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Chapter 25 - Mending Hearts

Ashley frowned and glanced at the doctor. "Please go check on Liana… I've got some work."

The doctor gave a reassuring nod and headed toward the main door. Ashley grabbed her raincoat from the corridor chair, just in case, and draped it over herself before stepping outside. "Yes, Richard? What's the problem?"

Richard let out a nervous sigh. "Umm… you're a bit late. There was someone standing there… and the person didn't look normal."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you confront them?"

Richard looked down, shuffling his feet. "Umm… I'm new, and I wasn't sure… so I told you to come."

Ashley narrowed her eyes and lightly smacked his head. "Okay… forget that. Tell the police to handle it, and come inside. Be with her mother, she seems upset."

Richard frowned. "Why?"

Ashley chuckled. "Liana said Ethilia's name after waking up."

Richard's eyes widened in excitement. "I'm ready to ship them… damn! I've been shipping them since college."

Ashley smiled and removed her raincoat, walking toward Liana's cabin. Richard grinned and headed to Liana's mother.

The other guards, Rio, Mark, and the rest, weren't allowed near Liana, so they were sent back to the city.

Ashley entered the cabin. The doctor looked at her with a small smile. "She's doing fine. Don't worry. Just make sure she doesn't move too much, okay?"

Ashley nodded. The doctor leaned closer and spoke quietly, "I'll go check on the others. They should wake up soon, okay?"

Ashley watched her leave and then moved to sit beside Liana. "So… how are you feeling now?"

Liana gave a soft, tired smile. "Relieved, maybe… but Alex is still out there. I still can't understand why he did this… or how Ethilia and Char got into the basketball court when the door's been locked for years."

Ashley reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Can you try to rest? We can think about all that later. Besides, he probably didn't expect you to go there, so he didn't keep any security. And the police have made sure he can't keep an eye on you."

Liana closed her eyes, letting her fingers tighten around Ashley's. Ashley caressed her wrist softly. "I don't think he'll show up now. He'll probably lie low for a few months…"

Liana nodded and opened her eyes again. "How are Ethilia and Char? Have they regained consciousness?"

Ashley bit her lip and nodded. "Not sure yet. Want me to check?"

Liana hummed softly and released Ashley's hand. "Please?"

She rose and walked to the door, but paused, turning back with a small smile. "No stress, okay?"

Liana blinked once with a smile, and Ashley returned the smile before leaving, closing the door behind her.

She approached Ethilia's cabin, right next to Liana's. The doctor was returning just as Ashley reached the door. She quietly closed it behind herself and gestured for Ashley to follow. "We need to talk."

Ashley nodded, and they moved to a corner. The doctor removed her glasses with a sigh. "Her body has several marks… not all recent, but some indicate self-harm, though nothing deep enough to be fatal."

Ashley's lips parted, and she swallowed hard. The doctor glanced at Ethilia's door before looking back at Ashley. "She's been struggling with depression. Considering everything that's happened, I suggest she see a psychologist. Please… be careful with her mental health."

Ashley nodded, licking her lower lip. "And any recent injuries? I mean… she was captured, so…"

The doctor shook her head. "Not really. A few marks on her arms, handprints from holding her tightly, some slaps… but nothing extensive, you know?"

Ashley let out a quiet breath of relief, her shoulders loosening just slightly.

The doctor gently patted Ashley's shoulder. "And the other girl… I checked her. She's perfectly fine. She didn't take much damage, but she was hit on the head by something heavy, that's why she was bleeding."

Ashley frowned, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the doctor. "You mean Char?"

The doctor nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes. And honestly, there are some marks on her body too, but they don't seem related to this mission. So… what does she do?"

Ashley shrugged casually. "I heard she's a detective."

The doctor raised an eyebrow and hummed thoughtfully, her gaze flicking toward the door for a moment. "That explains why she has marks like from fighting."

Ashley chuckled softly, shaking her head a little. "Brave, isn't she?"

The doctor chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I couldn't agree more."

Ashley and the doctor started walking together when they noticed Liana's mother standing nearby with a stern face. They exchanged a quick look before approaching her.

She fixed her gaze on Ashley, then the doctor, and asked in a low voice, "How is my daughter… and Char?"

The doctor adjusted her glasses and spoke, choosing her words carefully. "Your daughter is doing well, but she must avoid stress or any emotional… complications. And Char? She's perfectly fine and can go home now."

Liana's mother nodded, her hands clenching together. he couldn't bring herself to forgive the person who had hurt her daughter so deeply. But thinking of Alena's innocent face, she let out a quiet sigh. "And… the other girl?"

The doctor let out a small chuckle and repeated the same words she had told Ashley. She paused and added, "Please make sure nothing upsets her; she's emotionally very fragile right now."

A flicker of sympathy crossed Liana's mother's face, and she nodded slowly. "Okay… and when can I take all of them home?"

The doctor tilted her head slightly and hummed thoughtfully. "I want to keep an eye on them for at least one more day… so the day after tomorrow."

With that, the doctor left, and Ashley turned to Liana's mother. "Aunty? We can't… let Ethilia be alone… so…" Her voice was hesitant, and her hands rubbed together nervously.

The older lady's glare made Ashley flinch. Richard took a few cautious steps back, already standing like he didn't exist, and the intensity of that look made him want to run.

Ashley swallowed hard and forced a nervous smile. "It's fine… we can… we can send her to her place with a nurse."

The older lady turned sharply to Richard. "Go get the car."

Richard nodded quickly and jogged off. She then looked back at Ashley, her eyes sharp. "We leave her alone, and Alex could harm her again… and Liana would go wild after her? No. We'll take her to our house. Besides, her daughter is already staying with us, so no problem."

With that, she walked off. Ashley smiled softly to herself, and once Liana's mother was inside the elevator, she whispered under her breath,

"Seems like we're getting another shipper in our team." A small chuckle escaped her lips,

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