Chapter: 454

Three days later. In the hospital.

Alice reclined on the hospital bed, feeling helpless as Norah entered with a pile of items. "Norah, I really don't need all this stuff."

"These health boosters are essential. Even though you're getting better with my care, these supplements are important. Keep them here.

Have the caregiver integrate them into your diet. Please, don't say no. I picked these out for you from the mall."

Alice felt warmth spread through her heart. Norah, ever so dedicated, had visited her every day in the hospital, tending to her wounds and buoying her spirits.

“Okay, I'll accept it. But where is Sean? He didn't accompany you today?" Alice asked.

A grin that said more than words spread across Norah's face. "Sean had to address an urgent matter at the company in Otland, so he and Phillip sped off. I'm here solo." Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she reassured Alice, "He sent over two people from the Sacredice to ensure I'm safe, so you've got no reason to fret over me."

A quizzical look crossed Alice's face. "Sean must have quite the fortune. Employing Sacredice's protection even just for a day can't be cheap."

Norah had once stumbled across an online discussion about their fees, which ranged wildly from one million to ten million, all for a single day's work. One would need deep pockets to engage a bodyguard from the Sacredice.

"I've never asked him about these things," Norah confessed as she tidied up and settled beside the bed. "I had argued that a bodyguard was unnecessary, but he wouldn't have it."

Sacredice's bodyguards were like phantoms, materializing only when peril loomed.

“Sean's got a big heart for you." Alice let out a sigh. "His absence is unusual. Fill me in on the details about him."

Whenever Alice laid eyes on Norah, Sean seemed to be Norah's shadow, which made some questions tricky for Alice to ask and for Norah to answer.

With a playful twinkle in her eye, Norah began recounting the adventures she and Sean had embarked on together.

A longing sigh escaped Alice. “It's evident. With your charm and grace, how could you not have admirers trailing you? Sean's a catch.

I'm eagerly anticipating your wedding. I can hardly wait to be your bridesmaid standing by your side, holding your bouquet.”

“You'll surely be by my side that day," Norah murmured, her mind adrift with the imagination of her wedding day with Sean. She yearned to bask in the joy the wedding promised.

As the twilight hours enveloped the hospital, Norah meandered toward the exit, bending her gaze to reach out to Sean.

Earlier, Sean had promised to pick her up for dinner after his workday, so she had opted to hail a taxi directly to the hospital to visit Alice.

The moment her fingers graced the screen of her phone, the air split with the intent of violence. It was a punch aimed at her. But Norah, with agility, executed a backflip, narrowly evading harm.

Her assailant stood revealed. It was a tower of a man, his fists massive and intent, meeting Norah's in a thud that spoke of brute strength.

“Oh? Not bad," he grunted, his surprise etching into his brow.

“And you are?" Norah, composing herself and smoothing back her hair, took stock of her opponent.

Flanking the towering figure were five men, all donned in black, each marked with the emblem of a shattered peak.