Elijah Clark didn't want Mia Lewis to die. She was Emma's close friend. If anything happened to her, Emma would be devastated.
So if the same situation arose again, he would still make the same choice.
Thinking back now, Elijah realized how fortunate he was. If Mia had died that day, who would have shielded Emma tonight?
Would it have been Noah Taylor?
Elijah sneered inwardly. Don't be fooled by Noah's seemingly devoted demeanor. As Olivia Davis had said, he was a scumbag through and through.
His sudden change of heart came only because he saw Emma thriving without him—a bitter, jealous reaction.
If Noah dared to bother Emma again, Elijah wouldn't be so polite.
It wasn't until Captain David Reed called that Liam Williams learned about Emma Johnson. He still remembered the cold sweat that broke out on his hand gripping the phone, even though Captain Reed told him the injured person was Emma's close friend.
If her friend hadn't pushed her away in time, Emma would have been disfigured.
Captain Reed knew the details because two security guards from Mia's restaurant had caught the teenager and escorted him to the police station.
Liam called Emma. Though her phone kept ringing, she never answered.
Maybe she didn't hear it. Liam tried to comfort himself, but he couldn't stay home. He drove to Brookhaven General Hospital. When he found out Mia's ward number, he arrived—only to see Emma and Elijah standing close together, seemingly deep in conversation.
That intimate scene stung Liam, but he no longer acted impulsively like before. He lingered at the stairwell corner for a moment, then finally left the hospital.
"This girl needs to be coaxed. I don't know what got into you that day, but you were so harsh with Mia. She's probably still angry. Go buy a basket of fruit and a bouquet of flowers right now, then deliver them to her ward in person. Mia's a patient now—you have to cheer her up."
Emma pulled Elijah out of the ward, lecturing him like an older sister.
Elijah felt helpless and reluctant, but remembering that Mia had saved Emma's life, he reluctantly went out.
Just as he stepped out of the hospital's main building, Elijah suddenly spotted a familiar Land Rover driving out of the hospital grounds. If he wasn't mistaken, that car belonged to Liam.
Since he was here, why hadn't he gone to the hospital? Or was he visiting someone else he knew?
Elijah figured Emma probably hadn't had time to call Liam and tell him what happened tonight. Liam must have come to see someone else.
That meant he wouldn't have to see Liam and Emma together.
Because even if they just stood quietly side by side, Elijah found it unbearable.
"Mia, you saved my life. If you ever need anything in the future, I'll go through fire and water for you."
Emma walked back into the ward after seeing Elijah leave. She looked at Mia gratefully, making a solemn vow.
"It's nothing serious. Don't make such a big deal out of it. But you need to find out who that teenager is. Why did he want to throw sulfuric acid at you?"
Mia sat up in bed, asking Emma anxiously.
"If you're asking me, I have no idea who to ask. I really don't know him."
Emma looked innocent and confused.
"By the way, the security guards at my restaurant told me they handed the boy over to the police station. You can go there and ask. Maybe you'll find a clue."
Emma nodded but wasn't in a hurry. She'd go this evening. Tomorrow, she had to find out the reason.
A moment later, Elijah came in with a basket of fruit and a bouquet of flowers. The floral fragrance almost masked the unpleasant smell of disinfectant in the ward.
Mia's eyes widened involuntarily. She never imagined Elijah would send her flowers one day. This was a scene that only appeared in her dreams.
But even though her heart was already blooming with joy, Mia kept her face taut, pretending not to care.
Unfortunately, her resistance to Elijah was too low. She soon surrendered to his care and comfort, returning to her usual self.
Olivia Davis felt embarrassed for her old friend—this was a bit too pathetic.
Emma remembered she hadn't called Liam to tell him what happened tonight. She left the ward and took out her phone, only to find more than ten missed calls from Liam.
Because she'd been worried about Mia earlier, she hadn't heard them.
She quickly dialed his number. Before she could say anything, Liam said he already knew everything. At first, Emma was puzzled—how did Liam know?
Then Liam explained about Captain Reed, and Emma remembered that Liam knew Captain Reed from the police station.
"You can stay with your friend at the hospital. I'm at the police station now, interrogating the boy who threw the sulfuric acid. I'll tell you the results tomorrow."
When Emma heard what Liam said, warmth flooded her chest. She wanted to thank him but found the words too light. Even though Liam didn't treat her the same as before, he still cared about her. Emma suddenly had a thought—it would be wonderful to spend a lifetime with Liam.
But unfortunately, that seemed like an unrealistic hope.
At that moment, at the police station, Liam looked at the young man who knew he'd done wrong and was trembling with fear. His eyes were cold. The interrogation was simple—just a weak-willed teenager. Liam used a few tricks, and the boy confessed everything.
"I didn't expect it to be a crazy fan. But then again, Scarlett Martinez should be in prison, and Emma Johnson is innocent. She came so close to being disfigured."
After learning the whole story, Captain Reed couldn't help but sigh to Liam.
"However, an ordinary high school student—where did he get so many coincidences? There was a bottle of sulfuric acid on his classroom desk."
Liam's cold voice was like the freezing weather in the Arctic, making people's teeth chatter.
"That's a big question mark. It seems there's someone behind this. But finding them won't be easy."
Captain Reed said with difficulty.