Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 237: Chapter 237

"Laurel! Laurel, are you hurt?" Marvin's voice rang in my ears, his gaze filled with worry.
Tears blurred my vision as I looked at him, my voice trembling with anger. "Help him! Hurry! Why did you take so long? Those lunatics had guns!"
"I know. The cops are after them now. The paramedics are on their way. They'll be here any second," Marvin said, taking off his shirt and pressing down on Alex's wound.
I bit my lip, my body trembling. It felt like I had been thrown into an ice-cold abyss. My entire body was numb.
Not long after, the paramedics arrived and placed Alex on a stretcher.
I followed them into the ambulance. As I climbed in, my gaze flickered to the side, where I caught sight of the woman in the fox mask—her face now exposed.
A white sheet covered her lifeless body. A single gunshot had ended her life.
The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the ambulance. After a round of emergency treatment and stopping the bleeding, Alex's hand, which had been ice-cold, finally had some warmth.
My heart pounded violently as if it might burst out of my chest.
I didn't want to cry, but my tears fell uncontrollably.
Alex must have heard me. His eyelashes fluttered weakly as he forced his eyes open. In a hoarse whisper, he rasped, "Don't worry, I'm not dying."
I nodded frantically, my heart aching.
"Miss, are you injured? We can take care of your wounds," a nurse in the ambulance asked.
I shook my head. "I'm fine. The blood isn't mine."
But I knew the truth. If Alex hadn't thrown himself in front of me, I would've ended up like the woman in the fox mask—nothing but a corpse.
When we arrived at the hospital, they rushed Alex into the emergency room.
Marvin strode toward me, scanning me from head to toe. Seeing that I only had minor scrapes and bruises, he exhaled a long breath of relief.
"Get that wound on your hand treated."
"I'm fine. I... I'll wait here."
The emergency room was packed with people. It seemed a major traffic accident had just occurred, and the injured were flooding in.
The chaos around me was overwhelming, voices blending into a deafening hum.
Marvin shot me a deep look before pulling me into a quieter corner.
My mind was blank. I couldn't process anything he was saying.
It wasn't until I caught the word "child" that I finally snapped back to reality.
Sophina and Lawrence arrived soon after, having rushed over the moment they got Marvin's message.
Sophina brought me a change of clothes, along with some for Alex.
I went to the restroom and changed out of my bloodstained clothes.
"Laurel, let me take you home," Sophina said cautiously, her face full of concern.
I took a deep breath and shook my head.
Sophina led me to get my wounds treated. Then, I sat on the cold bench in the hallway, feeling as if time had slowed to a crawl.
"Laurel, don't worry. Mr. Herrera will make it through," she reassured me.
I pressed my lips together and nodded blankly. But deep inside, it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart.
From a distance, I heard someone wailing in anguish.
The car accident had already claimed three lives.
People died every day—accidents, illness, all kinds of reasons.
In that moment, I understood. Sometimes, dying was easier than living.
Finally, the doctor stepped out of the operating room, and I rushed forward.
"How is my husband's condition?" My voice trembled with urgency.
The middle-aged doctor removed his mask, exhaustion evident on his face. "The surgery was a success. He's out of danger, but he needs plenty of rest."
The moment I heard the words "out of danger", I felt my knees go weak. My vision darkened, and everything went black.
I didn't know how long I slept. When I woke up, the sky outside was pitch dark. I sat up abruptly.
Alex was sitting by the bed, his silhouette faintly visible in the dim light. I stared at him in a daze, feeling momentarily lost.
Even in the weak glow, his face remained striking despite the paleness. The sharp bridge of his nose cast a shadow along his profile.
"Scared stiff, Laurel? Did I really frighten you that much? Afraid I'd die?" His voice carried a teasing edge.
I glanced at him, exhaustion evident in my expression. "I don't want to be a widow. If you die, how am I supposed to remarry?"
Alex blinked, caught off guard. He looked at me in slight confusion.
"You're injured. Why aren't you lying in bed?" I scolded.
Alex smiled gently and said, "It's just a small wound. I'm fine."
I looked at him, frustration bubbling up, but the anger lodged itself in my throat. I couldn't yell at him.
I wanted to ask him why he had saved me.
But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Alex explained that he was fine and had only been waiting for me to wake up so we could go home together. He also mentioned that it was too late to catch a flight to Nifelheim City that night, so his assistant had booked the earliest one for the next morning.
"You're injured. There's no need to rush back tomorrow," I said coldly.
However, Alex dismissed my concern with a teasing smile. "Tomorrow is the return visit to your family. If I didn't remember something important was happening, I wouldn't have woken up so soon."
I sighed helplessly. "It can be postponed. If something happens to you, the Herrera family won't let me off the hook."
Alex chuckled, his thick lashes fluttering slightly as he smiled. "Don't worry. Even if I die, you won't have to be buried with me."
I rolled my eyes. I wanted him to stay under observation for two more days, but he firmly refused.
"I know my own body," he said firmly.
Left with no choice, I brought him back to the villa.
That night, I soaked in a hot bath.
I thought after experiencing such a terrifying ordeal, I wouldn't be able to sleep. But surprisingly, I slept soundly until the alarm rang.
The next morning, Alex looked refreshed, showing no signs of weakness from his gunshot wound.
As soon as we landed, my phone vibrated. I glanced at the screen and saw missed calls from Maliyah and Bonnie.
I called back. The moment I heard Bonnie's grief-stricken voice, my mind went blank.
Everything in my vision turned blurry. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, and all I could hear was my own sobbing mixed with Bonnie's cries.
Sophina looked at me anxiously. "What's wrong?" Her face was full of worry.
Alex also stared at me with confusion, his handsome brows furrowed.
I opened my mouth, but my voice trembled as I forced the words out. "My mom... she's gone."
It felt like thousands of needles were piercing my heart, and the pain spread through every inch of my body.
My mother's voice and her warm smile kept flashing through my mind.
I felt like I was falling into a bottomless abyss of darkness.
Alex reached out and steadied me as I nearly collapsed.
"Laurel, let's go home first, okay?" His voice was gentle beside my ear.
I wiped my tears away, took a deep breath, and straightened up. Then, I nodded.