Chapter 225
Khloe stood in the hospital corridor, her thoughts still tangled in the aftermath of the attack.
The face of the attacker refused to fade from her memory.
It was him.
The same man who, at the Morrison family banquet the night before, had openly exposed her past with Trey.
If the two incidents were connected, then this wasn’t random at all.
Her gaze darkened slightly.
Ethan. Clarice.
Everything pointed back to them.
But something about it didn’t sit right.
If they truly intended to target her, there were easier ways—quieter ways. With so many witnesses at the restaurant, the most that could have happened was injury, nothing fatal.
So why choose that moment?
Unless…
Khloe’s eyes flickered.
Unless Michelle was part of it.
The thought came uninvited, sharp and unsettling.
Michelle’s reaction had been too fast, too decisive—throwing herself in front of her without hesitation, as if she had already decided the outcome before the blade even fell.
But the injury was real.
The blood loss had been severe. Michelle had nearly gone into shock before reaching the hospital.
If it had all been an act… it was an extremely dangerous one.
Khloe exhaled quietly, unable to conclude.
Before she could think further, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The Keller family arrived.
Michelle’s mother and second uncle rushed in first. The moment they saw Khloe, their expressions stiffened.
When they asked what had happened, Michelle’s mother’s eyes filled immediately with tears.
“She’s been fragile since childhood…” she choked out. “She can’t even tolerate pain like this…”
Her second uncle steadied her, though his face was equally tense.
Neither of them lingered on Khloe’s explanation. Even when she offered reassurance, their responses remained distant, preoccupied with their own anxiety.
Soon after, the operating room doors opened.
The doctor stepped out, and the waiting area surged forward at once.
“Patient is out of danger,” the doctor said.
The tension broke.
Only then did the Keller family finally release the breath they had been holding.
The injury to Michelle’s wrist was deep, but fortunately no nerves were damaged. She would require hospitalization for observation, but there was no lasting critical risk.
Relief and lingering fear mixed in Michelle’s mother’s expression as she followed the stretcher into the ward.
“My child… how could you be so reckless?” she sobbed. “That was a criminal! What if something had gone wrong?”
Michelle’s second uncle walked beside them, his expression tight. When his eyes shifted toward Khloe, there was something deliberate in them.
“Khloe,” he said, voice measured, “don’t take this to heart. Michelle has always been like this—she can’t stand seeing others in danger, even if it costs her.”
Khloe understood the implication beneath the words.
She didn’t react.
Instead, she spoke calmly, “I will cover all of Michelle’s medical expenses and her recovery costs.”
The second uncle hesitated.
“That’s not necessary. Our family isn’t short of money. It’s good that you’re safe.”
Before Khloe could respond, footsteps approached from the end of the corridor.
Fast. Controlled. Familiar.
Nick appeared.
His coat was thrown on hastily, tie loosened, breath slightly uneven from the rush. The tension in his expression softened only when he saw Khloe standing there intact.
Behind him, Lenny and two bodyguards followed closely, keeping a respectful distance as they greeted the Keller family.
“Nick—” Michelle’s second uncle began.
But Nick didn’t look at him.
He walked straight to Khloe.
“Are you hurt?” he asked immediately.
His hands were already on her shoulders, checking her quickly—arms, face, posture—confirming for himself that she was uninjured.
Only then did the coldness in his eyes loosen.
“I’m fine,” Khloe said softly. “But Michelle is injured.”
Her tone carried a quiet warning. A reminder not to ignore the people in the room.
Nick barely reacted. He had come here at full speed after receiving her call, his mind fixed on nothing else.
Even hearing “I’m fine” over the phone hadn’t been enough to calm him. His chest had stayed tight the entire way.
Now that he saw her safe, the tension finally began to release.
But not everyone in the room felt the same.
Michelle’s mother’s voice broke the fragile calm.
“Nick,” she said sharply, eyes red with grievance, “Michelle risked her life to save Khloe. And you come in here and don’t even check on her first?”