Chapter 7 (Episode 7)

(Shen Hospital, OA Avenue, River City)

Inside a spacious and luxurious VVIP hospital ward with upscale furnishings, a separate living and sleeping area, and an en-suite bathroom with a dedicated space for caregivers or family members, Rachel was seen looking very pale and

lying unconscious with an IV bag fixed on her left wrist, a neck collar on her neck, an oxygen mask on her nose, a pulse oximeter on her right index finger, ECG wires on her chest, and gauze wrapped around her head.

She was surrounded by Doctor Tim and twelve elite doctors whose faces were looking very anxious and pale with beads of sweat trailing down their heads as if they were trapped inside an ice cellar with a big mountain pressing down on their backs as they attended to her meticulously.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen, whose body was exuding a powerful aura, had a solemn look on her frail and sharp face as she watched the doctors with her eyebrows knitted together.

The luxurious VVIP hospital ward was as silent as a cemetery, with only the sound of an ECG machine making noise inside the luxurious VVIP hospital ward.

After twenty minutes of pin-drop silence, Doctor Tim and the twelve elite doctors turned to Chairwoman Erica George Shen with their heads bowed to the ground, their lips quivering with fear, and their faces looking very pale.

"How is my granddaughter?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked impatiently, her voice stern and laced with a mixture of anxiety and fear as she swept a cold piercing gaze across Doctor Tim and the twelve elite doctors, making them shudder in fright.

Doctor Tim and the twelve elite doctors were trembling in fear, and none of them wanted to be the bearer of bad news by being the first to speak about Rachel because they didn't want to upset Chairwoman Erica George Shen.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen's eyes darkened, and her body exuded a chilling aura as she raised her voice in a cold, commanding tone and said, "SPEAK!!"

Frightened by her cold voice, Doctor Tim and the twelve elite doctors raised their heads to meet Chairwoman Erica George Shen's cold, piercing gaze and swallowed hard before opening their mouths in a unified tone as they said, "Chairwoman Shen, we've done everything that we can do for her medically, and she's supposed to have woken up by now, but she fell into a coma instead."

"You bunch of incompetent imbeciles! How dare you call yourselves "elite doctors" if none of you can treat a patient properly?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked, her voice cold and stern as she glared reproachfully at Doctor Tim and the twelve elite doctors.

The twelve elite doctors bowed their heads in silence, as none of them could find words to counter Chairwoman Erica George Shen's words of reproach.

Summoning his courage, Doctor Tim inhaled sharply, raised his head to meet Chairwoman Erica George Shen's cold gaze, and said, "This isn't our fault because, from my observation, I can confidently say Miss Shen fell into a coma because she doesn't want to wake up."

Chairwoman Erica George Shen raised her eyebrows and said, "Elaborate."

Sighing heavily in relief, Doctor Tim cleared his throat and said, "Rachel Shen fell into a coma because she doesn't want to wake up. Why? Because something devastating might have happened to her, making her too terrified to wake up and face reality... That's what I think anyway."

"I see." Chairwoman Erica George Shen replied with a thoughtful look on her face while sighing deeply as she rubbed her temples.

"So what can we do to make her wake up?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked, her voice laced with nervousness as she stared at Doctor Tim inquisitively.

"Well, you can spend time with her and remind her of memories and moments that are precious to her... Tell her things that can assure her that she won't be alone facing whatever she is scared of." Doctor Tim replied warmly while observing Chairwoman Erica George Shen's reaction.

Doctor Tim's words struck a chord in Chairwoman Erica George Shen's heart, making her sigh heavily.

Smiling at Doctor Tim, she said, "Thanks for your suggestions. I'll make sure to adhere to them."

Turning her gaze to the twelve elite doctors, she gave them a look that said, "You may leave."

Receiving their cue to leave, the twelve elite doctors sighed heavily in relief, gave Doctor Tim a grateful look, and hurriedly filed out of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward, leaving only Doctor Tim, Chairwoman Erica George Shen, and the unconscious Rachel inside the luxurious VVIP hospital ward.

Five minutes rolled by in pin-drop silence before Doctor Tim coughed on purpose to remind Chairwoman Erica George Shen of his presence.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen, surprised that Doctor Tim was still around, turned her gaze to him, raised her eyebrows, and said, "What are you still doing here? I thought you left with those incompetent imbeciles that disgrace the word "elite doctor."

"I couldn't leave without your permission, so..."

"You may leave now; I need to be alone with my granddaughter... I'll call for you when I need you." Chairwoman Erica George Shen interrupted Doctor Tim and waved her hands dismissively as a way of gesturing for him to leave before turning her gaze and attention to the unconscious Rachel.

Taking a deep sigh of relief, Doctor Tim said his goodbyes and walked towards the entrance door of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward and closed the door as soon as he stepped out of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward.

Twenty minutes later, a sleek black-colored Range Rover sped into the parking lot of Shen Hospital and made a drift before stopping and parking at a parking space.

The black-colored Range Rover drew the attention of passing pedestrians, nurses, patients clad in their patient gowns, and patient relatives. And they were all eager to know the driver of the black-colored Range Rover.

Two minutes later, the driver's door opened, and then a 50-year-old woman whose face wore a cold expression, with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail and clad in a well-ironed Donna brand black suit and a Donna brand black handbag to match, stepped out of the black-colored Range Rover, went around the black-colored Range Rover, and opened the front passenger door.

A 16-year-old blonde young girl clad in a blue skirt, white T-shirt, and a white pair of sneakers stepped out of the black-colored Range Rover and closed the door before taking a deep breath.

Under the gazes of the passing pedestrians, nurses, patients clad in their patient gowns, and patient relatives, the 50-year-old woman and the 16-year-old blonde young girl walked towards the entrance of Shen Hospital, where the Chief Medical Director and twelve other doctors were waiting, and walked into the building of Shen Hospital, followed by the Chief Medical Director and the twelve other doctors trailing behind them while answering questions that were asked by the 50-year-old woman.

"Who is that lady and that young girl?" An advanced male patient asked curiously with an astonished look on his frail and pale face while looking at the 50-year-old woman and the 16-year-old blonde young girl parting ways with the Chief Medical Director and the twelve other doctors as they stepped into a VIP elevator.

"I don't know, but they must be very important people to be able to be greeted at the hospital's entrance by the hospital's Chief Medical Director." A female patient sitting close to the advanced male patient replied to him with a warm voice as she watched the doors of the VIP elevator closing slowly.

Inside the elevator, the 16-year-old blonde young girl, who wore a nervous look on her face, looked at the 50-year-old woman and said, "Miss Susan Mahon, who exactly is the person that needs to see me? I've been asking you, but you've been acting all mysterious by refusing to tell me."

Susan Mahon, with a stern look on her face, glanced at the 16-year-old blonde young girl and sighed heavily in frustration before saying, "Miss Kira Barner, I was told by my boss to bring you to her, and that is exactly what I'm doing, so please stop asking me questions, as I won't be able to answer them without the authorization of my boss.... Don't worry; when we get to our destination, you will see the person that wants to see you, and your questions will be answered when you see her."

Kira slumped her head down and kept quiet until she heard Susan Mahon saying, "Follow me," as soon as the elevator door opened, before she took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator and trailed behind Susan Mahon.

Susan Mahon walked through the hallway and stopped in front of "VVIP ward 001" before knocking softly on the entrance door of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward.

"Who is it?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen's irritated voice sounded from inside the luxurious VVIP hospital ward.

"It's me, Susan." Susan Mahon answered respectfully.

"Oh, Susan! Come on in." Chairwoman Erica George Shen ordered.

Susan Mahon opened the entrance door of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward and walked inside alongside Kira, who still had a nervous look on her face.

Raising her head from the business magazine she was reading, Chairwoman Erica George Shen's gaze swept across Susan Mahon and landed on Kira Barner.

"Is this the girl who rescued my granddaughter and stayed as her guardian for four days before we found out about the accident?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked curiously while staring at Kira Barner.

Susan Mahon's face beamed into a warm smile as she glanced at Kira and said, Yes, Chairwoman. She's the one Doctor Tim told us about when we arrived."

"I see. Chairwoman Erica George Shen nodded with a warm smile before waving at Kira, gesturing for her to come closer.

Kira stood rooted on the ground as she stared at Chairwoman Erica George Shen in a daze. She couldn't believe her eyes were actually seeing the world's richest woman in person, a woman who was revered and admired by billions of people and could only be seen on the web, in business magazines, and on television.

She slapped herself hard, and when she felt the sting on her face, she realized she wasn't hallucinating.

"Why are you slapping yourself?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked softly, her voice laced with concern.

"I thought I was hallucinating when I saw you seated here. I couldn't believe my eyes and thought my eyes were playing jokes on me to show me the world's richest woman, so I...slapped myself." Kira answered sheepishly with her face flushed red.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen's face wore an amused look before turning into a warm smile as she said, "It's okay, dear... Please come closer so I can take a good look at you."

Kira walked with heavy steps towards Chairwoman Erica George Shen and stopped in front of her.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen's smile brightened as she said, "You are a pretty girl."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Kira replied shyly while blushing as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her left ear.

"I wasn't trying to be polite. I meant it when I said you are a pretty girl... You are not only pretty on the outside, but your heart is also pretty on the inside. I hope you keep it up." Chairwoman Erica George Shen praised her with a sincere tone while smiling brightly at her.

"Thank you, Ma'am. I'm honored." Kira replied, her voice warm as her face beamed into a bright smile.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen nodded and said, "Good! Now that you are calm and no longer nervous like when you first stepped in... I think we can get down to business. After I got word of my granddaughter's accident, I flew all the way from the Republic of Norpond down to this place in one of my private jets. Upon my arrival, I saw that my granddaughter was being treated, and when I asked how she was brought in, Doctor Tim, my granddaughter's attending doctor, told me about your existence, so I asked Susan Mahon, my personal assistant and right-hand woman, to help find you because I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to you. My granddaughter would have long been standing in the midst of her ancestors and in front of her maker if it weren't for you."

Kira waved her hands dismissively as she smiled at Chairwoman Erica George Shen and said, "It's no big deal, Ma'am. I just did what I thought was the right thing to do."

Chairwoman Erica George Shen, with a serious look on her face, stared at Kira and said, "So tell me, what reward do you want? Say the word, and it shall be done."

Without a moment of hesitation, Kira shook her head, and with a firm voice, she said, "I don't want any reward from you, Ma'am. I didn't save her because of any reward. My only wish is for her to get better soon."

"But I insist on giving you a reward. Can't you just accept the "thank you reward" from a grateful grandmother?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked, her voice laced with a pleading tone as she looked at Kira with a pleading look on her face.

Kira shook her head, and in a firm tone, she said, "No, I can't accept it!"

"But if you refuse to accept any reward, how am I going to express my gratitude?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked softly with a pleading look on her face.

Staring right into Chairwoman Erica George Shen's dark eyes with a straight face, Kira's face beamed into a smile as she said, "Ma'am, with due respect, I refuse to accept any reward from you for saving your granddaughter. I know I'm a poor high school student, but I have a principle, a bottom line, and my moral compass intact. I'm not so brazen as to accept a reward for saving your granddaughter because what happened to her might happen to me one day. I never can tell, so please don't insist on giving me a reward. If you really want to express your gratitude to me, then make sure you take good care of your granddaughter and always be there for her... Don't let her fend for herself anymore."

"Okay. If you say so." Chairwoman Erica George replied softly as she sighed heavily in defeat.

Feeling relieved, Kira smiled at Chairwoman Erica George and said, "Thank you for respecting my wish."

Chairwoman Erica George smiled and said, "It's nothing. Though I'm sad I can't repay you, I really can't force you to accept what you don't want. By the way, you haven't told me about yourself. What's your name, and which country are you from?"

"My name is Kira Barner, and I'm from Norpond. I'm 16 years old and an orphan. I'm in my junior year of high school, 11th grade to be precise, and a scholarship student at Shen International Academy. I came to Gilead to work as a tutor for a wealthy couple. It was on my way back from work that I came across your granddaughter." Kira replied to Chairwoman Erica George Shen warmly.

"I see. Since you refused to accept any reward, I won't force you, but I want to give you a scholarship that will cover the tuition of any university of your choice, including your master's and PhD, if you feel like getting a PhD...Can I do that?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked Kira nervously while observing her facial reaction.

Kira fell into a deep thought before nodding her head.

"Are you okay with me paying for your university tuition?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked again to be sure while looking at her with anticipation in her eyes.

Kira nodded her head and smiled warmly as she said, "Yes, I'm okay with that."

"Alright." Chairwoman Erica George Shen said softly as she smiled happily before turning her gaze to Susan Mahon.

Getting her order from Chairwoman Erica George Shen's eyes, Susan Mahon swiftly brought out a gold-colored Shen Bank debit card from her handbag and handed it to Kira as she said, "Inside this bank card is the sum of 50 billion Norpondian dollars."

Kira gasped as she stared at the gold-colored Shen Bank debit card in shock.

Bringing out her complimentary card from her handbag and extending it to her, Susan Mahon smiled at Kira and said, "Here. Have my card. If you ever need anything or help from Chairwoman Shen, you can reach her through me by calling my number written on the complimentary card.

"Thank you very much, Miss Mahon. Thank you very much, Chairwoman Shen. I'm so grateful. I promise to use it well, and I promise not to let you down or disappoint you." Kira thanked Susan Mahon, turned to Chairwoman Erica George Shen, and thanked her with a sincere tone before accepting the complimentary card from Susan Mahon.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen waved her hand dismissively and said, "Don't mention it. I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to do this for you."

"Miss Barner, here's a first-class ticket from Shen Airlines. Use it to fly back to Norpond." Susan Mahon said warmly as she brought out a Shen Airline first-class plane ticket from her handbag and handed it to Kira with a bright smile on her face.

Accepting the plane ticket from Susan Mahon, Kira thanked her and Chairwoman Erica George Shen sincerely and said her goodbyes to the both of them before turning to leave.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen's face wore a sad look as she watched Kira walk out of the luxurious VVIP hospital ward and closed the entrance door behind her.

Turning to Susan, she smiled and said, "She's a good kid. You must have gone through a lot to find her. Thank you very much, Susan."

"It's nothing, Chairwoman." Susan Mahon replied to Chairwoman Erica George Shen in a warm but respectful tone.

"How many times will I tell you to call me "Erica" when there's no third party around?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen asked with a playful tone while pretending to be annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Chairwo...Erica. I'm sorry, Erica. I forgot." Susan replied, Chairwoman Erica George Shen, while bowing her head.

"It's okay. Have you located Liam Paige?" Chairwoman Erica George Shen raised her eyebrows and asked Susan Mahon with barely restrained anger laced in her voice.

"I have. How do you want me to deal with him for putting young Miss Shen into this condition?" Susan Mahon's face turned frosty at the mention of Liam as she turned to look at the unconscious Rachel.

Chairwoman Erica George Shen, whose face had contorted into one of fury, clenched her fists, and with gritted teeth, she turned her gaze to Susan Mahon and said, "As much as I want to deal with Liam Paige and Charlotte, the second daughter of the Dylan family, the family behind DY Group. I don't want Rachel to wake up only to be upset with me, so I'll wait and see how she handles the both of them. In the meantime, withdraw our investment from DY Group and let them become restless like ants on a hot pan for a while."