Chapter 233

Steven stood there, stunned, unable to even defend himself. His mind was racing, panic pounding in his chest. If Lucie really died... He couldn't take it. He just

couldn't.

June rushed over, grabbing Elio's arm in a panic. "Elio, what are you doing? It wasn't even his fault!"

"That's enough. Stop it!" she pleaded.

A sharp slap cut through the tension. Elio, shaking with anger, backhanded June across the face.

She let out a yelp and crashed to the floor.

"And you are you completely brainless?" Elio snapped, his voice raw with fury. "Go get goddamn help. Don't drag everyone else into your mess."

He started to lift his foot, ready to kick her, but Mick jumped in, blocking him. "Enough. Seriously, just stop. This isn't helping. Let's wait for the doctors, alright?" He shoved Elio toward a chair. "Sit down. Calm down. Getting worked up won't solve anything."

Elio let out a rough breath and dropped into the chair, still fuming.

Mick crouched next to June, helping her up. "Ms. Swanson, you need to take a breath too."

June pressed her hand to her burning cheek, glaring at Elio, but she didn't dare say a word or make another scene.

Mick turned to Steven. "Mr. Heath, you should try to calm down as well."

Steven wiped blood from his nose with his sleeve, the pain snapping him back to reality. He had no energy left for a fight with Elio. All he cared about was Lucie making it through.

Thirty minutes crawled by. Then the doors to the emergency room swung open. Two nurses came out, faces serious.

Steven's heart nearly stopped. He rushed over. "How's my wife?"

One nurse held up a stack of forms. "Who's the patient's family?"

"I am. I'm her husband," Steven said immediately.

Elio shot up. "You're the ex. I'm her boyfriend."

The nurse looked between them, confused. "So who's the family? We need

someone to sign the consent forms for surgery."

"I'll do it," Steven said.

"No, I will," Elio insisted.

Mick stepped in, frowning. "Enough, both of you. What matters is Lucie's surgery."

He turned to the nurse. "I'll sign. I'm her colleague-her close friend."

The nurse hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. After signing, please come to admissions to finish the paperwork."

"Understood," Mick said.

He qued and followed the nurse away. Elio and Steven glared at eac other, both seething but

holding it in June sat curled up on the side, silent and tense.

After a while, Elio turned his cold stare on June. “June, all this is on you. You going to admit what you did?"

June's eyes darted to Steven, nervous. "Elio, can't you just stay out of it?"

Elio gave a mocking laugh and stepped in front of her. "Hand me your phone."

June's face went pale. She clutched her purse tighter. "Why?"

"Give it to me." Elio didn't bother arguing. He snatched her phone, gripped her wrist, and pressed her finger to the sensor to unlock it.

"Elio, let go. What are you doing?

You can't just look at my phone June protested, but Elio ignored her. He opened her messages, found Steven's chat and immediately

started a video call. Content betongs

Steven, lost in his thoughts, felt his phone buzz. He glanced down, and his heart skipped when he saw the caller ID.

Lucie.

But she was in surgery. How could she be calling?

He stared at the screen, frozen.

Elio raised an eyebrow. "What? Not going to answer?"

Steven looked up, eyes wide, bouncing between Elio and a panicked June. June lunged at Elio, desperate for her phone. "Give it back! Give me my phone!"

Elio held it out of reach, staring at Steven like he pitied him. "Steven, the person you've been chatting with these past few days? That was her. Not Lucie." Steven's jaw clenched, his stare turning ice cold as he looked at June.

June gave a shaky, guilty laugh. “I'm sorry... I didn't mean to play tricks on you, I swear..."

Steven's face darkened, his anger boiling over. So it hadn't been Lucie messaging him all this time.

He'd suspected something was off, but she kept sending photos, little glimpses of her daily life, and he hadn't wanted to doubt. He wanted to believe.

June stammered, "I-I didn't mean anything bad. I just... I wanted to get to know you. Maybe be friends..."

Steven's whole presence turned

menacing, his eyes cold enough to kill. Every memory of his own foolish happiness these past few days burned in his mind, making the anger twist tighter in his chest. All he wanted in that moment was to scream, to break something-or someone.