager's shout snapped Mortimer back to reality. He scrambled into the car and carefully pulled Latisha out.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Latisha's eyes fluttered open. The face above her was a blur, and a dull ringing filled her ears. Exhausted, she let her eyes close again.

"Man, she doesn't look good. Should we take her to a hospital?”

Mortimer hesitated, looking down at the barely conscious woman in his arms. He gritted his teeth. "Go get my car!"

"On it."

A moment later, the teenager pulled up in a discreet white Ford. Mortimer gently lifted Latisha, kicked the other car's door shut, and carried her to his own.

As they drove, he kept checking her breathing. It was there, but so faint it was almost negligible.

"Faster," Mortimer urged.

"I'm flooring it! Any faster and the tires will catch fire," the teenager complained.

Mortimer sighed and glanced down at the woman lying across his lap. Even with her

eyes closed, her features were striking enough to make his heart skip a beat.

He was still staring when the car screeched to a halt in front of the hospital. "We're here!"

Mortimer quickly carried Latisha out of the car and sprinted into the emergency room. "Doctor! Doctor! Someone's dying!"

His frantic cry startled the staff, and a doctor immediately rushed over. A quick check confirmed her breathing was dangerously weak. They whisked her into a treatment room without delay.

Mortimer finally let out a long breath, slumping onto a bench in the hallway. "God, I'm exhausted."

"So, who is she?" his friend asked.

Leaning against the wall, Mortimer shook his head. "I have no idea."

“... You just grabbed someone you don't know? Aren't you worried her owner will come after you?"

Mortimer froze. He suddenly remembered that the car belonged to a Mr. Lambert— the same man his own father had been treating with extreme deference.

But why would he lock someone in his car?

The woman was wearing an apron. Could she be their maid?

Just then, the door to the treatment room opened and the doctor emerged. Pushing

his thoughts aside, Mortimer hurried over. "Doctor, how is she?"

еч

"It was just oxygen deprivation. She fainted from suffocation, but you got her here be fine time she'll

after

breathing some oxygen for a while.

"Oh... that's good."

Latisha was moved to a regular room with an oxygen mask over her face. The

doctor said she'd need it for a couple of hours.

Mortimer felt stuck. He didn't know if he should leave or stay. He was still debating whether he should go. back and explain things to M Lambert when his phone rang. It was Lennon.

Mortimer reluctantly answered. The moment he did, his father's furious voice erupted from the speaker.

"You little bastard, where are you? Get your ass back here right now!"

The roar was so loud it nearly shattered his eardrum.

"Do you hear me? Get back here in ten minutes, or I swear I'll break your legs!"

"I know!" Mortimer snapped before hanging up, a sinking feeling in his stomach. The jig was up.

Meanwhile, Lennon ended the call

and turned to Clifford with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Lambert, I am so sorry. My son is a troublemaker, and I deeply apologize for the trouble he's caused il be sure to teach him a lesson when he gets back."

Clifford stared at the empty car, his eyes cold and his tone unreadable. "You've

certainly raised a good Samaritan, Mr. Farley."