Chapter 4 Let Me Try

When the doctor announced the devastating news, all remaining hope disappeared.

The corridor outside the bedroom immediately echoed with cries of sorrow.

Viewing through the doorway, they saw Jane, still and pale in the bed, her eyes shut, her complexion ashen.

The lines on the heart monitor beside her, once erratic, now traced a unbroken, steady line.

Glenn's knees buckled, his frame beginning to fold, but Derek was quick to support him.

With red-rimmed eyes, Derek exuded an intense, wild anger. "This can't be the end. Continue your efforts!" he shouted.

With a sorrowful shake of his head, Simon responded, "I'm truly sorry, sir. You need to come to terms with this."

Derek felt a sudden weakness wash over him, causing him to stagger backward and slump against the wall.

Allison, acting on impulse, reached out to stabilize him, yet she withdrew her hands after a moment's pause.

At the brink, Derek's emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

His mother had passed away when he was just a little boy, leaving him to wander lost until the Evans family welcomed him back when he was twelve.

At that point, his father had already remarried and expanded his new family, always treating Derek as if he were an outsider.

Only Glenn and Jane truly embraced him; they were his only real family in this world.

Around them, the air was filled with the loud sobs of other relatives, though it was challenging to gauge the authenticity of their grief.

"You arrived quite late for someone so dear to Grandma," said someone, their voice filled with mockery.

That voice belonged to Jaycob Evans, Derek's half-brother.

Jaycob had always harbored a bitter resentment towards Derek, fueled by his mother's biased narratives. He viewed Derek as an unwelcome competitor for the family's wealth, which he felt should have been solely his.

Without Derek, Jaycob would have been the sole heir.

Derek's head dropped, his jaw clenched as he wrestled with a surge of emotions.

Since reaching adulthood, he had assertively steered the family business, securing his role as the youngest chairman in the family's storied history and drawing the fury of his male relatives.

He had always dismissed their petty grievances. Today, his patience was even thinner for such baseless accusations.

Supporting himself on Derek, Glenn whispered weakly, "Help me in... I want to see her."

Allison quickly stepped up, taking Glenn's other arm, and together with Derek, they guided the frail man into the room.

The remaining family members followed behind.

Yet, Jaycob persisted in his discontent. "How can you push us aside just because you're the chairman?" he said sharply.

"That's enough."

Derek's voice sliced through the tension in the room like a lash. Turning slowly, he fixed a freezing look on Jaycob. "Speak another word..."

Jaycob halted, the intensity of Derek's gaze making him feel as if he were being scrutinized by the devil himself. A shudder ran through him, and he remained quiet.

He remembered it all too well. Upon Derek's return to the family, Jaycob and his mother had delighted in tormenting him.

Despite the constant bullying, Derek simply endured, never appealing to Glenn or Jane for help. Jaycob had interpreted Derek's silence as a sign of weakness, believing he could easily manipulate him.

As Derek matured, he assumed control of the family business with calculated and relentless determination, wielding power over his relatives with cold and unforgiving means.

Now, Jaycob regarded him with a mix of fear and lingering bitterness.

In the bedroom, Glenn positioned himself next to the bed, his hand quivering as he tenderly placed it on Jane's cold fingers.

"Jane, why did you have to leave so early?" he murmured, his voice dissolving into tears.

Allison stayed silent by the bed, her gaze fixed on Jane's unmoving body. As Glenn's cries grew louder, she said in a low voice, "There is still hope."

The room hushed instantly, all eyes pivoting to her.

Renee Evans, married to Eric, clasped her hand over her mouth, shocked. "Allison, do you really think you know better? What, do you know some miracle worker? Dr. Jackson leads cardiology at Oregend General Hospital. He's already declared there's no chance."

Pamela's face hardened. Her bond with Derek had always been strained, and she had little interest in understanding Allison, who usually stayed in Derek's villa and only showed up for holidays and special occasions.

Predictably, her contempt only grew louder and more obvious.

"An orphan who has been a housewife for three years-what are the chances she knows some magical doctor?" she mocked.

Roger's wife, Lydia Evans, let out a sharp laugh. "Even if the heavens themselves decided to step in, I doubt there's any hope left."

Amid the sea of insults and scornful laughter, Allison stayed perfectly composed. She faced Glenn squarely and said, "I want to examine her myself."

She did not waste even a flicker of attention on Derek, nor did she bother seeking his opinion.

Her calm request only fueled the mockery, and fresh waves of laughter filled the room.

Other than Glenn and Jane, nobody ever really respected Allison or treated her like she actually belonged to the Evans family.

Every time the relatives gathered and mocked her, Derek had sat back in silence, never once lifting a finger to defend her. Everyone knew exactly how little she mattered to him.

Pamela let out a derisive snort. "You think you're some kind of savior? What could you possibly do to help?"

Without flinching, Allison ignored her, refusing to look away from Glenn.

Keeping her voice steady, she said, "Glenn, let me try."