Divorced, But Queen - Chapter 549: Chapter 549

The Blood Association leader gave Aria a long, searching look, then pushed past her toward the ER door. The moment he cracked it open, a wave of nauseating stench assaulted his senses.
His face twisted in disgust as he slammed the door shut, pinched his nose, and took in the vomit-stained clothes on the old man. "Get him changed. Now," he snapped.
Aria replied flatly, "We're going to change out of these clothes. Let someone else handle this."
After getting a whiff of that stench, the Blood Association leader felt contaminated himself. He gave them a disgust-filled glare and snapped, "Get lost!"
Repulsed by the smell, the Blood Association leader had no intention of entering the room and couldn't care less whether the old man changed his clothes or not.
In the monitoring room, three guards were glued to the monitors and signal displays.
One of the guards muttered, "The signal's acting up today."
Another guard yawned and said, "They took him to the ER. With all that gear in there, no wonder the signal's acting up."
The other guard said, "Guess so. I'm dead tired. Where's an old man gonna run anyway? With that damn alarm blinking on and off, Ivy Hospital is really making a mountain out of a molehill."
One of the guards relaxed as he watched the old man being wheeled into the ward. "Go ahead and catch some shut-eye. We'll keep an eye on things."
The other guard said drowsily, "Thanks, man."
On the monitors, Megan and a lanky doctor were heading toward the elevator.
The guard stared at the gaunt doctor and thought to himself, 'Weird... this guy's build is oddly similar to that old man's.'
As they entered the elevator, Tristan was a bit unsteady on his feet. Aria quickly reached out to steady him. Just then, Vanessa's voice crackled in her earpiece. "The elevator area's heavily guarded—all armed."
Vanessa spoke into her earpiece, "I'll cue Owen to move as the elevator approaches."
Aria nodded. "Copy that."
With "Tristan" present on the top floor, the guards would subconsciously overlook everyone else.
But the ground floor was a whole different story.
All eyes would be on them, making it easy to spot anything out of place.
The only way out was to create a bigger distraction the moment they were noticed, for example, "Tristan" making a break for it.
"Don't worry," Aria said firmly, "we'll get out of here."
The moment the elevator doors slid open, a piercing alarm suddenly blared through the hallway. "Target attempting escape! Block all escape routes! Team to the roof now—no one gets away!"
Panic flashed across the guards' faces in the hallway. Their leader slammed a hand to his earpiece. "All units, listen up! Blood Association, follow me to the top floor! Wolfshade Syndicate, secure all exits and emergency stairwells!"
Aria grabbed Tristan by the arm and hurried him out of the elevator.
The guards swarmed toward the elevator, violently yanking Aria and Tristan out.
Tristan staggered—Aria instantly seized his wrist and yanked him to her side.
Aria scanned the chaotic lobby and murmured, "Follow me."
They had barely taken a few steps when a guard's voice barked from behind them. "Freeze!"
Aria's back stiffened. Her right hand stealthily slid toward the scalpel tucked into her waistband.
Suddenly, a shower of sparks burst from the ceiling, plunging the whole lobby into darkness.
Vanessa's voice crackled in her earpiece. "First floor power disabled. Backup in ninety seconds."
Under the cover of darkness, a hunched figure pushing a janitor's cart approached. "This way."
It was Nikolas.
Aria immediately supported Tristan, and the three of them swiftly ducked into a side corridor.
Tristan was stunned to see his grandson there. "You... how did you get here?"
"Grandpa, you recognized me?" Nikolas gasped, his face lighting up.
Tristan recognized him by voice alone.
Nikolas said, "Sorry, Grandpa... It's all my fault. I was so stupid, taking this long to find you."
Overcome with guilt, Nikolas had barely slept these past days, scouring every inch for another hidden exit—and against all odds, he'd actually found one.
"Let's go to the basement level," Nikolas urged.