Chapter 847

Two hours later, the light above the emergency room door finally went out. As a doctor and nurse emerged, Hawthorne rushed forward. "Doctor, how is she? How is Ms. Everhart?"

The doctor gave him a reassuring look. "She and the babies are fine, you can relax. Mrs. Everhart just swallowed some seawater, but thankfully she was rescued in time. We've also checked on the babies, and they're both perfectly healthy. We'll keep her here for a few days for observation, but if all goes well, she'll be able to go home soon."

Hawthorne let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Back in the ocean, it had taken every ounce of ingenuity he possessed to break free from the ropes. He knew from the start that Patti Yale wouldn't honor her word, so he had stayed hidden near the shore after entering the water, waiting. He never imagined she would be mad enough to try and kill them both.

His first priority after hitting the water was to free himself. Once he did, he found Gwyneth struggling in the waves. He had managed to save her, averting the greatest tragedy of his life.

After ensuring Gwyneth was safe at the hospital, Hawthorne's first call was to Leonie. He asked her to come to the hospital but warned her not to tell his parents the truth, giving her a cover story that Gwyneth was having some premature contractions and needed someone to stay with her.

He had already alerted the authorities, and three hours after Gwyneth was safe, he received the expected call: Patti Yale was in custody. The moment he'd received Patti's call, he had given the order to lock down all land, sea, and air travel, including the international airport. Escape was never an option for her. Even requests for private flights out of the country were being denied.

Patti must have realized something was terribly wrong when her request to fly her private jet was rejected.

"Mr. Everhart, Patti Yale is at the station. Would you like to come down?" the officer asked on the phone.

Hawthorne's eyes filled with a cold fury, his dark gaze becoming as deep and terrifying as an ancient abyss. “Yes, I understand. I'm on my way now."

He told Hans to wait at the hospital for Leonie to arrive and watch over Gwyneth, then drove to the police station alone.

In the interrogation room, Patti Yale was a shadow of her former self. The manic arrogance she'd displayed while pushing them into the sea was gone, replaced by an uncharacteristic meekness as she sat silently. Only her eyes retained a spark of defiance, showing no hint of remorse.

She barely stirred until Hawthorne appeared. Seeing him didn't seem to surprise her much. "Well, well. It seems Mr. Everhart is quite the survivor. I should have known you wouldn't tie your own knots properly. My mistake."

Instead of showing any guilt, she was critiquing her own methods, regretting that she'd allowed him to bind himself.

Hawthorne stared at her coldly. "I didn't cheat when I tied those ropes. You didn't underestimate my knot tying skills, you underestimated my wito live. Did you really think tying a rock to my waist ando throwing me into the sea would be

enough to kill me?"

Patti listened quietly, then her eyes glinted. "What about Gwyneth? She's dead, isn't she? Hahaha! So what if you survived? Your wife and your two children are dead because of you. I still win this round, Hawthorne."

A young detective brought

Hawthorne a cigarette. He lit it, took a long drag, and blew a smoke ring in Patti's direction. "I'm afraid I have some disappointing news for you. My wife is perfectly fine. She's resting comfortably at the hospital. If you don't believe me, I can show you a video."

Hawthorne played the clip of Gwyneth's rescue on his phone. As Patti watched, her composure shattered. “Impossible! How is that possible? I saw you both go under! I can understand you escaping, but Gwyneth... how could she still be alive?"